In March 1979, the Nippon Sheet Glass Foundation for Materials Science and Engineering was established. In June of the same year, the first research grant award ceremony took place at the Hall of the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations, attended by government officials and members of the academic and financial communities. It was established as part of the celebrations to mark the company's 60th anniversary. The Foundation awards grants for fundamental laboratory research on inorganic materials and related materials in fields such as glass, ceramics, and nanoscience. In December 2009, it became a public utility foundation. As of 2017, the Foundation had disbursed 1,197 research grants in Japan and abroad, and continues its work today.