Grant Program for Young Researchers "Editage Grant 2026" Opens for Applications. Total of 8 Million Yen to 20 Individuals.

Cactus Communications, a global leader in scientific communication and technology, announced today the opening of applications for the "Editage Grant 2026," a grant program to support young Japanese researchers. Along with this, a commemorative online event will be held on April 15.

The "Editage Grant" aims to provide financial support, mentorship, and career guidance to young researchers who aspire to make a societal impact through their research.

Young researchers often face various challenges in their career development, and sometimes lack sufficient support. Through this support program, our company aims to enable promising researchers to become independent and demonstrate leadership while navigating complex research environments.

This year's program will award 1 million yen each to five Grand Prize winners as a grant that can be used for all research-related expenses. One Grand Prize winner, selected from these five, will receive an additional 1 million yen. Additionally, grants will be awarded to 15 runners-up. Furthermore, continuing from last year, with sponsorship from two companies, Academist Inc. and Emerging Technologies Inc., two of the runners-up will each receive an "Academist Award" of 250,000 yen and a "Dr. Info Engine Award" of 250,000 yen. A total of 20 awardees will receive grants totaling 8 million yen. This grant can be used for any purpose, including but not limited to thesis writing, travel expenses for surveys or academic conferences, and purchase of materials.

**Commemorative Online Event "Key Points for Acquiring Research Funding: Tips for Grant Acquisition Shared by Editage Grant Awardees and Judges" to be Held**

The commemorative event will be held as follows:

Theme: "Key Points for Acquiring Research Funding: Tips for Grant Acquisition Shared by Editage Grant Awardees and Judges" ■ Overview: We will welcome the Editage Grant 2025 Grand Prize winners and two representatives from our sponsoring partners, Academist Inc. and Emerging Technologies Inc., to share effective approaches to acquiring research grants and key points for selection, based on their real experiences and unique perspectives.

Date: 2026/4/15 (Wed) 18:00-19:00 ■ How to participate: Apply from the event page below ■ Participation fee: Free ■ Target audience: Young researchers interested in acquiring research grants

**"Editage Grant 2026" Support Details**

- 5 Grand Prize winners will receive 1 million yen each. The top awardee among the 5 will receive an additional 1 million yen (2 million yen total). - 15 runners-up will receive 50,000 yen cash + 50,000 yen service voucher (total equivalent to 100,000 yen). - 2 of the 15 runners-up will receive an "Academist Award" and a "Dr. Info Engine Award" of 250,000 yen each. - All 20 awardees will receive 1 year of access to Paperpal provided by Editage. - All those who pass the first selection round will receive an Editage discount coupon.

**Eligible Applicants**

Applicants must meet all of the following conditions:

- Age: Must be between 22 and 39 years old as of April 1, 2026. - Experience: Must have completed a Master's degree or equivalent higher research program. - Research Activities: Research activities described in the application documents and essay must have been conducted or managed within the past 3 years.

*Priority will be given to those who have not submitted a thesis before, have not received financial support, or are not scheduled to receive financial support within 365 days prior to April 1, 2026.

**Selection Schedule**

- Application start: From 00:01 on April 1, 2026 - Application deadline: Until 20:59 on June 30, 2026 - Interview: Mid-August 2026 (tentative) - Final result notification: Mid-September 2026 (tentative) - Award ceremony: October 16, 2026

**About the Selection Process**

- Application documents: Will be reviewed in two stages.

1. Document screening: 20 individuals selected 2. Selection committee review: 10 individuals selected

*Selection results will be notified by email.

- Essay: Evaluated across a series of criteria including structure, clarity, and academic significance. - Interview and Presentation: 10 individuals selected through the selection committee review will be interviewed, followed by a presentation.

**About the Essay**

- The essay must describe content relevant to the research field, be written by the applicant themselves in accordance with the latest experimental methods and advancements in that field. - The content of the essay must be based on research conducted or managed by the applicant within the past 3 years. - The essay length should be approximately 4,000 characters in Japanese (approx. 2,000 words in English), and must follow the specified order of items. However, research funding status, title, figures, and tables are not included in the character count. - The essay must include the following items in order. There are no character limits for each item.

1. What problem or challenge are you addressing? What is the significance of this problem or challenge in society? 2. What is your motivation for solving this problem or challenge? Why do you believe you can achieve it? 3. Describe your past research content and your role. (Clearly indicate your position, such as whether your research theme is part of your supervisor's/laboratory's theme, jointly led, or primarily led by you.) 4. Goals achievable within the next 5-10 years. 5. How will the 1 million yen grant help you achieve your goals? Include specific uses of the grant and the impact if this grant is not received.

**Announcement of Results and Determination of Awardees**

- Final awardees will be decided by the selection committee and notified individually. - An award ceremony is scheduled to be held in Tokyo in October 2026 for the awardees.

*Please note that awardees' names and affiliations will be announced in relation to grant announcements.

**About the Selection Committee (no particular order, honorifics omitted)**

- Makoto Yuasa (Representative Director, Chief Growth Officer (CGO) of Research Solutions Business, Cactus Communications) - Sayaka Oki (Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of Tokyo, Comprehensive Education Science, Basic Education Course) - Genki Hayano (Associate Professor, Institute for Research Initiatives, Tokyo University of Science, Division of Aging Molecular Biology (Endowed Research Division)) - Keisuke Goda (Professor, University of Tokyo; International Distinguished Professor, Tohoku University; Adjunct Professor, UCLA; Adjunct Professor, Wuhan University) - Yuko Harayama (Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University; ISC Fellow)

**About Editage (https://www.editage.jp/)** Editage is a brand of Cactus Communications, a scientific communication and technology company. Founded in 2002, Editage has supported over 3 million researchers in more than 2,000 fields to publish research papers in academic journals through English language editing, translation, transcription, publication support services, and AI products, with approximately 2 million published papers.

**About Cactus Communications Inc. (https://cactusglobal.com/jp/)** Cactus Communications is a scientific communication and technology company founded in 2002. It specializes in AI products and solutions that improve research funding, publication, scientific communication, and discovery. Its flagship brand, Editage, offers comprehensive researcher solutions, including expert services and cutting-edge AI products like Mind the Graph, Paperpal, and R Discovery. Cactus also operates in medical communications under the Cactus Life Sciences brand. Currently, it is a global company with over 3,000 experts and offices in Tokyo, Princeton, London, Aarhus, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, and Mumbai. It has consistently ranked as a "Great Place to Work" for several years as a pioneer in workplace best practices.

Cactus Communications: https://cactusglobal.com/jp Editage: https://www.editage.jp Paperpal: https://paperpal.com/ja Mind the Graph: https://mindthegraph.com/science-figures/jp R Discovery: https://www.editage.jp/r-discovery Cactus Life Sciences: https://www.cactuslifesciences.com CACTUS Labs: https://www.cactuslifesciences.com/jp/cactus-labs