Deepen and Develop Your Research Ideas. "Student Idea Factory 2026" Now Accepting Applications

The NPO Japan Association for the Advancement of Science (JAAS; Representative Directors: Hideharu Kitahara, Tokyo Women's Medical University / Tomonori Fukasawa, Emerging Technologies, Inc.), under the slogan "Making Japanese Science More Vibrant," has been holding the "Student Idea Factory" project since 2023 to discover and support the research ideas of students engaged in independent research. We are pleased to announce that with the holding of the fourth event, "Student Idea Factory 2026," the call for independent research ideas will begin on Tuesday, April 1st.

This project supports students in refining their scientific dreams, free-thinking, and original research ideas into more concrete research plans through programs such as summer camps. In fiscal year 2025, after a screening process, 28 students from 19 universities across the country participated. This project not only supports the serious polishing of independent research ideas but also provides a venue for interaction with experts from industry, government, academia, and the private sector, as well as for building horizontal connections with other independent research students, including past participants. The Student Idea Factory Alumni network "SparVeX" has been launched, providing an opportunity for students from the first to the third events to communicate actively and gain new perspectives outside of their schools.

【'Student Idea Factory 2026' Overview】

• Eligible Applicants:

  1st to 3rd-year university students (including 1st to 2nd-year junior college students)

  4th to 5th-year technical college students

  1st-year students in the advanced course of a technical college

  1st-year students in the advanced course of a junior college

• Application Deadline: May 7th (Thursday) until 23:59

• Participation Fee: Free

  *Necessary participation costs such as domestic travel between the participant's school and the venue, and accommodation will be covered by the organizer (JAAS). The travel cost calculation route will be determined by the organizer.

• Application Method: For details on how to apply, please check the official website below.

  https://x.gd/vU3I2

  *Due to a limited number of participants, a document screening will be conducted.

  After the screening, all applicants will be notified of the results (scheduled for late May 2026).

【Program Overview and Schedule】

*All photos are from last year's event. For details on each program from last year, please see the event report.

• Summer Camp

July 3rd (Friday) - July 5th (Sunday), 2026 *3 days, 2 nights

Participants will work on materializing their research ideas through presentations. They will also deepen their research-related skills and knowledge through coaching and seminars by sponsor companies. Furthermore, an exchange with young government officials is also planned for this year.

• Acceleration Program

From July 6th (Monday), 2026 onwards, as needed

Building on the experience gained at the summer camp, participants can receive support and advice from researchers and corporate professionals to brush up their research plans and presentations. Last year, with the cooperation of sponsoring company Tokyo Electron Limited, we held a lecture "Recommendations for Independent Research" by senior independent researchers, and a presentation "Understanding Science and Technology Innovation Policy" by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

• Final Presentation

September 13th (Sunday), 2026 (planned)

Presentations on research ideas will be held at a venue in Tokyo. About eight participants selected from the summer camp will give oral presentations on stage, while others will give poster presentations. We plan to establish and present numerous awards to those who give excellent presentations, including the JAAS Award, corporate awards, cooperating organization awards, and certificates from government agencies.

"Student Idea Factory" is operated with cooperation from various organizations and companies

*Track record for "Student Idea Factory 2025"

• Supported by: Cabinet Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

• Sponsored by: Tokyo Electron Limited, SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd., EBARA CORPORATION, Kao Corporation, Springer Nature, CKD Corporation, OZMA Inc. (PR Partner)

• Donating Companies/Organizations: The Elsevier Foundation, Toray Industries, Inc., 3M Japan Limited

• In cooperation with: Student-Initiated research Agency for Promotion of Science (SINAPS), Inceptum Inc., Student Community BEAST, SparVeX (Student Idea Factory Alumni Network)

• Media Partners:

About the Non-Profit Organization Japan Association for the Advancement of Science (JAAS)

The Non-Profit Organization Japan Association for the Advancement of Science (JAAS) was established as an NPO on February 22, 2022.

Under the slogan "Making Japanese Science More Vibrant," we aim to be an organization that promotes science through the dialogue and collaboration of all people. It is an NPO in which all people who are motivated to promote science can participate, transcending the boundaries of fields, organizations, job titles/positions, nationalities/ethnicities, and generations. URL:https://jaas.science/