"International Leading Research" established as a new category in Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research by MEXT: up to ¥500 million in funding for seven years

MEXT will strengthen the international network of Japan's top-level researchers and build a system in which postdoctoral fellows and doctoral students can build networks and advance their careers as excellent researchers. To achieve this, they are establishing a new research category called International Leading Research (provisional name) in Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research. It is a different initiative from the conventional grant-in-aid program, in that it spends up to ¥500 million for seven years (up to a possible 10 years) from the fund, supports top-level research teams, and simultaneously supports long-term overseas dispatches and the independence of postdoctoral students. If the full amount is accepted in the budget request, about 15 projects will be able to be adopted.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a major impact on international joint research, as travel has been restricted worldwide. Short-term study abroad programs can be substituted with online meetings, etc., considering the quarantine period (approximately two weeks) when entering another country. However, trusting relationships built by staying for a long period of two to three years, and a joint research life, cannot be built online. However, according to MEXT, the number of mid- to long-term overseas researchers dispatched at each university decreased sharply last year, to about one-fourth of previous totals. In addition, although many researchers recognized the importance of the long-term dispatch of young researchers, it was difficult, in terms of the budget, to dispatch postdocs (PD), etc. for a long period of time with just the usual grant-in-aid available. If this situation continues, the international network built by Japan's top researchers will weaken.

International Leading Research (provisional name) was created in response to this crisis. In the international network of senior-level studies, support will be provided for PDs and graduate students to improve themselves in leading overseas laboratories and become the next generation of outstanding researchers. Being a top researcher, such as publishing in the top 10% of cited papers within three years and serving as a representative in an international joint project, is a requirement for the application of a research representative. It is also necessary to form a research team of about 20-40 people, mainly top researchers, where 80% of them are PDs and graduate students. During international joint research, PDs and graduate students will be dispatched and interact with counterpart research teams for a long period of time (2-3 years).

In addition to this, expenditure for youth development will be provided separately from research expenditure, and in the first year, the budget for research environment development will be allocated in accordance with the number of PDs and graduate students. In addition, if PDs and graduate students are recruited with tenure, a few million yen will be added as research expenditure. PDs set their own theme under the PI and engage in research with the support of mentors.

What is quite different from conventional international joint research is that not only research representatives and researchers but also research collaborators, such as PDs and graduate students clarify what roles they will play in the research plans, and design the entire process, such as how they will be nurtured. In research planning, for example, the kind of role PD A will play at B University is jointly decided. Even in conventional research grants, PDs and graduate students were practically engaged in research; however, through visualizing the research process, they will clarify their thinking on human resource development.

Another factor to consider is that a certain amount of agreement with the joint research partner is required for the application as financial support will be shared. The joint research partner must send out a LOI (letter of intent), which should be submitted to the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research B program as well. However, it is possible to flexibly decide what kind of financial sharing ratio should be used and which side should shoulder the expenses for the stay of accepted researchers, etc. through discussions with joint research partners.

Public recruitment will begin at the start of the new year. This will be over a long period, especially because of the need for the LOI, and that foreign referees should be included in the screening process.

Senior-level scientists should naturally know influential researchers from other countries in the same field. On the other hand, they do not conduct international joint research if it is a sensitive research topic that may not be understood well overseas.

It is hoped that this new grant will be a trigger to break the status quo. A survey conducted by NISTEP revealed that research teams consisting of senior and junior researchers (PDs, graduate students, etc.) produced more of the top 10% of highly cited papers. Moreover, an analysis of published papers using Web of Science shows that of 128 Japanese researchers among the top 250 researchers in terms of number of citations in their respective fields, 74.4% had experience of working abroad (8.9% of total Japanese researchers), and over 80% of them are under 35 years old and have experienced working abroad.

On the other hand, almost all researchers who conduct international joint research want to send human resources to their counterparts, but in reality, are unable to do mid- to long-term overseas dispatches (the average number of persons dispatched abroad for six months or more per international joint research laboratory is 0.1 PDs and 0.1 doctoral students). A compounding issue is due to the influence of COVID-19, the number of overseas dispatches is decreasing, and Japan's presence, which is geographically far from Europe and the United States, is fading. It is hoped that International Leading Research (provisional name) will become a trigger to break this status quo.