Funding Program for Next Generation World-Leading Researchers

The Funding Program for Next Generation World-Leading Researchers is a research support system (established by the Council for Science and Technology Policy, Cabinet Office, and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) for researchers who it is expected will be leaders in the world in the future. This program aims to promote middle- and long-term development of national science and technology and contribute to sustainable growth in Japan and to solutions for political and social issues.

Twenty-five researchers at Osaka University have been selected for this program.

 as of April 1, 2012

Green Innovation (Research period -- academic years starting and ending during 2010 ~ 2014)
Core researcher	Position — Faculty or Institute	Research in:
KOBAYASHI Kensuke	Professor, Graduate School of Science	Revolutionary devices involving topological insulators.
ANDO Yoichi	Professor, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research	Revolutionary devices involving topological insulators.
UMAKOSHI Hiroshi	Professor, Graduate School of Engineering Science	Study of the "Membranome" is expected to be achieved in the 21st century with considerable potential for biomedicine, bioengineering and biomaterials development.
KIDA Toshiyuki	Associate Professor, Graduate School of Engineering	Developing of novel bio-organisms capable of breaking down and/or absorbing petroleum products.
SHIMIZU Katsuya	Professor, Center for Quantum Science and Technology under Extreme Conditions	Superconductivity of elements.
SUGIMOTO Yoshiaki *1	Associate Professor, Graduate School of Engineering	Research in simultaneous atomic-force and scanning-tunneling microscopy.
SEKI Shu	Professor, Graduate School of Engineering	Design and verification of thyristors and solenoids in organic molecules.
FUKUI Ken-ichi	Professor, Graduate School of Engineering Science	Novel functions at material surfaces or interfaces, particularly on their chemical processes such as reactions, electron/material transfer.
YANAGIDA Takeshi	Associate Professor, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research	Green Innovation by advanced device using self-organized oxide nano wires.
KURISU Genji	Professor, Institute for Protein Research	Complete understanding of photosynthesis redox metabolic network necessary for creating blue-green algae producing hydrogen from water.
NOGI Masaya	Assistant Professor, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research	Development of electronics manufacturing technology with low environmental impact & low temperature by bio-nano fiber print technology.
OKUBO Noriko	Professor, Graduate School of Law and Politics	Collaborative innovation to create sustainable society -- realizing Aarhus 3 principles in Japan.

Life Innovation (Research period: 2010 - 2014)
Core researcher	Position — Faculty or Institute	Research in:
OGI Hirotsugu	Associate Professor, Graduate School of Engineering Science	Creating a ultra high sensitivity oscillator biosensor realizing innovation for diagnosis and drug discovery.
NAKANO Takayoshi	Professor, Graduate School of Engineering	Bone biomaterial science and bone orientation control learning from bone nano-structure.
FUJITA Katsumasa	Associate Professor, Graduate School of Engineering	Development of molecular super-resolution imaging technology for bio-medical data analysis.
FUJIMOTO Yukari	Associate Professor, Graduate School of Science	Chemical synthesis and functional analysis of microorganism-derived chemical compounds controlling immune system; discovery of new functional molecules.
MATSUSAKI Michiya	Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Engineering	Creating innovative human normal and disease models controlling 3D structure on the cell level.
MUKAIGAWA Yasuhiro	Associate Professor, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research	Visualization of three-dimensional structure of human body by computational photography.
KUMANOGOH Atsushi *3	Professor, Graduate School of Medicine	Studies on mechanisms of cell migration and vesicular transport by semaphorin.
SHINOHARA Miki	Associate Professor, Institute for Protein Research	Basic research about a formation process of gamete heteroploid to avoid abortion risk.
TAKASHIMA Seiji	Associate Professor, Graduate School of Medicine	Search for therapeutic targets in cardiovascular disease using organ characteristics and clinical implications.
NISHINO Kunihiko	Associate Professor, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research	Studies on counteracting against multidrug resistance and virulence by drug efflux pumps and development of new therapies.
HASHIMOTO Hitoshi	Associate Professor, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences	Construction and analysis of mental disease-associated genes and environment interaction dynamics.
FUJINAGA Yukako *4	Specially Appointed Professor, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases	Studies on mechanisms of botulinum complex toxin invasion and application for mucosal vaccine delivery.
MIKI Hiroaki *5	Professor, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases	Studies on regulation of intracellular Mg2+ and cancer malignant transformation signal.

Notes:

Positions and faculties/institutes noted above for all researchers reflect current situations. Positions and place of employ at the time of selection, February 10, 2011, were as noted below:

1. -- SUGIMOTO Yoshiaki: Specially Appointed Instructor
2. -- TATENO Takashi: Associate Professor, Graduate School of Engineering Science
3. -- KUMANOGOH Atsushi: Research Institute for Microbial Diseases
4. -- FUJINAGA Yukako: Specially Appointed Associate Professor
5. -- MIKI Hiroaki: Institute for Protein Research
   

Related links

• Funding Program for Next Generation World-Leading Researchers (NEXT Program) -- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
• Researchers and Research Projects under NEXT Program --  Cabinet Office