Suzuki Foundation announces latest scientific research funding

On 14 February 2014, the Suzuki Foundation selected 27 scientific research initiatives to receive fiscal 2013 financial assistance worth a total of ¥44.82 million. The Foundation also announced financial support for academic research, bringing its overall fiscal 2013 disbursements to ¥51.02 million.

(1) Financial assistance for scientific research projects in progress

The Suzuki Foundation has decided to support 25 original, advanced scientific research projects on seven fields that are in progress: production technologies; environmental and energy-saving technologies; measurement, control, and analysis technologies; material technologies; electric, electronics, and information technologies; human engineering and medical technologies; and robot technologies. The Foundation’s financial assistance for these 25 projects totals ¥30.02 million.

(2) Financial assistance for proposed scientific research projects

As well as supporting scientific research projects that are under way, since fiscal 2003, the Suzuki Foundation has been selecting contemporary problems that it believes need to be resolved, inviting proposals for research projects to address them, and selecting the most outstanding proposals for funding. It funds each selected project for two years and has selected 16 projects in the past 11 years.

For fiscal 2013, the Foundation has decided to fund two engineering researches that lead to “weight reduction of automobiles” for conserving global environment and saving energy resource: “Development of porous aluminum alloy with aligned unidirectional pores which realize weight saving and high-performance of automobile”, a study that develops porous aluminum alloy with aligned unidirectional pores, which will realize weight reduction and high-performance of automobiles; and “Basic study on the fracture limit criterion of sheet metals for automotive use subjected to practical stress paths”, a study that clarifies the effects of deformation history and strain rates on the fracture stress of sheet steels, which will enhance weight reduction of automobiles through the establishment of an advanced fracture prediction technology and the determination of fracture limits of sheet steels at the occasion of vehicle collision.

The Foundation will disburse a total of ¥14.80 million for these two projects and for the second year of funding for one project that it selected in the previous year.

(3) Other financial assistance and activities

The Suzuki Foundation also conducts a wide range of other activities. Notably, it promotes awareness of research results and further development of research projects by funding symposiums, subsidizing transportation and accommodation for Japanese researchers attending overseas academic meetings, subsidizing programs in Japan for researchers from Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and publishing a Foundation newsletter. The Foundation’s fiscal 2013 support for such activities totals ¥6.2 million.

About the Suzuki Foundation

Suzuki Motor Corporation established the Suzuki Foundation in March 1980 to mark its 60th anniversary. Thus far, the Foundation has supported 1,316 scientific research projects with financial assistance worth a total of ¥1,475.66 million. The latest round of financial assistance for scientific research is the 34th to be announced by the Foundation.

Overview of the Suzuki Foundation