As a researcher at the Research Center for Science Systems, I am involved in selecting candidates for review committees in various JSPS programs, attending review meetings, analyzing and verifying review results, and providing advice to JSPS on the institutional design of application and review systems for major research-funding programs such as the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) and the Research Fellowships for Young Scientists. These are done so as to reflect the latest trends in scientific research and voices from the field, which in turn leads to the program implementations with the researchers’ perspectives. Additionally, our work includes the preliminary screening of candidates for the JSPS Prize and the Ikushi Prize. 

The Research Center for Science Systems serves as a place where researchers from various fields—humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences—gather to engage in discussions on the current state and future direction of scientific research. Simultaneously, the Center provides a platform for researchers themselves to participate in JSPS’s research-support programs through peer review, which I find to be significant in bridging the research community with policies on academic promotion. Scientific disciplines themselves evolve with changes in the times and society, and as interdisciplinary fields gain greater emphasis than before. The Center also plays a role in exploring new research paradigms, while respecting the accumulation and diversity of scientific research.

The beauty of research lies not only in pursuing one’s academic interests but also in the opportunity to share the community of knowledge production while engaging with fellow researchers across cultural and national boundaries with the same aspirations. Whether in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences, there is joy in learning from each other's scientific achievements while collaboratively establishing the significance of one’s research and its contributions to society. It is an inspiring profession that connects people towards the future, as we accumulate research outputs and weave our train of thoughts.