Supporting our community through the Tokyo Tech Fund

Yoshinori Ohsumi Scholarship

Tomoya Bekki, 1st-year, 1st Academic Group

Having been interested in physics and math as a high school student in Shimane Prefecture, Tokyo Tech's international activities through specialized science and technology programs were very impressive to me. It feels like a dream to have received the Yoshinori Ohsumi Scholarship for study here. My classes at the Institute explore topics that continue to engage my interest, and exchanging ideas through group work and discussions with other students helps me deepen my understanding. It's an intellectually stimulating environment that supercharges our knowledge. Everyone is outgoing, friendly, and always willing to help. Of course the coursework is challenging, but that's the meaning of a Tokyo Tech education.

STAR (Support for Tokyo Tech Advanced Researchers) Grants

Associate Professor Kazuhiko Maeda, School of Science

Being selected as a Tokyo Tech Fund-supported STAR (Support for Tokyo Tech Advanced Researchers) Grant recipient has given me the reassurance I need to follow my research where it leads. Because the grant does not attach conditions like those of other competitive grant funds, I can explore an inspiration or idea wherever it leads me. This freedom is an extremely generous benefit for any researcher and prompts me to drive my research even further.

Fascinated by photocatalysts and electrolysis, I have now spent over 15 years seeking photocatalysts that can effectively exploit visible light, the spectrum that accounts for the major part of natural sunlight. My research particularly focuses on the synthesis of previously unknown compounds for use as photocatalysts and the architecture of new photocatalytic systems, such as fused materials of solids and molecules.

Photocatalysts are now an area of interdisciplinary research, but we really lacked any interaction with other fields until about 10 years ago. Steady interdisciplinary integration as of late has helped tremendously to advance photocatalyst research. I have been able to make great progress in my research through cooperation with researchers of chemical complexes and solid-state physics. The overlap between different fields is where the action is – where new ideas take shape.

Researcher Profile | Tokyo Tech STAR Search – Kazuhiko Maeda

STAR (Support for Tokyo Tech Advanced Researchers) GrantsThe STAR grant program provides large research grants to young researchers who are pursuing research with the potential to grow to national project status or who are producing significant results in fundamental research domains. Through the STAR grant, Tokyo Tech seeks to support 'shining stars' in the next generation of researchers.

FY2016 STAR grant recipients selected

Japan Consortium for Human Microbiome (JCHM)

Nodoka Chiba, 3rd-year, Life Science and Technology

I learned about research and activities related to the intestinal environment as a 1st-year student in the School of Life Science and Technology. I decided to participate in the science outreach programs of JCHM, where students lead outreach activities to increase public knowledge of human enterobacteria. I enjoy communicating the excitement of science to people in the community.

Japan Consortium for Human Microbiome (JCHM)

Minori Suzuki, 2nd-year, Life Science and Technology

I have been involved in outreach activities for elementary school pupils with fellow student members in JCHM. We use a fun board game, developed by Tokyo Tech students, called Bactero IGO to teach kids about enterobacteria. We also participate in Science Square, a summer program hosted by the National Museum of Nature and Science, to teach kids the importance of enterobacteria through unique games and songs. Our output varies: other JCHM students have developed app-based games, while my love of reading has led me to writing stories and scripts for plays about enterobacteria.

Global Scientists and Engineers Course (GSEC)

Liu Yimeng, 2nd-year master's student, Chemical Science and Engineering

I received a scholarship from the Tokyo Tech Fund to participate in a short-term study abroad program offered through the Global Scientists and Engineers Course (GSEC). Thanks to the scholarship, I was able to conduct research at Oxford University as a first-year master's student. It was an extremely valuable experience that helped me improve my English and learn about other cultures.

Global Scientists and Engineers Course (GSEC)

Mio Kamasaka, 4th-year, Polymer Chemistry

As a third-year undergraduate participating in the Global Scientists and Engineers Course, I received financial support from the Tokyo Tech Fund that enabled me to participate in a five-week research program at Rice University in the United States, where I experienced both the excitement and challenge of research. I met people from the private sector and from government agencies, thereby gaining exposure to the various ways one can engage in science and technology outside the research lab. This experience opened my eyes to a multitude of pathways to be useful in society.