Moonshot Research and Development Program

The Moonshot Research and Development Program is CSTI’s flagship high-risk, high-reward initiative in Japan. It targets 10 societal goals with a 2050 horizon and runs through partner agencies including JST, NEDO, AMED, and BRAIN, which each manage the calls for the goals they own. The program covers areas such as super-smart cities, disease-free longevity, human augmentation, sustainable agriculture, energy, oceans, and AI-human collaboration. Open calls for project managers and project teams are published by the partner agencies rather than by CSTI itself, and eligibility depends on the specific goal and call terms. Researchers worldwide may apply where the call allows it. The current cycle remains active, with continuation confirmed for goals 1, 2, 3, and 6 and a new project-manager selection process for goal 3 in late 2025 and early 2026. This route fits teams that can absorb long time horizons, technical uncertainty, and agency-led governance. Success depends on matching the specific goal, the delivery agency, and the call language before the deadline, because Moonshot is not one uniform competition. The strongest proposals will look like serious mission research with a clear line from exploratory work to the target social outcome.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.