Introduction
The Asahi Glass Foundation is a Japanese public-interest organization that promotes scientific research, higher education, environmental awareness, and solutions to global sustainability challenges. Based in Tokyo, the Foundation supports researchers and students, recognizes major contributions to environmental protection, and encourages younger generations to engage with global environmental issues.
Established in 1933, the Foundation has developed from an organization primarily supporting applied chemistry into a multidisciplinary grant-making and educational institution. Its activities now cover natural sciences, humanities and social sciences, environmental research, scholarships, environmental education, and international recognition through the Blue Planet Prize.
The Foundation’s principal areas of work include:
- Research grants for researchers at universities and colleges of technology
- Scholarships for Japanese and international students
- The Blue Planet Prize for outstanding environmental achievements
- Environmental Learning Support for younger generations
- The Environmental Doomsday Clock and global environmental surveys
- Research presentations, publications, public lectures, and educational outreach
Through these programs, the Asahi Glass Foundation contributes to scientific innovation, sustainable development, environmental conservation, academic capacity building, and the creation of a society capable of passing the genuine wealth of human civilization to future generations.
History and Background
The Asahi Glass Foundation began in 1933 as the Asahi Foundation for Chemical Industry Promotion. It was established to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., now known as AGC Inc.
In 1934, the organization received approval as a nonprofit foundation and began providing research grants to university researchers working in applied chemistry. These early grants established the Foundation’s long-standing role in supporting academic research and technological development.
The Foundation’s research activities were suspended toward the end of the Second World War but resumed in 1955. In 1961, the organization was renamed the Asahi Glass Foundation for Industrial Technology.
International grant-making began in 1982 when the Foundation introduced a research grant program for Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. It expanded this international support to Institut Teknologi Bandung in Indonesia in 1988.
A major institutional transformation took place in 1990. The organization broadened the scope of its activities, redesigned its programs, established an environmental commendation initiative, and adopted its current name, the Asahi Glass Foundation.
In 1992, the year of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, commonly known as the Earth Summit, the Foundation launched the Blue Planet Prize. It also began its annual Questionnaire on Environmental Problems and the Survival of Humankind and expanded research funding to include the humanities and social sciences.
Other important milestones include:
- 1993: The Foundation held its first seminar presenting the results of supported research.
- 2009: It transitioned into a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation under Japanese law.
- 2012: Research grants were extended to King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi in Thailand.
- 2018: The Foundation merged with the Asahi Glass Scholarship Foundation and assumed responsibility for its scholarship programs.
- 2020: It introduced the Research Grants for Sustainable Future and began supporting researchers at Hanoi University of Science and Technology in Vietnam.
- 2021: It launched a survey examining public awareness of environmental issues.
- 2023: It introduced the Special Research Grants for “Blue Planet” Global Environment and a scholarship supporting overseas research activities.
- 2024: It introduced a scholarship covering consecutive master’s and doctoral studies and established the Environmental Learning Support Program.
This history demonstrates how the Asahi Glass Foundation has evolved from a specialist industrial research funder into a broader institution supporting science, education, sustainability, and environmental leadership.
Mission and Purpose
The mission of the Asahi Glass Foundation is to contribute to the creation of a society that can pass the genuine wealth of human civilization to future generations. It works toward this objective by supporting advanced research, assisting outstanding students, and recognizing efforts to address environmental problems requiring global solutions.
The Foundation’s purpose is built around several interconnected priorities:
- Advancing original and innovative academic research
- Building the foundations of a sustainable society
- Supporting solutions to complex global environmental problems
- Developing young researchers and future academic leaders
- Helping capable students continue their education and research
- Connecting scientific knowledge with public policy and social action
- Increasing environmental awareness among younger generations
- Recognizing individuals and organizations making exceptional environmental contributions
The Foundation defines research broadly. Its programs include chemistry, life sciences, physics, information sciences, architecture, urban engineering, humanities, social sciences, and environmental field research. This multidisciplinary approach reflects the understanding that climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, sustainable cities, natural-resource management, and social inequality cannot be addressed through a single academic discipline.
Governance and Structure
The Asahi Glass Foundation operates as a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation in Japan. This legal status requires it to pursue activities benefiting the public and to maintain appropriate systems of governance, accountability, financial management, and disclosure.
The Foundation is governed through directors, trustees, councillors, auditors, executive leadership, and specialized committees. Its leadership includes representatives with experience in academia, scientific research, industry, public administration, media, and institutional management.
As of May 2026, the Foundation’s chairman is Takuya Shimamura, Senior Fellow at AGC Inc. Its directors and trustees include distinguished professors, university leaders, researchers, industry executives, and former public officials. The current leadership and governing membership are published on the Foundation’s Directors and Councillors page.
