What does the Research Promoting Office do?

Our office, in its current form, was established in 2022 (see note) and now has six members. Our main duties are to support researchers in preparing grant applications to compete for research funds and to provide management support after major research projects have been selected. The office also manages research presentation opportunities such as in-house progress seminars, retreats, and international symposia where researchers from Japan and abroad gather to present their research. Each member of the Research Promoting Office comes from a different background but works together with each other while making the most of their abilities.

Your office also administer the research support system using the iPS Cell Research Fund at CiRA. Could you please explain what it is?

We use the fund to train young researchers and support newly appointed faculty. Researchers who wish to receive this support apply, and we handle the administrative work, such as organizing applications, requesting the committee composed of CiRA faculty members to review and select applications, summarizing review results, and sending out acceptance letters. This system allows us to attract excellent young researchers and create an environment for newly appointed faculty to concentrate on their research. An initiative like this is not often seen in other departments and is only possible thanks to the fund.

What do you keep in mind in your work, and what is rewarding about it?

I try to handle various projects one by one with care. For example, in supporting the preparation of an application for research funding, I want to ensure it gets completed beyond my satisfaction. When I comment on an application, I try to include objective opinions, constantly asking, “What would an external reviewer think about this?” In addition to simply providing comments, I sometimes talk directly with researchers, especially young researchers, to discuss the direction of their research proposals together. Researchers are often pleased with my careful attention to their needs, and this joy makes my work worthwhile. When I learn from a researcher that their application has been accepted, I also share a sense of their accomplishment.

What are your goals for the future?

I want to nurture and increase the number of young people willing to support research. Our research support infrastructure is unique to CiRA, and few departments have a generous support system like it. I hope this system will continue as long as CiRA continues. With this in mind, we must nurture the next generation of research support staff. It would be great to have people who understand the research at CiRA, but above all, we need people who genuinely want and care about helping researchers. I hope more and more people will think of research support as one of many available career paths. In addition, we should not be satisfied with the status quo. For example, I would like to continue to take on new challenges every day, such as not repeating the same events every year but making them better by making slight improvements every time.