Now Call for Proposals for the Future Society Design Programs for Implementation in AY2024
The TFC is currently seeking proposals for the Future Society Design Programs for the 2024 academic year (April 2024 – March 2025) in all fields of research, including social sciences, humanities, physical sciences, engineering, and life sciences.
The Future Society Design Programs are programs in which researchers from industry and academia will jointly envision the design of the future society through collaborative work on social issues proposed by companies as important to the future of industrial society.
A Possible Theme for Future Society Design Programs 2024
We are looking for at least one program that would examine what sort of future society will be enabled by AI, IoT, and other data science–based information technologies.
Application Deadline
The Deadline for submitting a program proposal is September 30, 2023.
Application Requirements
When preparing a proposal, the following conditions must be met:
Organizer Requirement
Max. 6 organizers, including at least:
- The Organizes should include at least:
- One corporate researcher
- One researcher affiliated with universities or companies outside of Japan
* The main organizer should be a researcher affiliated with Tohoku University.
* researchers from different field should be assigned to ensure interdisciplinarity.
* Gender–diversity should be taken into consideration.
A Commitment of Financial Support from Companies
A commitment from companies to provide financial support for the program is required to apply.
Venue Requirement
All events in this program will be held at Tohoku University in principle, while online events will be delivered from Tohoku University. In the case of long–term visitors, they will be asked to stay in Sendai and collaborate with Tohoku University researchers.
Information about Selection
The proposals are to be selected by the Committee for Tohoku Forum for Creativity of Tohoku University. The results will be sent to the organizers once the final decision has been made (in the beginning of January 2024).
TFC Suggestions for Improvement May Occur
Prior to acceptance, the TFC may make suggestions to improve the quality of the program, and we expect that the program proposers to be receptive to our advice.
Result Notification
The results of the selection will be sent to the organizers once the final decision has been made (in the beginning of January 2024).
Supports
Financial Support
While a commitment from companies to provide financial support for the program is a prerequisite for application, The TFC will provide a budget of up to 3 million yen for successful proposals.
Support by Dedicated Staff
The TFC will support the management of the program from all aspects, including program formulation, procedures for inviting researchers, and publicity of the events.
Support for Holding Online Events
The Tohoku Forum for Creativity has organized numerous online events, including seminars and workshops and will draw on this experience to support the management of online events.
Use of the TOKYO ELECTRON House of Creativity
The Tokyo ELECTRON House of Creativity can be used as a venue for symposiums and workshops.
Duties of Organizers
Work Well with the TFC Program Coordinator to Plan and Manage the Program.
After the evaluation of the junior research programs by the International Advisory Board, the organizers are required to develop the program further in accordance with the TFC's goals. For this purpose, good cooperation with the TFC Program Coordinators is expected from the organizers.
Acknowledgment
At each event within the junior research program, the organizers are expected to acknowledge the contribution which the TFC has made, and will give a brief description of the TFC's activities to the participants. The TFC encourages participants to acknowledge the support of TFC in papers based on research developed during programs, and welcomes conference proceedings based on the programs.
Final Report and Report Meeting
The organizers of the junior research program must submit a final report on their activities within one month after the end of the program. Concrete future plans, such as the development and transmission of their research outside of Japan based on the collaborative networks with invited researchers established during the program, must be shown in the final report.
The TFC will hold a report meeting after the junior research program has been completed. The organizers must join this meeting and give a presentation about their activities and future plans. The meeting will include a Q & A session.
Regarding Attribution of Intellectual Property
The TFC's video recordings of participants' lectures will become the intellectual property of the TFC, unless participants specifically ask not to be recorded.
How to Prepare a Future Society Design Programs Proposal
The first step for the proposer is to find a company that is willing to participate in the joint operation of the program.
Then, the proposer will prepare a proposal based on an understanding of what issues the company would like to tackle together with the university in creating a vision for the future society.
It is also necessary to secure a commitment of financial support for the joint operation of the program.