Applications will be accepted through November 30 for research projects involving new precious metals-related technologies or driving innovation in product development, with the potential to contribute to a sustainable future.
TOKYO, Sept 1, 2026 – (JCN Newswire) – TANAKA Memorial Foundation (Representative Director: Hideya Okamoto) has announced that it will invite research proposals for its FY2026 Precious Metals Research Grants from September 1 to November 30, 2026. This grant program aims to contribute to the development of science and industry by promoting innovative research, technological development, and product development related to precious metals. The grants are open to individuals affiliated with educational institutions and public research institutes in Japan.
This year marks the 28th edition of the research grant program. With the aspiration of “Forging a Better Tomorrow with ‘Hirameki’ and ‘Kirameki’,” the Foundation looks forward to receiving research proposals that combine researchers’ creativity with the potential of precious metals and contribute to creating a better future.
This year, a total of 20 million yen will be available across five award categories. The Umekichi Tanaka Award offers the highest grant amount of 10 million yen, alongside the Ichiro Tanaka Award, the Junichiro Tanaka Award, the HIRAMEKI Award, and the KIRAMEKI Award.
The major awards are named after individuals whose achievements helped shape TANAKA’s growth, including advances in the industrial use of precious metals, international collaboration, and the expansion of its business fields. The Junichiro Tanaka Award, newly established this year, is an enhanced version of the former Innovative Precious Metals Award and is intended to further encourage research and development that opens up new potential for precious metals.
Origins of the Names of the Major Awards
Umekichi Tanaka Award
Company founder Umekichi Tanaka established Tanaka Shoten in 1885, laying the foundations of TANAKA. While expanding the refining of foreign gold coins and bullion trading, the company also established advanced technologies such as the recovery of platinum from used incandescent bulbs and the processing of fine platinum wire. Tanaka Shoten pioneered the development of industrial applications for precious metals, helping to establish the foundations of precious metals technology for industrial use in Japan and supporting the growth of the country’s manufacturing industry.
Ichiro Tanaka Award
Tanaka Shoten’s second president, Ichiro Tanaka, played a leading role in the growth of the company’s industrial precious metals business. The company established a stable procurement system for key metals such as platinum and palladium, thereby strengthening the supply base for the chemical industry, telecommunications, and laboratory equipment fields. Through the supply of materials that support technical innovation, the company made significant contributions to the development of Japan’s manufacturing industry, science, and technology.
Junichiro Tanaka Award
The company’s third president, Junichiro Tanaka, opened new possibilities for the industrial use of precious metals alongside the development of the electronics, telecommunications, and semiconductor industries. The company promoted the research, development, and commercialization of contact materials for electronic components, semiconductor-related materials, precious metal catalysts, and other products, expanding Japanese-developed precious metals technology to the global market. It played a leading role in driving the evolution of cutting-edge technologies and the formation of industrial infrastructure on a global scale.
Overview of the 2026 Precious Metals Research Grants
Theme
– New research and development that uses precious metals or can be applied to precious metals and contributes to creating a sustainable future.
Grant Amounts (Maximum amounts from a grant pool of 20 million yen)
– Umekichi Tanaka Award: 10,000,000 yen
– Ichiro Tanaka Award: 3,000,000 yen
– Junichiro Tanaka Award: 1,000,000 yen
– HIRAMEKI Award: 500,000 yen
– KIRAMEKI Award: 500,000 yen
* The grant amount is treated as a donation for academic research.
* There may be no recipient for one or more of the awards.
Eligible Candidates
– Individuals affiliated with educational institutions in Japan (universities, graduate schools, or colleges of technology), national or public research institutions, or equivalent institutions are eligible to apply.
* As long as the applicant is affiliated with a research institution in Japan, the base of activity can be in Japan or overseas.
* The KIRAMEKI Award is open to researchers aged 37 or younger as of April 1, 2026.
Application Period
– 9:00 am, September 1, 2026 (Tue) – 5:00 pm, November 30, 2026 (Mon)
Application Method
– Complete the application form available on the TANAKA Memorial Foundation website (https://tanaka-foundation.or.jp) and upload relevant papers and supplementary materials concerning the proposed research.
Announcement
– Results will be announced on the TANAKA Memorial Foundation website around the end of March 2027.
* Award recipients will be contacted directly.
Conditions
Eligible research and development themes must use precious metals or be applicable to precious metals, contribute to creating a sustainable future, and fall under at least one of the following categories:
– New technology related to precious metals (new materials, processing methods, process development, etc.)
– Research that brings about breakthroughs in product development (new functions, process development, computational science, etc.)
– Research and development of new products using precious metals
* Precious metals refer to the following eight elements: platinum, gold, silver, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, and osmium.
* If the research or development is being conducted jointly with other material manufacturers, or if such joint development is planned, please indicate this in the application.
* Products that have already been commercialized or put to practical use, or for which commercialization or practical application is planned, are not eligible.
Inquiries Concerning the Research Grant Program
Precious Metals Research Grants Office
Global Marketing / R&D Supervisory Department, TANAKA PRECIOUS METAL TECHNOLOGIES Co., Ltd.
2-6-6 Nihonbashi Kayabacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0025
E-mail: joseikin@ml.tanaka.co.jp
TANAKA Memorial Foundation website: https://tanaka-foundation.or.jp
TANAKA Memorial Foundation
Organization Name: TANAKA Memorial Foundation
Address: 2-6-6 Nihonbashi Kayabacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Hideya Okamoto
Incorporated: 2015
Purpose of Business: To provide grants for research related to precious metals to contribute to the development and cultivation of new fields for precious metals, and to the development of science, technology, and the social economy.
Areas of Business: Provision of grants for scientific and technological research related to precious metals. Recognition of outstanding research related to precious metals and the holding of seminars and other events.
Press Inquiries
TANAKA PRECIOUS METAL GROUP Co., Ltd.
https://tanaka-preciousmetals.com/en/inquiries-for-media/
Press Release: http://www.acnnewswire.com/docs/files/20260901_EN.pdf