2026 Research Grant Program
Applications are now closed for FY2026.
"Interlinkages and Innovation for Future Societies"
Program Objectives
The Toyota Foundation Research Grant Program, Interlinkages and Innovation for Future Societies, invites research proposals that address social issues with an awareness of the "connections" among people, between people and nature, and between people and things and technologies. This is based on the belief that in order to realize an affluent and harmonious world, we need to fundamentally reexamine existing social systems and design the future from the perspective of interlinkages.
In evaluating proposals, the Research Grant Program will place emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of the research, the diversity of the participants, international perspectives, and the impacts on society. It invites ambitious projects that transcend conventional research activities, which often contribute only to the academic world, to address important social issues. It will support researchers who boldly challenge the world and encourage the transformation of social systems using a free-thinking approach that is not constrained by existing values.
Grant Framework
| Program Theme | Interlinkages and Innovation for Future Societies |
|---|---|
| Grant Amount (Total) | 60 million yen (per project, up to around 8 million yen/two years) |
| Grant Periods | Two years (Nov 1, 2026 to Oct 31, 2028) |
| Requirements | Project representatives must be 45 years old or under on the day of the beginning of the grant. Project representatives must have a contact address in Japan. Projects must be Joint research conducted by two persons or more. No limitations are placed on proposals with regard to the nationality of the project representative or participants; nor is there any restriction with regard to their affiliation (or lack thereof) with a university, research institute, NPO/NGO, or other organization. |
| Proposal Submission Period | Wednesday, April 1 to Friday, June 5, 2026 (until 3:00 p.m. Japan Standard Time) |
| Grant Selection | Formal decisions on the awarding of grants will be made at the Toyota Foundation Board of Directors meetings scheduled to be held in September 2026, based on the deliberations of a selection committee composed of outside |
Proposal Guidelines and Project Proposal Form Samples
| Format | Item | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Proposal Guidelines 2026 | ||
| Basic Information 2026 (sample) | After entry, you will register your basic information in the web form. | |
| Project Proposal Form 2026 (sample) | A blank Word file will be available upon entry. |
Please click "Entry" below and proceed to the online application page to register applicant information.
- Entry
Briefing Sessions
Online Briefing Sessions (not compulsory)
First Session: 13:00 - 14:00 on Wednesday, April 9, 2026
Second Session: 11:00 - 12:00 on Thursday, April 22, 2026
*Please note online briefing sessions are held in Japanese only, no English translation available.
Please visit Japanese site for details
Preliminary consultations are available with the Toyota Foundation’s program officers when applying. If you would like a preliminary consultation, please prepare concept notes (on 1-2 A4 pages, free format) and contact us by email. Preliminary consultations will be available until Friday, May 22, 2026 (only for the applicants declared by May 15, 2026). Please note that we may not be able to provide a preliminary consultation close to the deadline due to the high volume of demand.
*All slots for preliminary consultations are fully booked and are no longer available. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
*The following information is from FY2025.
Comments by Selection Committee Chair
The chairperson of the selection committee provides comments on the content submitted in this year's application and on projects that received funding. Please take a moment to read these comments as they may be helpful for understanding this year's trends. For information on submissions made before this period, please refer to the annual reports.
- Comments by the Selection Committee Chair on the Research Grant Program 2025
- Annual Report.
List of Grant Projects
- List of Grant Projects
Recommended Documents
Please review following materials for your reference of program activities.
Recommended Workshop Films
<the Mid-term Report Session and Workshop 2025>
The Toyota Foundation has been committed to fostering platforms for interaction and discussion among grantees as a part of our grant activities. We jointly held the Mid-term Report Session and Workshop 2025 with the Research Grant Program "Interlinkages and Innovation for Future Societies" and the Special Subject "Co-Creating New Society with Advanced Technologies" on October 18, 2025. This event consisted of two parts: Part 1, a mid-term report session (poster presentations), and Part 2, a workshop on the theme "What is Research that Engages with Society?"
We will introduce the activities of the Part 2 workshop in the following video.
Digest Video
The digest video of the day's events, which includes the Part 1 Mid-term Report Session (poster presentations), is available here:
▶ https://youtu.be/hsJV189VpYM
For other videos, please visit the Toyota Foundation YouTube channel.
▶ https://www.youtube.com/c/thetoyotafoundation
Applications for 2026 Recruitment are now open.
The New Partnership Programme for Nurturing Professionals
The Toyota Foundation and the University of Tokyo Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI) has established a new partnership programme under the theme of "Interlinkages and Innovation for Future Societies" and wish to recruits researchers who will conduct research to transform social systems since FY2021.
Please visit following website for details.
https://ifi.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/news/category/annoucement/
The New Partnership Programme for Nurturing Professionals
| Application dead line | Friday, 2nd October 2026 JST EOD |
|---|---|
| Job title | Project Researcher or Project Assistant Professor (Fixed-Term Project Staff) |
| Place of work | Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo, JAPAN |
| Number of persons to be recruited | 1 (Planned) |
| For details, please visit IFI website. | IFI website(English)[PDF] |
*Following information is the grants for FY2025.
List of Grant Projects (FY2025)
| TYTID | Project Title | Project Leader | Position, Organization | Grant Amount(yen) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D25-RC-0001 | Partnership Programme: “Interlinkages and Innovation for Future Societies” | Kensuke Fukushi | Director, Institute for Future Initiatives, the University of Tokyo | 2,000 |