NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
TOKYO REGIONAL OFFICE
The National Science Foundation's Tokyo Regional Office periodically reports on developments in Japan that are related to the Foundation's mission. It also provides occasional reports on developments in other East Asian countries.
Tokyo Office Report Memoranda are intended to provide information for the use of NSF program officers and policy makers; they are not statements of NSF policy.
Report Memorandum #01-15
A NEW SYSTEM FOR PROMOTING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN JAPAN
On January 6, 2001, the Japanese Government underwent a significant series of reorganization and reform measures, including the creation of a Cabinet Office which, by law, takes precedence over any government ministry (see Tokyo Report Memorandum RM #01-03, dated March 23, 2001.) From a science policy perspective, the most significant aspect of the January reforms was the creation, within the Cabinet Office, of a Council of Science and Technology Policy, chaired by the Prime Minister. These reforms also create the new position of Minister of State for Science and Technology who is a Cabinet Member, de facto chair of the Council of Science and Technology Policy, and Science and Technology Advisor to the Prime Minister. Mr. Koji Omi currently occupies this position. The Council, which is charged with developing and implementing a coherent, cross-cutting plan for the government, has been active since its inception, most recently in developing the government’s proposed science and technology budget for Japanese Fiscal Year 2002, which begins on April 1, 2002. The following report, written by Mr. Kazuhiro Hayashi, Director for Research and Analysis in the Cabinet Office’s Bureau of Science and Technology Policy, highlights the principal activities of the Council during its first 10 months, and notes several important task it has set for itself for the immediate future. It is reproduced here with the kind consent of Mr. Hayashi, who points out that the views he expresses are his own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the Cabinet Office or any other official Japanese Government organization. Mr. Hayashi’s report was translated by Ms. Kazuko Shinohara of the National Science Foundation’s Tokyo Regional Office.
I. Establishment of New System for Promoting Science and Technology
The system for promoting Science and Technology in Japan made a big change by the central government's reform that took place in January 2001. Whereas the launch of the new Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology by merging the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports and the Science and Technology Agency was of course a big reform, the establishment of a core organization for setting up science and technology policy within the Cabinet Office which was established to strengthen the function of the Cabinet was of great value. In concrete terms, within the Cabinet Office a position of Minister of State [currently Koji Omi] who is in charge of science and technology policy was set up and also the secretariat for the Council for Science and Technology Policy, which is the supreme organization to discuss Japanese science and technology policies.
The Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy has received a special mandate on science and technology policies from the Prime Minister and carries out (1) planning, drafting, and coordination of basic policies on science and technology, and (2) planning, drafting, and coordination of guidelines on resource allocation including budgets and personnel. Together with the Council for Science and Technology Policy, the Minister establishes guidelines for the Japanese government's comprehensive strategies and resource allocation for science and technology. Also, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the Minister further makes comprehensive coordination among the policies set up by the ministries and agencies in an effort that the science and technology policies should be implemented comprehensively on behalf of the whole nation.
The Council for the Science and Technology Policy (CSTP) was established within the Cabinet Office as the “place of wisdom” which supports the Prime Minister in science and technology policies. It is also one of the “councils for discussing important policies.” The Council is chaired by the Prime Minister and consists of relevant ministers, the President of the Science Council of Japan, and other intellectuals. The Council also carries out research and discussion on science and technology policies, which are the basis for governing the nation, by taking a comprehensive overview of the whole nation.
In concrete terms, (1) CSTP carries out research and discussion on basic policies on science and technology in response to inquiries made by the Prime Minister or the Minister in charge of Science and Technology Policy; (2) CSTP carries out research and discussion on the guidelines for allocation of resources including budget and personnel in response to the inquiries made by the Prime Minister or Ministers of ministries and agencies, or the Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy; and (3) CSTP carries out evaluation of R&D which is important at the national level.
