130.8 Million Yen Awarded to 55 Pediatric Medical Researchers

The Kawano Foundation for Pediatric Medical Research (Location: Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, Chairman: Yukio Kawano / Chairman of the Board, Blue Zone Holdings Inc. and Yaoko Co., Ltd.), which supports the advancement of pediatric medicine, medical care, and health through research grants for pediatric medical researchers and scholarships for medical students aspiring to specialize in pediatrics, has decided to award a total of 130.8 million yen to 55 pediatric medical researchers for their 2026 research grants. Please see the list for details on the 2026 recipients.

The foundation's research grant program will mark its 37th year in 2026. To date, over 850 researchers have received grants, with a total awarded amount reaching 1.3 billion yen. We will continue to support the advancement of pediatric medical care.

Voices from Recipients (from surveys of 2025 and 2026 grant recipients)

- "Research grants for pediatric medical research are relatively scarce, so I was extremely grateful to receive this support."

- "We hope for continued support for basic research."

- "Securing research funding is always a challenge. I am grateful for the foundation's research support."

- "It is very difficult to obtain grants during the startup phase of research. Receiving this grant was practically very helpful and gave me confidence in this research topic."

About the Research Grant Program

Since 1990, the foundation has provided grants to pediatric medical researchers to support advancements in research related to the causes, treatment, and prevention of pediatric diseases. In 2007, a special category for young researchers under 40 was established to support their activities.

Grant amounts increased for the first time since the program's inception in 1990, considering the impact of rising prices.

In recent years, competition for research funding has intensified, and the soaring cost of research materials due to recent price increases has become a serious issue. In response to these circumstances, a significant increase in the maximum grant amount, the first since the program began in 1990, has been decided for 2026. Specifically, the general grant limit will be raised from the previous 3 million yen to 4 million yen, and the young researcher grant limit will be raised from 1 million yen to 1.5 million yen, further supporting research activities in the field of pediatric medicine.

Responding to researchers' feedback, the grant period for the general category is now selectable between "1 or 2 years."

The usage period for grants has also been reviewed to align with researchers' actual needs. In a survey conducted among 2024 and 2025 grant recipients, approximately 40% of researchers indicated that "a one-year grant period is too short" (with over 80% responding that 1-3 years is appropriate). Based on these results, starting this year, the grant usage period has been made more flexible. For the general category, recipients can now choose between a "1-year" or "2-year" period according to their research plan. This will allow for flexible use of funds according to research progress and characteristics, and is expected to lead to improved research quality and further outcomes.

<For details on the program, please visit our official website. https://kawanozaidan.or.jp/research_support/>

The Necessity of Research Support in Pediatric Medicine

In Japan, remarkable progress in pediatric medicine and healthcare has led to one of the world's lowest infant mortality rates, significantly improving children's health. However, challenges remain, including the existence of intractable pediatric diseases that are still not fully understood and an increase in the number of children requiring special care.

Medical research is crucial for solving these problems, but the environment surrounding researchers remains challenging, with a lack of research funding being a serious issue. The "2nd Survey of 400 Doctors and Researchers" released by our foundation in February 2026 also identified "insufficient research funding" (63.3%) as the most significant challenge in Japanese medical research, with over half of respondents also stating that "funding is not adequately allocated for long-term and basic research."

We hope that our research grant program can provide even a small amount of support to doctors and researchers dedicated to pediatric medical research in Japan.

* "2nd Survey of 400 Doctors and Researchers" (Kawano Foundation for Pediatric Medical Research, released February 2026)

URL: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000061.000104845.html

About the Research Grant Results Presentation Meeting

To foster connections among researchers and create opportunities for generating ideas useful for future research, we hold an annual research results presentation meeting in March for recipients of general grants.

Each researcher presents their research objectives, significance, and findings. A networking reception follows the presentations, attracting a large number of attendees each year.

Presentation of results by research grant recipients

Reference

The list of 2026 research grant recipients can be viewed below. (PDF data is available for download) *If you wish to interview a recipient, please contact our foundation.

d104845-68-6240b4a06845e4eea15108511f3aa8cd.pdf

Foundation Overview

Foundation Name: The Kawano Foundation for Pediatric Medical Research

Location: 1-10-1 Shinjuku-machi, Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, 350-1124

Chairman: Yukio Kawano (Chairman of the Board, Blue Zone Holdings Inc. and Yaoko Co., Ltd.)

Secretary-General: Hiroko Kawano

Established: December 25, 1989

Administrative Agency: Cabinet Office

URL: https://kawanozaidan.or.jp/

TEL: 049-247-1717

Mail: info@kawanozaidan.or.jp

Business Activities: Research grants / Scholarship grants / Kawano Prize for Pediatric Medicine / Grants for Medical Societies / Support for Pediatric Medical Facilities /

Outreach Seminars by Doctors / Grants for Collaboration between Doctors and Communities for Child Support

<Founding Story>

The foundation's founding story and business episodes are featured on PR TIMES STORY.

Please take a look.

The "Kawano Foundation for Pediatric Medical Research" established in memory of a lost son

- What is needed to protect children's minds and bodies while addressing challenges in pediatric care https://prtimes.jp/story/detail/rX5NvZs7GXb