The Foundation was originally established as the Ciba-Geigy Science Promotion Foundation in September 1987.
The name was changed to the NOVARTIS Foundation (Japan) for the Promotion of Science in 1998, and in 2012 the Foundation was placed under Cabinet Office authorization as a public interest incorporated foundation.

The Foundation was established to contribute to Japanese academic development, and thus to improve public health and welfare, by providing grants to promote creative research and international exchange in the life sciences. In the 30 years since it was first established, the Foundation has provided grants for innovative research in areas including biology, bioscience, and related chemistry, and has also supported participation in international conferences and academic meetings where researchers can share their work. Even if this research does not lead directly to practical applications, it contributes to the body of new findings and theories that will open the door to future applications and developments, both in academic research and in industry. By using medicines (including unapproved drugs) for human, research that clarifies the effectiveness and/or safety of the medicines is out of scope in the grants.
With your support, we will continue encouraging Japanese research in order to build a brighter future for everyone.

We are delighted to present our activities in the annual report and to provide reports from recipients of prior research grants.