An environment will be established where researchers can perform measurement, analysis, and data interpretation using advanced equipment while receiving support from specialists.
During the period of the 7th Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has newly established the Empowering Research Platform for Outstanding Creativity & Harmonization (EPOCH) and began an open call for applications. This project aims to renew Japan's research foundation and create an attractive research environment that enables researchers across Japan, including young researchers, to take on new challenges. The target includes national, public, and private universities (excluding Universities for International Research Excellence), with approximately 15 projects to be selected.
For projects utilizing existing facilities, research environment maintenance costs of approximately 3 billion yen will be provided over three years. For newly established facilities, 2 billion yen will be provided, plus a facility maintenance cost of 2 billion yen (for this round only). The support period is 10 years.
To strengthen Japan's research power, there is a demand for enhanced comprehensive policies to improve the research environment. This includes securing time for researchers to focus on research, establishing research funding that maximizes performance, and enhancing research facilities.
Support through core facilities (infrastructure equipped with mechanisms to maintain, share, and upgrade research facilities and equipment for the entire organization) is extremely important, especially for young researchers who find it difficult to fully prepare their own research systems.
It is a famous story that when Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University returned from the United States and took up a post at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, he discovered iPS cells thanks to the existence of a shared research environment, including animal experiment facilities and databases. Looking at other countries, universities strategically maintain core facilities and provide sufficient support, allowing researchers to focus on their work and improve their research capabilities.
Furthermore, in recent years, the use of AI (AI for Science) has been progressing rapidly across diverse fields. This requires the creation and utilization of high-quality research data. Therefore, securing access to research facilities for researchers nationwide and maintaining fundamental technologies for measurement and analysis have become important for economic and technological security.
MEXT has previously promoted the development and sharing of core facilities through the Project for Promoting Public Utilization of Advanced Research Infrastructure.
One successful example is Tohoku University. There, the governing department leads the way by classifying research facilities and equipment along two axes: level of technical support and versatility. They centrally maintain general-purpose facilities with high sharing needs, while managing highly specialized facilities like NanoTerasu in cooperation with specific departments. By integrating facilities maintenance with the placement of advanced research support personnel, they provide predictable operations and sophisticated technical support.
Moreover, the governing department, after investigating requests concerning shared facilities and equipment through a university-wide questionnaire targeting all researchers in both the humanities and sciences, understood the firsthand voices of users regarding the introduction of cutting-edge equipment and the advancement of support. This feedback was reflected in the formulation of medium- to long-term plans for updating shared facilities and was utilized for prioritizing and substantiating future initiatives.
In the newly launched EPOCH, fundamental research environments equipped with general-purpose machinery across various fields and technical staff will be established ahead of schedule.
By introducing a system to support researchers university-wide, the goal is for individual researchers, in principle, not to purchase research facilities and equipment with individual research funds, but for the organization to maintain and manage them centrally.
This will allow young researchers to start their work immediately after becoming independent as PIs, and create an environment where research can continue even if they do not secure specific research grants.
Applications must be submitted at the university level and individual departments or affiliated institutes cannot apply. Partner universities, including Inter-University Research Institutes, can also participate in research environment maintenance. To apply, several requirements must be met.
A governing department must be established to lead the sharing of facilities and equipment across the entire organization based on official guidelines. In addition, advanced systems for building and running these "core facilities" must already be in place. The institution must clearly track where all research facilities are located within its premises and how they are currently being shared. The location and expertise of technical staff must be managed centrally by the institution. There must also be a commitment to creating inter-departmental training programs and career paths.
Incentives must be designed for researchers and departments that promote sharing. For example, if equipment owned by the institution is made available for shared use, the governing department should conduct its operation. Also, a system should be created to save service fee revenues over the long term so the money can be used flexibly, for example, for repairs in future fiscal years.
When researchers apply for competitive grants and include the expense to buy research facilities above a certain price, a system must be introduced within the institution to check whether there is no overlap in items relating to the expense. This system must also require researchers to create and verify a "Sharing Plan" (using a standard form to describe when the facility will be shared, or the reasons why sharing would be difficult).
With the full commitment of the department executing the plan, a sharing system for facilities and equipment, staff, and data must be built that reaches beyond the organization and institution. The university must also lead the way in forming internal and external networks and have a way to verify the results of these efforts.
Since the research environment improvement expenses will be paid from JST funds, applications will be made to JST, and the facility improvement expenses will be applied to MEXT. However, the review process will be conducted in an integrated manner.
As the research environment support money is paid out from a dedicated fund, it can be used for a wide range of needs. This includes not only developing or buying equipment but also paying for maintenance contracts and staff salaries for multiple fiscal years.
Daisuke Baba, Director in charge of the project: "We want to build a system that leads to the improvement of the research environment by shifting from just purchasing devices and facilities with competitive funds to focusing on equipment usage fees, labor costs for RAs and postdocs, and improving the treatment of technicians. It's not about how much budget was secured, but how smartly it is used. I hope this helps in changing the research culture."
This article has been translated by JST with permission from The Science News Ltd. (https://sci-news.co.jp/). Unauthorized reproduction of the article and photographs is prohibited.