RISTEX Missions and Activities
RISTEX Missions
- RISTEX is a part of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) that primarily functions as a funding agency with a think tank-like capacity.
- While collaborating with a wide variety of stakeholders, RISTEX aims to bolster social systems and mechanisms which generate outcomes valuable to the public.
- In doing so, RISTEX's research and development (R&D) produce and utilize "know-how" such as evidence-based,scientifically-grounded data, methods, theories, models, policy proposals and tools-that contribute to solving social problems.
RISTEX Activities
RISTEX engages in activities like those in the figure below with the view to promoting R&D that seeks solutions to specific social issues.
- Identifying social issues: Identify social issues or that can be expected to occur in the future and invite relevant experts and stakeholders to survey and investigate the respective issues then to narrow down specific issues.
- Establishing R&D focus areas: Based on the results I, establish the R&D focus areas where RISTEX activities can contribute to solution of issues based on the results.
- Promoting R&D: Under the Area Directors, who manages with responsibility for R&D focus areas, establish R&D programs that have clearly defined R&D goals, issue calls for R&D project proposals and promote adopted R&D projects. Participation of stakeholders at every stage of establishing topics, implementing R&D, and conducting evaluations so that the results of R&D will contribute to the resolution of actual social issues.
- Presenting prototypes for return R&D results to society
- Assisting the application of results to wider areas to be applied and to be established in society
Going through these five steps as a sequential cycle causes collaboration among science and technology and society to create prototypes (the results). The objective in seeking the diffusion and establishment of these prototypes is to make contributions to the resolution of social issues and to create new social and public value.
The following pages will give detailed explanations of activities on items I to V.
The RISTEX Activity Cycle
RISTEX aims to cooperate with scientists and actors for sustainable progress
In order to solve various social issues and enable sustainable development of society, science and technology should play an appropriate role in the formulation of policies and processes of implementation.
The diagram on the right shows the roles that scientists and actors in society are expected to play based on scientific knowledge in R&D in science and technology for society.
Two types of scientists are necessary in society. The first type is an 窶徙bserving scientist窶 who can grasp community needs and social issues through observation of society and nature. The second type is a 窶彭esigning scientist窶 who can work on and suggest what kind of methodologies and system designs are needed for the solution of issues.
On the other hand, actors in society, with the help of scientific knowledge from designing scientists, carry out initiatives backed up by expert knowledge and bring about the realization of innovations which will solve social issues by having an effect on society and nature.
Sharing together many dialogues and discussions, actors and scientists repeat this cycle, and thus make possible the preservation and development of a sustainable society.
RISTEX is one of the organizations of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
