More than 500 organizations representing hundreds of thousands of scientists in Japan have initiated a petition calling on the government to increase funds for the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) program. This initiative, driven by concerns over the declining standing of Japanese research, underscores the importance of KAKENHI in supporting curiosity-driven research across all scientific disciplines.
The Role of KAKENHI
KAKENHI has been instrumental in funding significant scientific achievements in Japan, including Nobel Prize-winning discoveries like induced pluripotent stem cells. According to Kazushige Touhara, a biochemist at the University of Tokyo and president of the Union of Japanese Societies for Biological Science, KAKENHI is the most crucial source of basic-science funding in Japan, distinct from other grants that focus on research with clear societal applications or government-priority areas.
Declining Funding and Impact
Despite its importance, KAKENHI's budget has remained flat at just under 240 billion yen (approximately US$1.5 billion) annually over the past decade. When accounting for inflation and a weaker yen, the average funding per project has halved between 2013 and 2022. Rising publication costs and inflation have further strained academics, according to Yukiko Gotoh, a molecular biologist at the University of Tokyo who initiated the petition.
Japan's Dwindling Research Standing
Japan's global research standing has been declining, with its rank in countries producing the top 10% of most-cited papers dropping to 13th, as reported by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in 2023. Reduced funding is a significant factor in this decline. While other high-income countries have significantly increased their research spending over the past two decades, Japan’s overall spending has only risen by 10% in real terms.
Petition Against "Select and Concentrate" Strategy
The Japanese government's "select and concentrate" strategy, which channels funds into select disciplines, is being challenged by the petition. Hiroshi Kimura, a cell biologist at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and a co-organizer of the petition, argues that this approach leaves many research groups scrambling for funds and stifles the cultivation of diverse innovation. The petition advocates for a more inclusive funding strategy to support a broader range of research disciplines.
Call for Increased Funding
The petition organizers aim to double KAKENHI’s annual budget to at least 480 billion yen to regain international competitiveness. However, Keitaro Ohno, a politician on the Research Commission on Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, suggests that merely increasing funding is insufficient. He emphasizes the need to restructure funding mechanisms, which have not been substantially revised in decades, to align with recent university reforms.
The petition reflects a critical moment for Japanese science, calling for enhanced and restructured funding to support basic research and maintain Japan’s competitive edge in global scientific innovation. The response from the Japanese government and funding bodies will be crucial in determining the future trajectory of scientific research in the country.
