Title: INT 97-24 NSF/Tokyo Report: Japanese Government Budget for Materials R&D Date: 6/17/97 The National Science Foundation's offices in Tokyo and in Paris periodically report on developments abroad that are related to the Foundation's mission. These documents present facts for the use of NSF program managers and policy makers; they are not statements of NSF policy. JAPANESE GOVERNMENT BUDGET FOR MATERIALS R&D INTRODUCTION Given the significant investments that the Government of Japan is making in materials research, and the potential for increased U.S.-Japan collaboration, an attempt was made to identify major Japanese government programs in this area. While the gross total of the JFY 1997 S&T-related budget of the Japanese government amounts to 3,002.5 billion yen (about US$26.3 billion at the current exchange rate of Yen 114 per dollar), no data is readily available at this time to show exactly what proportion of this total is being spent for materials research. Lacking these data, an attempt has been made to collect pertinent data from various ministries and agencies, in particular the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (Monbusho), MITI's Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and the Science and Technology Agency (STA). When combined, these three agencies (Monbusho, MITI and STA) account for about 83% of the total government S&T budget for this year (see NSF/Tokyo's Report Memorandum #97-01 of 1/7/97). The budget data presented below for the three agencies are considered to represent a major proportion, if not most, of the government budget for materials research in FY 1997. No attempt has been made to consolidate the budget from these three agencies. Rather, they are presented in the original format received from each agency or ministry. I. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE, SPORTS AND CULTURE (Monbusho) The Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (Monbusho) published a report recently to provide a summary of their "grants-in-aid" for scientific research for JFY 1997 (April 1997-March 1998). (Note: According to Monbusho, the yen figures quoted are still "tentative" as recommended by Monbusho's Science Council last April which are still subject to change and cover only about 90% of all the grants to be approved eventually for this fiscal year.) Items: JFY'96 JFY'97 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total number of applications for both new and continuing grants: 83,958 87,513 Total number of new grants and continuing grants approved: 29,470 29,694 Total yen amount approved: 70,436 77,458 (in million yen) At this time, Monbusho made public data on the percentage distribution of all the grants approved (29,694 grants amounting to 77,458 million yen) in terms of both the number of grants and in yen amounts as follows: PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF FY 1997 GRANTS BY FIELD Pct in Pct in No. of Yen Research Fields Grants Amounts PHYSICAL AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES: 37.4% 42.9% including: - Material sciences: 12.5% 16.4% - Structural & functional engineering: 9.1% 8.3% - Electrical, electronics and information: 5.3% 6.5% - Mathematical and physical sciences: 4.6% 4.7% - Environmental, natural disaster and energy-related sciences: 2.9% 3.6% - Earth and space sciences: 3.0% 3.4% BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: 47.0% 46.7% including: - Basic biological sciences 12.3% 15.4% - Adult diseases and infectious diseases, and similar diseases 15.7% 12.0% - Cancer, AIDS and other "difficult-to-cure" diseases 7.9% 9.3% - Dental diseases 4.5% 3.5% - Brain and neuro-sciences 4.0% 4.0% - Pharmaceutical/pharmacological 2.6% 2.5% HUMANITIES: 9.1% 5.5% SOCIAL SCIENCES: 4.1% 2.5% INTERDISCIPLINARY AREAS: 2.3% 2.3% Grand Total: 100.0% 100.0% [ A ] [ B ] Notes: A = 29,694 grants in total B = 77,458 million yen in total From these data, it is estimated that approximately 3,700 grants were made in material sciences amounting to about 12,700 million yen (about 127 million dollars) in total. While details of each research project supported under these grants are yet to be published, there is a grant category called "Priority-area research" in which certain specific "research themes" are designated as "priority areas." Once designated as a "priority research area," a sizable amount of money (from 50 to 600 million yen per year) is set aside annually over a period of 3 to 6 years so as to support a number of research projects falling in the designated priority area. (For more information on Monbusho's "grants-in-aid for scientific research" system and on the "priority area research" category, see NSF/Tokyo's Report Memorandum #95-18 dated 9/25/95). Although Monbusho has not yet published the latest list of new "priority areas" to be selected this year for support from the coming fiscal year (FY 1998), the list presented below shows the on-going "priority areas" supported in "material sciences." Priority Area #260: Main Theme: Dynamics of Fast Ions in