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Frontier Challenge Strategy Center
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About ASTRA Program Process

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  3. About ASTRA Program Process
Project THE ASTRA
Project THE ASTRA is being promoted as a pilot project, with program
managers (PM) currently acting in only three of the five fields: bio,
materials, climate and energy, advanced convergence, and public safety.
  • Overview of R&D Projects Challenging Limits
    • Promote challenge/innovation-driven R&D to solve national issues and secure future growth engines.
    • Conduct research flexibly under challenging goals in a changing environment.
    • Rapidly secure transformative technologies that can change social/economic paradigms by promoting R&D projects challenging limits and establishing an advanced R&D management system*.
      • * Adopting R&D support methods for HRHR (High-Risk, High-Return) from the US DARPA and ARPA-E.
  • Significance of R&D Projects Challenging Limits
    • Policy
      Entering the era of 100 trillion in R&D, making a full-scale transition to an innovative and challenging R&D system
    • System
      Introduction of new research planning and evaluation methods suitable for high-risk/high-return R&D
    • Technology
      Securing technological hegemony that contributes to solving national issues and creating new industries
  • Distinctiveness of R&D Projects Challenging Limits
    • Operate Prime PMs who lead the entire research and development process, from problem definition to planning, project management, and evaluation of the developed technologies.
    Operation
    of Prime PM
    • Planning
      Definition of Problem and Identification of Research Topics
      Identify issues that could become economic or social problems in the future.
    • Selection
      Granting Authority for Project Selection and Evaluation
      Project management centered on Prime PMs, considering high-risk research.
    • Management
      Adjustment of Research Directions Based on Environmental Changes
      Flexible research management through consultation with researchers, including modification of key milestones and direction.
    • Outcome
      Support for Excellent Outcome and Technology Commercialization
      Follow-up support, such as linking with other projects, to ensure end-user experience.
  • Planning and Key Procedures of the ASTRA Project
    • 1
      Identify Research
      Themes
      Derive research themes based on problem
      definitions by prime PMs
    • 2
      Receive PIR and Hold Technical
      Proposal Discussions
      Communicate with the research
      field to concretize planning content
    • 3
      Announcement of
      PPR
      Begin accepting research proposals
      for new project announcements
    • 4
      Evaluation of
      Selections
      Conduct evaluations tailored to the research
      characteristics under the lead of prime PMs
      (1st written, 2nd presentation).
    • 5
      Detailed Planning and
      Research
      Commencement Set detailed research
      goals collaboratively between the prime PM
      and the principal investigator
    • 6
      Check for Progress
      (Regularly, Once a Month)
      Check research progress and
      provide consulting on difficulties
    • 7
      Completion Stage Evaluation
      (Before Stage )
      Assess milestone achievement
      and conduct Go/No-Go evaluations
    • 8
      Post-Research Completion Evaluation
      (After Research Completion)
      Assess milestone achievement and
      the qualitative excellence of the results
    • Identification of
      Research Themes
      Derive research themes based on problem definitions by prime PMs
      Framework for Identifying Themes for the ASTRA Project
      • Problem Definition
        by Prime PMs
        • Expertise and experience
        • Human network
        • Global technical data, etc.
      • Criteria for Theme Setting
        • Does it align with ASTRA’s highest mission?
        • Is the problem based on national social issues?
        • Does it have a significant impact if successful/failed?
        • Is it innovative enough to change the existing paradigm?
        • Is it a core technology that enables practical solutions?
      • Types of Technology
        • Technology that does not exist.
        • Technology that will change the world.
        • Technology that will change thoughts.
        • Technology that connects pieces.
        • Technology that completes the remaining 1%.
    • Receive PIR and Hold
      Technical Proposal
      Discussions
      Communicate with the
      research field to concretize
      planning content
        • From August 2023 to April 2024, there were 77 field visits and individual meetings (advisory reports written and DB).
        • Field visits and individual meetings with researchers are PM's effective communication methods with stakeholders.
        • Share the planning direction with researchers and collect opinions from industry, academia, and research through opinion request forms.
        • Prime PMs selectively invite opinion request respondents and experts in related fields for discussions and opinion collection to concretize project planning.
        • Provide opportunities for participants to form partnerships through discussions on technical approaches.
    • Announcement of PPR
      Begin accepting research
      proposals for new project
      announcements
        • Propose problem definitions and directions suitable for innovative and challenging projects and request new approaches from researchers.
        • Clearly describe the background and intentions of the prime PM’s planning (without specifying detailed approaches and quantitative targets).
        • Prime PMs directly design the program (including categorizing intended technology tracks, achieving competitive/combinatorial approaches, etc.).
    • Evaluation of Selections
      Conduct evaluations tailored to
      the research characteristics
      under the lead of prime PMs
      (1st written, 2nd presentation).
        • Prime PMs participate as the panel for evaluation. Evaluate alignment with planning intentions and innovation.
        • 1st written evaluation (a blind evaluation of problem-solving approaches)
        • 2nd presentation evaluation (an in-depth discussion following a pre-Q&A session)
    • Detailed Planning and
      Research Commencement
      Set detailed research goals collaboratively between the prime PM and the principal investigator
        • Prime PMs and researchers collaborate on important milestones, directions, and other details.
        • Review whether the objectives presented are appropriate to achieve the targets outlined in the PPR. Review the research plans and methods to achieve objectives.
        • Prime PMs can request modifications to the proposal’s scope, objectives, and plans.
    • Check for Progress
      (Regularly, Once a Month)
      Check research progress and provide consulting on difficulties
        • Prime PMs regularly monitor the progress of research and address any difficulties.
        • Conduct consulting to solve issues.
        • The prime PM prepares and submits progress check reports after monitoring.
    • Completion Stage Evaluation
      (Before Stage)
      Assess milestone achievement and conduct Go/No-Go evaluations
        • Evaluate the achievement of milestones set during the detailed planning stage (review of project progress, milestone achievement, and plans for the next stage)
        • Decide on the project’s Go/No-Go status.
        • May not assign scores and grades.
    • Post-Research
      Completion Evaluation
      (After Research Completion)
      Assess milestone achievement and the qualitative excellence of the results
        • Evaluate based on scientific and technological achievements, the knowledge generated during the research process, and the dissemination of that knowledge.
        • Conduct evaluations in the form of performance presentations of the R&D results.
        • May not assign scores and grades.