iPS Cell Research & Challenges It Faces

How Keen Is Japan in Science Promotion?

Present state of science budget

 

   Professor Yamanaka’s winning of the Nobel Prize will surely give an impetus to Japan’s scientific research involving iPS cells in particular. Then, how keen is the government to support such research in terms of budget?

 

 The attached table lists major items of spending on science promotion, based on the fiscal 2012 budget for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology approved on April 5 last year.

 

Category of budget

April, 2011-

March, 2012

April, 2012-

March, 2013

Up or Down of Qunatity 

For education, culture, sports, science & technology

667.80

679.24

+11.44

For science & technology

128.71

130.01

+ 1.30

Scientific research subsidies

26.55

27.80

+1.25

* In 100 million dollars (as converted at the exchange rate of $1=Y83 prevalent in the spring of 2012)

 

 The table shows that the ministry’s total budget increased from $667.80 million (¥5,542.8 billion) to $679.24 million (¥5,637.7 billion). The science and technology budget in the second column covers all research projects and operation of facilities including those in environment and space fields. It also includes the subsidies to finance science research projects. What is remarkable here is that the rates of increase for both the science and technology budget and the subsidies were about the same in fiscal 2012. This indicates that the government puts more emphasis on research promotion than on operation of the existing scientific facilities.

 

 In 2009, the ministry founded the “Leading-edge Research Promotion Fund” to provide research money and necessary expenses in order to encourage the development of next-generation world-leading research programs. The fund was intended to augment the above-mentioned scientific research subsidies. Professor Yamanaka has been carrying out his research with the aid from this fund. A sum of $1,807 million (¥150 billion) was earmarked for the fund in fiscal 2009, but it was cut to $1,205 million (¥100 billion) in fiscal 2010 and kept unchanged in the two subsequent years.

 

 On Oct. 7 last year, then Education Minister Makiko Tanaka visited the iPS Cells Laboratory in Kyoto. Later she was quoted by Jiji Press as saying, “The research in this field is fast advancing day by day. Considering what Japan would like to make in the future, I will compile a budget with greater emphasis on important areas rather than treating all areas equally. I will do my best.’”

 

 Tanaka obviously meant to say that her ministry will provide strong budgetary support to encourage further development of leading-edge research projects. Needless to say, it is important for Japan to take a lead in scientific technology and show its presence to the rest of the world. On the other hand, however, the country’s social security cost keeps snowballing and the government needs to continue spending a lot on the reconstruction of the areas devastated by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. It is hoped that the government will strike a balance in a calm manner and work out a budget to support promising areas such as world-leading technologies.

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