The Japanese government will step in to help keep afloat the international research centers it began launching a decade ago, according to a 27 October announcement from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The centers, formed under the World Premier International Research Center Initiative, or WPI, aim to do top-notch science, bridge disciplines, globalize Japan’s research enterprise, and inspire reforms in the country’s academic and administrative cultures.
Under the WPI, MEXT kick-starts the centers, which are eventually supposed to become self-sustaining, similar to NSF’s Science and Technology Centers in the US. MEXT puts in $6 million to $12 million a year per center for salaries, travel, equipment, buildings, and other infrastructure, and for satellite sites inside and outside Japan. That funding is for 10 years, and centers can apply for an additional 5 years. They must also bring in matching funds. Five centers were created in...