Solids and its Evolution for Solid State Ionics Area coordinator: Dr. Hiroyasu Iwahara, Professor, School of Engineering, Nagoya University Duration of support: FY 1995 - FY 1997 Total funds requested: 847.7 million yen Priority Area #261: Main theme: Chemistry of Many-body Systems Area coordinator: Dr. Koji Kaya, Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Keio University Duration of support: FY 1995 - FY 1997 Total funds requested: 571.3 million yen Priority Area #262: Main theme: Molecular Superstructure - Design and creation - Area coordinator: Dr. Tisato Kajiyama, Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University Duration of support: FY 1995 - FY 1997 Total funds requested: 732 million yen Priority Area #263: Main theme: Catalytic Chemistry of Unique Reaction Fields - Extreme Environment Catalysis - Area coordinator: Dr. Makoto Misono, Professor, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokyo Duration of support: FY 1995 - FY 1997 Total funds requested: 689.5 million yen Priority Area #273: Main theme: Innovation in Superplasticity Area coordinator: Dr. Taketo Sakuma, Professor, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokyo Duration of support: FY 1996 - FY 1998 Total funds requested: 890 million yen Priority Area #274: Main theme: Physics and Chemistry of Functionally Graded Materials Area coordinator: Dr. Toshio Hirai, Professor, Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University Duration of support: FY 1996 - FY 1998 Total funds requested: 540.3 million yen Priority Area #276: Main theme: Exploration of Practical Synthetic Tools for Molecular Construction: Toward Natural Product Synthesis Area coordinator: Dr. Isao Kuwajima, Professor, Faculty of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology Duration of support: FY 1996 - FY 1998 Total funds requested: 654 million yen Priority Area #277: Main theme: New Polymers and Their Nano-organized Systems Area coordinator: Dr. Toyoki Kunitake, Professor, Faculty of ngineering, Kyushu University Duration of support: FY 1996 - FY 1998 Total funds requested: 840 million yen Priority Area #280: Main theme: Molecular Science on the Specific Roles of Metal Ions in Biological Functions Area coordinator: Dr. Teizo Kitagawa, Professor, Institute for Molecular Science, Okazaki National Research Institutes Duration of support: FY 1996 - FY 1999 Total funds requested: 882 million yen Priority Area #281: Main theme: Nanoscale Magnetism and Transport Area coordinator: Dr. Teruya Shinjo, Professor, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University Duration of support: FY 1997 - FY 1999 Total funds requested: 600 million yen Priority Area #282: Main theme: Construction of Ordered Interfaces with Special Functionalities and Electrode Reactions Area coordinator: Dr. Kohei Uosaki, Professor, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University Duration of support: FY 1997 - FY 1999 Total funds requested: 718 million yen Priority Area #283: Main theme: New Organic Chemistry Aiming at Innovation of Methods for Carbonic Covalent Bond Formation Area coordinator: Dr. Shinji Murai, Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Osaka University Duration of support: FY 1997 - FY 1999 Total funds requested: 940.3 million yen Priority Area #284: Main theme: The Chemistry of Inter-element Linkage Area coordinator: Dr. Kohei Tamao, Professor, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University Duration of support: FY 1997 - FY 1999 Total funds requested: 766 million yen Priority Area #285: Main theme: Super-biosystem Constructed by Cognitive Multidimensional Glyco-molecules Area coordinator: Dr. Toshiyuki Uryu, Professor, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo Duration of support: FY 1997 - FY 1999 Total funds requested: 544 million yen Priority Area #287: Main theme: Elucidation of Microscopic Mechanisms of Phase Transformations for Microstructure Control of Materials Area coordinator: Dr. Masahiro Koiwa, Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyoto University Duration of support: FY 1997 - FY 1999 Total funds requested: 739.7 million yen Priority Area #288: Main theme: Carbon Alloys - Controlling the Space and Development of New Functions in Carbon Materials Area coordinator: Dr. Eiichi Yasuda, Professor, Materials and Structures Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology Duration of support: FY 1997 - FY 1999 Total funds requested: 845.9 million yen II. AGENCY OF INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY The Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), which is the R&D arm of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), had its total annual budget increased to 162.1 billion yen in JFY 1997, an increase of 19.7 billion yen or 13.8% over the previous year's level of 142.4 billion yen. According to AIST, in FY 1997, special emphasis is being given to programs for 1) creation of new industries (26.8 billion yen), 2) promotion of R&D in strategic areas such as the new 'sunshine