JST is to fund 4 research projects coordinated by Japan and France within the
framework of the Strategic International Collaborative Research Program (SICORP)

On the 22nd December 2014, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and L'Agence nationale de la recherche (The French National Research Agency) (ANR)^*1announced that they would commence support for 4 coordinated projects on the topic of “Molecular Technology”. This support, within the framework of JST-ANR Coordinated Research, will be provided as an activity of JST's FY2014 Strategic International Collaborative Research Program (SICORP)^*2. The selected projects are as follows:

(1) “Molecular Photocathodes for CO2 reduction and H2 evolution” : (PhotoCAT)

• Osamu ISHITANI, Professor, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Vincent ARTERO, Senior Researcher, The Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Metals, CEA Grenoble

This collaborative research project aims to develop molecular photocathods for CO2 reduction and H2 evolution using solar light as an energy source.

(2) “Molecular Materials for Mg batteries”: (MoMa)

• Masashi OKUBO, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo
• Rodrigue LESCOUEZEC, Professor, Faculty of Chemistry, UPMC, Sorbonne University

This collaborative research project aims to develop novel molecule-based electrode materials for Mg batteries.

(3) “Molecular technologies for hybrid folded architectures”: (COFFIT)

• Hiroaki SUGA, Professor, Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo
• Ivan HUC, Co-director, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, Université de Bordeaux

This Japanese-French collaborative research project aims at generating novel hybrid 3D structural molecules by means of the Japanese team’s molecular technology for rapid screening of ligands to targets and the French team’s molecular design technology of high-order structural molecules.

(4) “Molecular Engineering and Controlled Assembly of Nano Objects built on porphyrins”: (MECANO)

• Takashi HAYASHI, Professor, Department of Applied Chemistry, Osaka University
• Jean WEISS, Research Director for the CNRS-Université de Strasbourg

This collaborative research project aims to develop a photoenergy-conversion device and a hydrogen-evolution catalyst upon the assembly of porphyrin moieties, which are the framework of heme and chlorophyll in a wide range of biosystems.

* “title” : (acronym of the project)

A total of 37 proposals were submitted in response to the joint call for proposals implemented by JST and ANR, which closed in April 2014.

Separate expert evaluations were commissioned by the two parties and conducted according to their respective criteria. The evaluations assessed the quality of the research plans and expected effectiveness of exchange among other aspects. Based on those evaluations, the Program Officers, the advisors (JST side) and the panel committee (ANR side) jointly decided on the 4 successful projects to select for funding. (Appendix 2: General Comment)

Support to both the Japanese and French teams will continue for about three years.