Overview of the Research Project Plan
Through academic research on diverse issues and phenomenon related to people’s lives and the dissemination of its research results, the institute devotes its activities to the improvement of people’s lives as well as the advancement and development of the community. In order to realise these, in 2017, we are planning to continue to publish its research bulletin, Bulletin of Living Sciences (volume 40), and hold regular study groups and research presentations by internal and external research associates and open lectures. We will also make progress in our collaborative research projects engaged by Research Associates and Research Fellows. During this fiscal year, we will launch ‘A Study on the Daily Lives of the Elderly and Dementia’. We will endeavour to actively send out information through the institute’s website. We will conduct a selection for Keiichi Mizushima Prize, for which we did not have anyone qualified last year.
Details of the Research Project Plan
- Publication of the research bulletin, Bulletin of Living Sciences (volume 40)
Volume 40 is scheduled to include academic papers, research notes and data in the field of living sciences and the relevant fields.
It will be approximately 200 pages, and 500 copies are to be printed. - Planning and operation of the institute’s administration, regular study groups and research presentations
We are planning to hold monthly meetings, mostly with internal Research Associates. It will mainly focus on progress reports of the research conducted by each Research Associate, Research Fellow and Junior Research Associate. For seven or eight of the meetings, Research Associates will provide topics relevant to their research in rotation. We will also hold internal research presentations. Furthermore, we are planning to hold separate meetings for each collaborative research project as required.
As in previous years, we are scheduled to hold a public research presentation in December. - Planning of the improvement of the institute’s home page
We will improve on the information on our current homepage, update and upgrade its design, and regularly update its contents. During this fiscal year, we continue the work from the previous year on the improvement of the home page including a new design, and aim to provide fulfilling information through a more functional and easy-to-brows website. - Taking in researchers
We continue to take in Research Associates and Research Fellows during FY2017. Both are required to present research plan as well as research results (at the end of the fiscal year) primarily on the project(s) that they are involved through the institute. - Planning and conducting open lectures
As before, we are planning to conduct two ninety-minute lectures over two weeks period.
The themes of the open lectures are to be discussed and finalised during the regular meetings in April and May.
Considering that the majority of the audience are elderly and other factors such as the university’s internal events etc, we are currently planning to hold the lectures on Saturdays on 14th and 21st October. We are hoping to continue issuing a certificate of completion that we started issuing two years ago. - Planning of the operation of Research Project (6): A Study on the Daily Lives of the Elderly and Dementia (1st year in FY2017)
It is an important issue for the elderly to maintain the mental and physical health and to lead an independent and happy life while experiencing the pathognomonic changes in cognitive functions associated with aging. In order to adequately support the elderly people’s high quality daily lives both in terms of body and mind, it is essential to clarify the relationship between the characteristics of the daily lives of the elderly and their cognitive characteristics. In this project, we will conduct interviews and surveys among the elderly, apply psychological methods for experiments, and examine the issue. The project aims to clarify the cognitive characteristics of the elderly by mainly comparing them to those of the young people.
The project is planned to last for three years. In the first year, we will conduct literature research, design a research plan, create research materials, and conduct experiments and surveys. In the second year, we will conduct experiments and surveys. In the third year, we will round up the research. The project members are planned to be six in total as follows: Akiko Kaneda (Professor, Faculty of Human Sciences: Research Associate); Mieko Akiyama (Professor, Faculty of Human Sciences: Research Associate); Tomohiro Masuda (Associate Professor, Faculty of Human Sciences: Research Associate); Mari Tanaka (Associate Professor, Kagoshima Prefectural College: Research Fellow); Tetsuya Arai (Part-time, Faculty of Human Sciences: Research Associate); and Tsutomu Kusano (Part-time, Faculty of Human Sciences: Research Associate). - Improvement of the institute’s homepage and provision of information
We continue the work from the previous year on the improvement of the home page and provision of information. We strive to create an easy-to-browse website and communicate the current status of the institute’s research and education activities to the domestic and international audience. - Selection and awarding of Keiichi Mizushima Prize
Select an appropriate and excellent paper from the research results submitted to the research bulletin by Young Researchers (which were set up last year), and award Keiichi Mizushima Prize to the qualified researcher.