project' (42.8 billion yen), the 'industrial S&T frontier program' (28.1 billion yen), and development of new medical and welfare equipment (2.8 billion yen), 3) development of R&D infrastructure (31.2 billion yen) including improvement of R&D facilities and equipment in national laboratories, development of facilities for government-industry-university collaboration, and promotion of international standardization, 4) promotion of local regional R&D activities (18.3 billion yen), as well as promotion of international R&D cooperation (5.9 billion yen). In terms of AIST's R&D programs related to material sciences, however, no clear-cut yen figures are readily available to show the total magnitude of MITI's R&D efforts in this area. As of this writing (6/4/97), the only specific budget figures given as directly related to materials R&D are those of the national R&D projects supported under AIST's "Industrial Science and Technology Frontier Program (ISTF)." The total annual budget of ISTF was increased to 28 billion yen in FY 1997, an increase of 6.2% from FY 1996 level of 26.4 billion yen, and is distributed for a number of national R&D projects in different technology areas as listed below: ISTF Project Areas: FY'96 FY'97 Superconducting materials & devices 3,341 2,982 New materials** 5,711 4,448 Biotechnology 2,931 3,397 Electronics, Information, Communic. 4,125 5,673 Mechanical, Aeronautics, Space 6,118 7,496 Resources 1,018 2,035 Human Life 2,795 1,678 Leading research (feasibility studies) 317 302 Miscellaneous expenses 66 60 Total 26,421 28,070 (In million yen) (**Note: The new 'super metal' project is not included in this category as it has been classified as part of 'resources' category.) Of this total, the budget figures for ISTF R&D projects related to materials (including super-conducting materials and devices) are as follows: ISTF Project Areas: FY'96 FY'97 Superconducting materials & devices 3,341 2,982 New materials: 5,711 4,448 including - Non-linear photonics materials 505 454 Silicon-based polymers 600 595 Synergy ceramics 1,380 1,627 Novel high-function materials 316 1,772 High-performance materials for severe environments (Completed) 1,375 0 Advanced chemical processing technologies (completed) 1,535 0 Resources: Super metal (new)(*1) 35 600 Leading research (Feasibility studies): - Conjugational material (*2) - 30 - Optoelectronic materials for parallel and ultra-fast data processing (*3) - 23 Total Materials R&D 9,087 8,083 (In million yen) Notes: (*1) "Super metals" are new light-weight and high-strength metallic materials with high functions. The manifestation of marginal properties and revelation of new functions of this metallic material will be examined by the integrated processing and revolution of concept on material design. (*2) "Conjugational materials" are new advanced glasses integrated with fine particles of organics regularly spaced in the glass matrices. The particles play important roles in realizing outstanding optical and mechanical features in a conjugate manner. (*3) "Opto-electronic materials for parallel and ultra-fast data processing" are being developed to realize real-time information processing of large amounts of data such as images; based on liquid crystalline photonic polymers and interface control technology to produce high performance spatial light modulators for two-dimensional spatial image processing. III. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGENCY (STA) The budgetary data presented below are based on information received from the Office of Material Research and Development in STA's Inter-Ministerial R&D Division. SUMMARY OF STA BUDGET FOR MATERIAL R&D (In Million Yen) Total Materials R&D 9,087 8,083 (In million yen) Research Institutes: FY'96 FY'97 1. National Research Institute for Metals (NRIM): 4,838 7,073 including (FY 1997): - New generation structural materials R&D -> 2,126 - New superconducting materials R&D -> 1,880 - Intelligent materials R&D -> 102 2. National Institute for Research in Inorganic Materials (NIRIM): 3,404 3,688 including (FY 1997): - New superconducting materials R&D -> 285 - Intelligent materials R&D -> 37 - Functional super diamonds -> 195 - Ultra fine structural analysis of materials -> 137 3. The Institute of Physical and C Chemical Research (RIKEN): 485 613 including (FY 1997): - Frontier materials research -> 250 - Coherent science -> 178 - Atomic-scale engineering research -> 134 - Microgavity research -> 70 4. Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST): 3,598 3,130 including: - Materials R&D under ERATO Program -> 2,667 5. Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI): 48 49 including - New superconducting materials R&D -> 49 6. Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC): 18 19 including - New superconducting materials R&D -> 19 7. National Space Development Agency (NASDA): 23 21 including: - R&D on space-use high-reliability materials -> 21 8. Research and Development Bureau, Science and Technology Agency: 13 13 Total: 12,428 14,606 (In million yen) -10-