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- Special Award for Science Tokyo Advanced Researchers【STAR】
Special Award for Science Tokyo Advanced Researchers【STAR】
- Home
- Support for obtaining research funding
- Special Award for Science Tokyo Advanced Researchers【STAR】
Special Award for Science Tokyo Advanced Researchers【STAR】
Special Award for Science Tokyo Advanced Researchers【STAR】
Overview
By utilizing the Science Tokyo Fund, we provide large-scale grants to young researchers grappling with research topics that have the potential to become national projects in the future and to those who have achieved distinguished results in the fundamental sciences. The fund is designed to support these rising stars of the next generation.
STAR began providing support in 2013.
【Selection process】
Based on their career and research achievements, recipients are selected by the President and Chief Executive Officer and the director of Research Development Center. Individuals cannot apply for this award.
＜Selection criteria＞
- Young researchers grappling with research topics that have the potential to become national projects in the future
- Young researchers who demonstrate outstanding achievement in the fundamental sciences
＜Eligibility＞
- Early-career researchers with the title of associate professor or below (in principle, under the age of 40)
List of the Past Award Winners
Application
Recipients are selected by the President and Chief Executive Officer and the director of Research Development Center. Individuals cannot apply for this grant.
Every year around January, the director of Research Development Center notifies selected researchers of their grants.
FY2024 winners
| Name | Affiliation | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Masahito OHUE | Associate Professor | School of Computing, Department of Computer Science |
| Takayoshi KATASE | Associate Professor | Institute of Integrated Research, MDX Research Center for Element Strategy |
Research overview
＜Associate Prof. KATASE＞
【Design and development of new thermoelectric and thermal management materials】
In the present day, humanity has reached an unprecedented level of control over electrons, spins, and photons in solids, leading to the creation of numerous innovative electronic devices. On the other hand, as the energy crisis becomes more severe, reducing and effectively utilizing the enormous waste heat generated by electronic devices and factories has become an important challenge. However, heat conduction in solids remains poorly understood, and the development of materials and technologies that enable advanced control and utilization of thermal energy is still a difficult task. To tackle this issue, we have developed material designs that enable the manipulation of electrons and phonons (atomic vibrations) through state-of-the-art computational science and experiments. We demonstrated eco-friendly high-performance thermoelectric materials that enable large-scale power generation from waste heat, metal-insulator junction materials that generate power using cryogenic heat, and heat management materials that can switch between thermal insulation and heat dissipation. Going forward, we will develop next-generation energy materials and devices for the advanced utilization of thermal energy.
Comment
＜Associate Prof. OHUE＞
I am deeply honored to have been selected for the Special Award for Science Tokyo Advanced Researchers (STAR). I am fully aware of the immense responsibility that comes with being entrusted with research funds from the Science Tokyo Fund. Determined to transform the aspirations of our donors into tangible achievements, I will continue to pursue my research with unwavering commitment. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the donors of the Science Tokyo Fund, the STAR selection committee, the professors who have guided me thus far, my collaborators, and the Ohue Laboratory members who work alongside me on this research.
＜Associate Prof. KATASE＞
I am deeply honored to be selected for the “Special Award for Science Tokyo Advanced Researchers”. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the donors of Science Tokyo Fund and the members of selection committee. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my supervisors, collaborators, and laboratory members working together. With this support, I will continue to pursue challenging research.
Award Ceremony
＜Associate Prof. OHUE＞
【Exploring Drug Discovery Informatics Across Modalities】
Recently, the term “drug pricing” has been frequently mentioned in the news, highlighting the rising costs of healthcare. However, the development of a new drug typically takes more than 10 years and involves research and development expenses amounting to 20 billion dollars. Moreover, discovering completely new treatments requires exploring a wide range of possibilities and combining different approaches. In other words, drug discovery has become more complex, challenging, and expensive.
At the same time, advancements in computational technologies, such as AI, are progressing rapidly. A major challenge today is finding ways to apply these innovations to speed up and improve the drug discovery process. Current research in this field is focused on developing computational methods for designing new molecules. In recent years, the range of molecules—or modalities—in drug discovery, including small molecules, peptides, nucleotides, antibodies, and others. has grown significantly. This diversification calls for the development of tailored techniques for each modality.
For example, some approaches include free energy perturbation methods for small molecules (FastLomap, PairMap), explainable AI methods for predictions in molecular design (MMGX), and design techniques for antibody drugs that utilize tools like AlphaFold and protein language models. By using these methods, researchers are working to identify the most effective strategies for different modalities and to develop practical, ready-to-use technologies. Moreover, while each modality has its own unique features, a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary approach is believed to be key for the future advancement of drug discovery.