New Research Promotion Program
Solicitation for Research Proposals

Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society (RISTEX)

1  Introduction

To build new social systems for solving the various problems facing Japanese society, the Commission for Promoting the Research and Development of Technology for (chaired by Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, Chairman of the Science Council of Japan) was created in April 2000. After deliberating on these issues, it delivered a statement on the need to promote technologies (social technologies) for building new social systems integrating the knowledge accumulated in the various fields of the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences. In response, the Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST) and the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), working under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Initiative of Studies on Science and Technology for Society, decided to create as a joint undertaking the Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society (President: Yasuhiro Kato) to promote social technology research. Furthermore, in March 2001, the Cabinet Office indicated in The Science and Technology Basic Plan that solving social problems and building a prosperous, safe and secure society, is a matter of high priority.

2  Aims of the Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society

The purpose of this system is to establish technologies (technological bases / knowledge structures) for brining about solutions for social problems. Stated in different terms, this means the performance of research and development of technology (not only technologies rooted in the natural sciences, but also those with foundations in the humanities and social sciences) for solving social problems from a multidisciplinary perspective; building the technologies (technological bases / knowledge system) that can be applied for the benefit of policies and measures needed by citizens, business, government and others to solve real social problems; and, thereby, contribute to the building of new systems for society.

As a cooperative system in which JST and JAERI will jointly promote research, the Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society, pictured below, will be established.

Research will be performed under the following three programs the activities of which will be subject to the overall management of the President.
(i)	(Publicly Soliciting Research Program) Operated by JST
	This program will publicly solicit research proposals for areas thought to be particularly deserving of pursuit upon consideration of viewpoints regarded as important for solving social problems.
(ii)	(Mission-Oriented Research Program) Operated by JAERI
	Having the objective of constructing a knowledge structure for solving security-related social problems, this program will be composed of a General Research Team that will build the knowledge structure and Designated Research Teams that will operate below the General Research Team and work on specific important issues.
(iii)	(RISTEX Forum�jSupervising Institution: JST and JAERI
	These fora will focus on the nature of social problems and be venues for ongoing discussions of the form that problem-oriented social technology research should take to solve society's problems.

This section created on July 25, 2002
Copyright© 2002 Japan Science and Technology Corporation.