On July 28, 2026, Restart Postdoctoral (RPD) Research Fellowships - Research Exchange Meeting was held at Meiji Kinenkan, Tokyo. Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Akishino graced the event with her presence, and Mr. SHIMIZU Masato, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of MEXT,  was in attendance as the guest.

In FY2006, JSPS introduced the Restart Postdoctoral (RPD) Research Fellowships as one of the categories of Research Fellowships for Young Scientists. It aims to provide assistance to outstanding young scientists who need to take a temporary leave from their research for the birth or care of a child, and to enable them to resume their research seamlessly. Since FY2007, JSPS has organized Research Exchange Meetings to provide RPD Fellows with opportunities for interdisciplinary research interaction and information exchange. At the Meetings, they can discuss issues related to childbirth and child care in their research activities and learn about the future research perspectives of their peers. Former RPD Fellows also share their own experiences with younger Fellows.

At the commencement of this 19th Meeting, SUGINO Tsuyoshi, President of JSPS, delivered an opening address. He extended his gratitude to Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Akishino for her presence and spoke about JSPS's efforts to improve the Restart Postdoctoral (RPD) Research Fellowships. These efforts include the support grant program launched four years ago to provide financial assistance during the periods of fellowship suspension before and after childbirth, an initiative inspired by input from participants at this Meeting, as well as a substantial relaxation of the eligibility requirements for RPD reapplication, introduced with the recruitment for this fiscal year's fellows, thereby allowing fellows to apply again for each child. He expressed his hope that the participants of the Meeting would achieve significant research accomplishments through their fellowships and continue to contribute to academic research in Japan for many years to come.

Following President SUGINO's address, Mr. SHIMIZU Masato, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of MEXT, delivered remarks as the guest. Two Fellows with RPD experience then presented lectures, after which eight RPD Fellows gave presentations on their research. At the reception held after the Meeting, Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Akishino engaged in conversation with each of the RPD Fellows. At the reception, attendees actively exchanged views on the challenges and practical approaches associated with research, childbirth and child care.

For more information on the Restart Postdoctoral (RPD) Research Fellowships, please see the related links below.