Assistant Professor Mami Fujii, Information Device Science Lab（Uraoka Lab.）, Division of Materials Science
New equipment and reagents that were not available in our laboratory had to be prepared for the new topic. The cost of new equipment would have been very high, but this research grant enabled us to purchase them, which facilitated the smooth start of the new theme.
The Uraoka Laboratory, of which I am a member, has a "master system" in which each piece of equipment has a master student or staff member. The equipment purchased with this research grant will be used not only by the students I supervise, but also by students in other groups. My lab was grateful to receive this research grant.
During the grant period, I found out that I was pregnant, so I had to change some of the experiments and conference attendance plans that I had made before the pregnancy.
To be honest, I was somewhat reluctant to receive this grant, which is intended only for female researchers. Originally, I was aware of such a program, but I did not expect that I, who came to the position after a change in responsibilities from a specially appointed position, would be eligible for the grant. I was told that I would receive preferential treatment in terms of research funding, but since I thought there was no difference between men and women in the research start-up environment, I was concerned about my standing in the eyes of other male professors. However, as long as I could receive it as a system, I thought I would make good use of it.
(August, 2016)
