On March 3, 2026, the Award Ceremony for the 16th JSPS Ikushi Prize was held at the Japan Academy, with the honor of being attended by Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino. The ceremony was a resounding success, with Mr. KAKITA Yasuyoshi, Senior Deputy Minister of MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), representing Mr. MATSUMOTO Yohei, MEXT Minister, and with distinguished guests from various fields in attendance.

The JSPS Ikushi Prize is awarded to outstanding doctoral students in all fields of science, including the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, who are expected to contribute to the development of scientific research in Japan in the future. This year, the Prize was awarded to 19 outstanding young researchers.