About the Research Administration Division
Research Administration Division
Director: Kazumitsu Ueda (Program-Specific Professor / PI)
Deputy Director: Hiroyuki Takigawa (Program-Specific Associate Professor)
The Research Administration Division was founded to 1) promote brain circulation between iCeMS and domestic and international universities and institutes, 2) enhance international research networks, and 3) return the research results of iCeMS to society. In April 2017, the Analysis Center was founded in the Research Administration Division. The Innovation Unit and the Communication Design Unit began operating in December 2017 and April 2018, respectively.
In 2007, iCeMS was designated as a World Premier International (WPI) Research Center by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and was supported by MEXT for 10 years. Since 2017, iCeMS has been a member of the WPI Academy. Within the WPI Academy, the iCeMS Research Administration Division maintains a world-class research environment by employing cutting-edge approaches and measures, sharing good practices across the entire university, and enhancing collaboration with other WPI Research Centers.
Innovation Unit
Hiroyuki Takigawa (Program-Specific Associate Professor / Unit Leader)
Masakazu Higuchi (Program-Specific Associate Professor)
To strengthen the research infrastructure of iCeMS, the Innovation Unit plans, performs, and provides support for diverse measures to promote financial support (external funding, donation, and other resources) and human exchange (academic exchange, industry-academia collaboration, technology transfer, etc.).
- Coordinating international research agreements
- Managing intellectual property rights, patents, and industrial applications
- Developing strategies to gain research grants
- Fundraising
Communication Design Unit
Mari Toyama (Program-Specific Associate Professor / Unit Leader)
Izumi Mindy Takamiya (Program-Specific Assistant Professor)
The Communication Design Unit focuses on outreach activities as well as domestic and international public relations to share iCeMS research outcomes with the additional objective of promoting international brain circulation.
- International public relations and communications
- Organizing scientific outreach events
- Online and offline communication of scientific topics
- Activating international exchange of researchers
Analysis Center
Mineko Kengaku (Professor / Analysis Center Director)
Takahiro Fujiwara (Program-Specific Associate Professor / Analysis Center Bioanalysis Unit)
Masakazu Higuchi (Program-Specific Associate Professor / Analysis Center Materials Analysis Unit)
Takayuki Homma (Program-Specific Associate Professor / Analysis Center Shared Equipment Support Unit)
The Analysis Center was established to facilitate access to the experimental equipment and advanced analytical techniques that iCeMS has assembled through its activities as a WPI center.
This center comprises three units: the Materials Analysis Unit, the Bioanalysis Unit and the Shared Equipment Support Unit. These units not only support researchers in the fields of materials science and cell biology, as well as in related interdisciplinary fields but also operate all shared equipment and laboratories in iCeMS. The three units work together to support researchers who are boldly engaged in interdisciplinary research, not to mention their own specialized fields.
- Maintaining and operating shared equipment and facilities
- Providing advice and guidance for experimental design
- Hosting hand-on training sessions and seminars
- Ensuring a safe experimental environment