On 9 April, the science ministry MEXT announced the awardees of its 2019 Commendation for Science and Technology, including 15 KyotoU-affiliated researchers — 10 for the Prize for Science and Technology, and five for the Young Scientists' Prize — as listed below. This annual award recognizes individuals who have produced outstanding results in research, development, and promotion of public understanding of science and technology.
The award ceremony took place Wednesday 17 April at MEXT.
Prizes for Science and Technology
Development Category
Awarded for research and development achievements or inventions that are highly innovative, and are being actively utilized for the betterment of society, economy, or lives in Japan
- Yasuo Okabe, Professor, Academic Center for Computing and Media Studies (ACCMS)
"Development of the Academic Access Management Federation in Japan (GakuNin) to facilitate inter-university collaboration"
- Hiroaki Nakanishi, Lecturer, Graduate School of Engineering
"Development of a control device for industrial-use unmanned helicopters"
Research Category
Awarded for highly creative achievements or inventions with the potential to advance Japan's science and technology
- Tomouyuki Arakawa, Professor, Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences (RIMS)
"Representation theory of W-algebras" - Kenji Kano, Professor, Graduate School of Agriculture
"Basic and applied research on electrode reactions catalyzed by oxidation-reduction enzymes" - Kenji Kabashima, Professor, Graduate School of Medicine
"Anti-pruritic effects of interleukin-31 inhibition" - Yuji Matsuda, Professor, Graduate School of Science
"Exotic superconductivity in strongly correlated electron systems" - Junya Toguchida, Professor, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences (IFLMS, or inFront) / Deputy Director, Center for iPS Research and Application (CiRA)
Makoto Ikeya, Associate Professor, CiRA
"Drug discovery for fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva using iPS cells"
Public Understanding Promotion Category
Awarded for contributions to the promotion of public interest in and understanding of science and technology, especially among the youth, and for efforts to increase knowledge and awareness among local communities in these areas
- Hiroshi Isoda, Professor, Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH)
Takafumi Nakagawa, Associate Professor, RISH
"Promotion of wooden houses designed to remain safe and livable through mega-quakes"
Young Scientists' Prize
Award to researchers under age 40, who have produced outstanding results as part of exploratory or innovative projects, demonstrating strong research and development capabilities
- Teruaki Enoto, Program-Specific Associate Professor, Hakubi Center for Advanced Research
"Photonuclear reactions and high-energy atmospheric phenomena triggered by lightning discharge" - Kazuya Otsubo, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Science
"Development of coordination nanomaterials situated in a dimensional crossover region" - Ryoma Kamikawa, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies
"Genomic evolution of protists as a key to understanding eukaryote diversity" - Jun Hayashi, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Energy Science
"Characteristics of soot formation in multiphase combustion field s" - Shinya Yamamoto, Associate Professor, Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study (KUIAS)
"Comparative cognitive studies of the origins of cultures and cooperative societies"