The Foundation also uses independent or specialist committees to evaluate activities such as:
- Research grant applications
- Blue Planet Prize nominations
- Environmental Learning Support proposals
- Scholarship applications and student support
- Academic and environmental program development
Research grant recipients are selected by committees organized according to academic field. Depending on the program, the assessment process may involve a written application review, an interview, or both. Research Encouragement Grants and the Proposed Research category under the Research Grants for Sustainable Future are generally selected through written reviews.
To promote transparency, the Foundation publishes institutional information, annual reports, financial documents, articles of incorporation, program reports, lists of grant recipients, and research findings through its official website.
Funding and Grants
Research funding is one of the Asahi Glass Foundation’s oldest and most important activities. The Foundation supports original natural-science research that can help build the foundations of future society, as well as humanities and social-science research that contributes to sustainable solutions for major social challenges.
The Foundation’s current research grant structure in Japan comprises five programs.
Research Encouragement Grants
These grants support basic and early-stage research proposals led by young researchers. Eligible fields include chemistry and life sciences, as well as physics and information sciences.
The program helps emerging researchers investigate promising ideas, generate preliminary evidence, and establish a foundation for longer-term academic work.
Research Grants for Sustainable Future
This program supports research that contributes to a sustainable society or addresses global environmental problems. It includes proposed research and developmental research in areas such as:
- Architecture and urban engineering
- Humanities and social sciences
- Environmental field research
Potential areas of study may include sustainable urban development, climate resilience, environmental governance, resource management, community adaptation, ecological conservation, and social systems supporting sustainability.
Special Research Grants for “Blue Planet” Global Environment
Introduced in 2023, this program supports collaborative research aimed at solving global environmental problems. It promotes cooperation across five major research fields:
- Chemistry and life sciences
- Physics and information sciences
- Architecture and urban engineering
- Humanities and social sciences
- Environmental field research
The multidisciplinary design encourages researchers to combine scientific, technological, environmental, economic, and social perspectives when addressing complex global challenges.
Continuation Grants for Young Researchers
These grants are designed for promising researchers who have completed an Asahi Glass Foundation-funded research project during the previous three years. The program supports continued development in chemistry, life sciences, physics, and information sciences.
Eligible researchers are generally notified directly by the Foundation.
Continuation Grants for Outstanding Projects
This funding supports particularly promising projects that have completed a previous Asahi Glass Foundation grant within the past three years. It helps researchers build on strong results and move successful work toward a more advanced stage.
Applicant Eligibility and Selection
For research grants in Japan, eligible applicants generally include full-time researchers playing a leading role at universities, affiliated research institutes, or colleges of technology. Fixed-term researchers may also be eligible under conditions specified in the relevant application guidelines.
Calls for new applicants are normally announced around June, while application deadlines generally fall between August and October. Dates, conditions, eligible fields, and funding levels vary by program and application year. Applicants should therefore consult the current Research Grant Program Structure before preparing a proposal.
For overseas research grants, applicants must normally be researchers affiliated with and recommended by one of the Foundation’s designated partner institutions:
- Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
- King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand
- Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia
- Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Vietnam
These overseas programs are institution-based. They are not unrestricted global calls open to researchers from every university or country.
Scholarship Funding
The Foundation assumed responsibility for the Asahi Glass Scholarship Foundation’s programs following the organizations’ merger in 2018. Scholarship support has historically covered Japanese students and international students from selected Asian countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, China, South Korea, and Vietnam.
Its scholarship activities have expanded to include overseas research support, consecutive master’s and doctoral study, and emergency assistance for students affected by major natural disasters. Scholarship eligibility, institutional participation, application procedures, and support levels depend on the specific program.
Major Programs and Initiatives
Blue Planet Prize
The Blue Planet Prize is the Asahi Glass Foundation’s internationally recognized environmental commendation program. Established in 1992, it honors individuals or organizations whose scientific research and practical work have made outstanding contributions to resolving global environmental problems.
Nominations are normally solicited worldwide between August and October. As a general rule, two recipients are selected each year and announced the following June. The recipients are invited to Tokyo for an award ceremony and commemorative lectures.
Each recipient receives:
- A certificate of merit
- A commemorative trophy
- A supplementary award of US$500,000
The Blue Planet Prize has recognized achievements connected with climate science, biodiversity conservation, environmental economics, pollution prevention, ecosystem services, sustainable development, public health, and international environmental policy.
Environmental Learning Support
Introduced in 2024, Environmental Learning Support is one of the Foundation’s newest public-interest programs. It aims to increase awareness of global environmental problems among younger generations and encourage them to take action.
