Division of Innovative Research and Development Advanced Research & Development Programs for Medical Innovation

This project develops time-limited research frameworks across organizational boundaries and promotes cutting-edge research and development designed to create and incubate revolutionary breakthroughs with the goal of creating innovative drugs, medical devices, medical technologies, and other innovations, as well as ensuring that research projects on promising results proceed more rapidly and in greater depth.

With the goal of developing innovative drugs, medical devices, and medical technologies under R&D objectives determined by the government, researchers in universities and other institutions are invited to submit R&D proposals upon which a time-limited R&D system transcending organizational frameworks for driving R&D activities will be constructed. The program promotes advanced R&D for generating and nurturing breakthrough technologies and know-how (innovative), while also accelerating and deepening R&D that yields promising results.

This program comprises three types of research: unit-type (AMED-CREST), solo-type (PRIME) and incubation-type (LEAP)*. For AMED-CREST and PRIME, AMED specifies the R&D pursuit areas and the Program Supervisors and Program Officers for leading the research under “Research and Development Objectives" designated by the national government. Through management by Program Supervisors and Program Officers and cooperation in each R&D area, the program aims to construct a R&D system transcending organizational frameworks as well as draw out the maximum potential of the research. AMED-CREST focuses on achieving world-class R&D results aimed at generating innovative seeds, with the respective R&D being conducted by a unit (a group of researchers) that is led by a R&D Principal Investigator (PI). PRIME aims to generate R&D results that will spawn innovative seeds, with the R&D being independently conducted by the individual R&D PI.

*: LEAP targets the swift commercialization of research results that are promising but where the risk of development is difficult for companies to evaluate. No solicitation is performed in LEAP.

In accordance with the “Plan for Promotion of Medical Research and Development", a Program Supervisor (hereinafter referred to as “PS") and Program Officer (hereinafter referred to as “PO") are assigned to the Program to ensure efficient utilization of competitive research funds and generation of excellent research accomplishments. The PS and PO have complete knowledge and understanding of the progress status of the program overall and provide the necessary guidance and advice to ensure that the program runs smoothly. Furthermore, research institutes and researchers are obligated to cooperate with the PS and PO. Based on the guidance and advice provided by the PS and PO, researchers may be required to revise, change, or suspend their R&D project plans or change their project implementation system if this is deemed necessary.

To accomplish the R&D Objectives designated by the national government (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), the PS and PO construct a time-limited system for conducting R&D by organizing a R&D area, assembling an optimal mix of researchers from existing institutions and research projects -namely industry, academia and government- and oversee work in the R&D area with the cooperation of R&D Area Advisers and others. R&D PIs for AMED-CREST and PRIME receive support from the PS and PO in accordance with their operating policies as they advance the R&D projects they have proposed with the aim of generating innovative seeds in accordance with R&D Objectives and the management policies of the PS and PO, while actively building and utilizing personal networks through dialog with R&D Area Advisers and others, and coordination with participating researchers and connections with others both in Japan and overseas.

TBC