II. Comparison of the Old and New Systems for Promoting Science and Technology in Japan
The new system for promoting science and technology in Japan is very different from the previous system. CSTP has new functions which could not be found in the old system. The prominent features are:
1. Strategic and timely feature
2. Comprehensive feature
3. Spontaneous feature
Strategic and timely feature means to draft comprehensive strategies on science and technology to cope with national and social problems. To address this objective, the CSTP meetings are held once per month, whereas they used to be held once a year. Also, research and discussion on resource allocation and evaluation of important R&D are being implemented.
Comprehensive feature means that the humanities and social science have become involved in the discussion, whereas only natural science was discussed under the old system. As a result, more importance has come to be placed on the relationship between society and human beings, including ethical problems.
Spontaneous feature means that the CSTP is now able to propose ideas rather than only responding to the inquiries from the Prime Minister.
Also, the establishment of the position of the Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy was valuable in line with the Cabinet Office's involvement in science and technology policy and has the following effects:
1. Leadership
2. Credibility
3. Implementation
As for leadership, the Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy resides within the Cabinet office, which has given him good access to the Prime Minister and therefore made him easy to take leadership. Further, as he does not have daily duties, it is easy for him to devote himself to drafting plans for science and technology policies. Also, different from the Director-General of the former Science and Technology Agency (STA), the Minister is able to bring about a comprehensive coordination with academic research.
As for credibility, since the Cabinet Office is not involved in the implementation of any plans, it does not have any conflict of interest with ministries and agencies, which results in high credibility among the ministries and agencies toward the Cabinet Office in making planning/drafting and comprehensive coordination. For these reasons, the vertical barrier among ministries which used to exist in implementing science and technology policies has been removed.
As for implementation, science and technology policy as well as economic and fiscal policy has now been identified, by law, as one of the important policies in governing the nation, establishment of the CSTP within the Cabinet Office means that the importance of promoting science and technology has been recognized. Also, as it is within the Cabinet office, it has became easy for CSTP to coordinate with the Council for Economic and Fiscal Policy, which will be reflected in the budget request for JFY2002.
III. Significant Activities from January 2001-October 2001
1. CSTP meeting has been held once a month with the Prime Minister's attendance. The meetings have contributed to improving the CSTP's performance in planning, drafting and coordinating comprehensive strategies and also show the accountability of CSTP to the public.
2. On March 22, 2001 CSTP responded to the inquiry of “Comprehensive Strategies for Science and Technology” made by the Prime Minister. CSTP also convened to reaffirm the establishment of the Science and Technology Basic Law to confirm the nation's ideology of a “Science and Technology-oriented Nation.” At the same time CSTP made clear four important strategic fields of Life science, Information Technology, Environment, and Nanotechnology/materials. Also CSTP established a goal of “producing 30 Nobel Laureates in the coming 50 years” in an effort to make CSTP's plan clear to the public.
3. CSTP has been and is aggressive in activities related to resource allocation. In June 2001, CSTP compiled a report entitled “Guidelines for Allocation of the Coordination Funds for Science and Technology Promotion in JFY2001” and in July a report entitled “Guidelines for Personnel Resource Allocation in JFY2002,” and submitted them to the Prime Minister.
4. In cooperation with the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, the Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy and CSTP became deeply involved in the budget planning process and performed an influential role in that process. As a result, in the basic guidelines of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy which were compiled in June, the idea of a “Science and Technology-oriented Nation” was included, which has made it possible to compile a science and technology-related budget. In concrete terms, in making budget requests for JFY2002, science and technology was admitted as one of the seven important areas and allowed to make a “Special Request for Structural Reform.”
IV. Items to be accomplished in promoting the new Science and Technology system in Japan
. Budget making based on the “Guidelines on Resources, including Budget and Personnel, for Science and Technology in JFY2002”
. Revision of “Guidelines on Research Evaluation for National Research and Development” which was compiled on August 7, 1997
. “Industry-University-Government Summit” held on November 19, 2001
. Basic guidelines on bioethics including research on human stem cells
. Discussion on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) plan
How to cope with these themes in the future and how CSTP can be influential in the compilation of the JFY2002 budget will be the touchstone on whether the CSTP will be able to be a “Control Tower” for Japanese Science and Technology Policy.