The program supports inquiry-based learning and educational initiatives that help young people understand environmental challenges, investigate possible solutions, and translate knowledge into practical action. Its activities include Global Environmental Issues Workshops for Younger Generations.
Environmental Doomsday Clock
Since 1992, the Foundation has conducted the annual Questionnaire on Environmental Problems and the Survival of Humankind. Environmental experts from different parts of the world assess the severity of current environmental conditions by expressing their level of concern as a time on a symbolic clock.
A time closer to midnight represents a stronger sense of environmental crisis. The resulting Environmental Doomsday Clock provides an accessible way to communicate expert concern about issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, population pressures, unsustainable consumption, and degradation of land and water resources.
The Foundation publishes global and regional survey findings, making the initiative a valuable source of environmental-awareness data.
Scholarship Program
The scholarship program helps qualified students continue their education and develop their academic potential. It includes support for Japanese students, selected international students studying in Japan, master’s and doctoral candidates, and students conducting research overseas.
By investing in education, the Foundation contributes to the development of researchers, engineers, scholars, and professionals who may later address scientific, environmental, and social challenges.
Research Findings Seminars
The Foundation organizes seminars where grant recipients present the results of their supported work. These events help disseminate findings, encourage academic exchange, and improve the visibility of Foundation-funded research.
Overseas partner institutions also hold grant ceremonies and research presentation seminars. These activities strengthen collaboration between researchers in Japan and other Asian countries.
Environmental Publications and Public Outreach
The Foundation produces annual reports, research reports, books, survey findings, educational materials, videos, public lectures, and online articles. Its environmental web publication, af Magazine, presents scientific and environmental issues in an accessible format.
Its publications and commemorative events also share the knowledge and experience of Blue Planet Prize recipients with researchers, policymakers, educators, students, and the wider public.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
The Asahi Glass Foundation’s impact can be seen across academic research, environmental leadership, student development, public awareness, and international cooperation.
Supporting Scientific and Interdisciplinary Research
The Foundation has funded research in applied chemistry since 1934 and has gradually expanded into life sciences, physics, information science, architecture, urban engineering, social sciences, the humanities, and environmental field studies.
This funding allows researchers to explore original ideas, undertake field investigations, develop new methods, and examine sustainability challenges from multiple perspectives. Continuation grants also enable promising researchers and successful projects to progress beyond their initial funding period.
Developing Environmental Leadership
The Blue Planet Prize has built an international record of recognizing people and institutions whose work has influenced scientific understanding, environmental governance, public policy, and sustainable development.
The 2026 Blue Planet Prize recipients illustrate this impact:
- Dr. Linda S. Birnbaum was recognized for pioneering research into the toxicity of persistent organic pollutants and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Her work strengthened environmental health risk assessment and demonstrated how exposure during critical stages of development can produce long-term health effects.
- Professor Edward Barbier was recognized for advancing the economic valuation of natural capital and ecosystem services. His work has helped policymakers understand environmental conservation as a strategic investment connected to prosperity, poverty reduction, decarbonization, and social equity.
Past recipients have addressed subjects such as climate change, ecological economics, biodiversity, marine pollution, sustainable energy, forest conservation, environmental law, and global development.
Strengthening Academic Cooperation in Asia
Research grant programs at universities in Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam have helped build scientific capacity and strengthen institutional relationships across Asia. Supported universities hold ceremonies and seminars where researchers present their findings and share knowledge with academic communities.
Investing in Students and Emerging Researchers
Scholarships reduce financial barriers for talented students and enable them to continue higher education. Programs supporting international students, overseas research, and consecutive master’s and doctoral studies encourage long-term academic development.
Research Encouragement Grants similarly help young researchers establish independent research experience and build evidence that may support future academic funding.
Increasing Environmental Awareness
The Environmental Doomsday Clock transforms complex survey findings into a recognizable public communication tool. Environmental Learning Support further extends this work by involving younger generations in inquiry, discussion, and action.
Together, these initiatives connect expert knowledge with education and public engagement, ensuring that environmental research reaches audiences beyond universities.
Conclusion
The Asahi Glass Foundation is a long-established Japanese public-interest foundation supporting scientific research, higher education, environmental learning, and global sustainability. Since its establishment in 1933, it has grown from a specialized supporter of applied chemistry into a multidisciplinary institution with activities in Japan and selected Asian partner universities.
Its research grants foster innovation in science, technology, environmental studies, architecture, urban development, and the social sciences. Its scholarships invest in Japanese and international students, while the Blue Planet Prize recognizes environmental achievements with worldwide significance. The Environmental Doomsday Clock and Environmental Learning Support programs extend the Foundation’s influence into environmental communication and youth education.
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