Empirical study of the funding system for academic research activities in Japan

在本研究项目中，首先讨论了学术研究活动的结构和动态。在讨论的基础上，设计了调查问卷，包括：1.联合研究小组和研究活动的详细情况，2.最新的学术环境和资源不足的程度，3.所需研究经费的规模和类型和计划的研究项目类型，4.额外的学术资源投入对成果质量和数量的影响，5.这三年的学术成果，6.对学术研究活动的客观评价和对学术成果类型的主观评价，随机抽取日本6个大学组的10600名大学教授和副教授进行问卷调查。在1998年11月至1999年1月的调查期间，收回了3075份问卷，对这些数据进行分析的主要发现如下：1)1995年、1996年和1997年的学术研究经费总额具有很高的相关性。此外，空间的大小和实验室设备的等级也与学术研究的总预算高度相关。因此，假设学术研究活动的资源是集中分布的。2)关于学术研究活动的总投入和结果之间的关系，认为1.对于好的结果，似乎存在某个最低水平(门槛)，2.学术资源的额外投入按比例产生更好的结果，3.在研究活动的结果停止增长的情况下，存在另一个水平的上限。3)从这个数据来看，总体上，学术环境越好，学术成果的程度越好。对于详细的研究，必须改进测量学术环境和结果的方法。

In this research project, structure and dynamic of academic research activity is discussed first. Based on the discussion, questionnaire is designed, which is constitute of, 1. details of joint-study group and type of research activities, 2. latest academic environment and the degree of insufficiency of resources, 3. scale and type of research grant required and type of research project planned, 4. effects of the additional input of academic resources on the quality and the quantity of the outcome, 5. academic outcome of this three years, 6. availability of the objective evaluation of the academic research activities and subjective evaluation of the type of academic outcome, and 7. facesheet.10600 samples of university professor and associate professor from six groups of University in Japan are chosen randomly and questionnairpackage was sent. During the survey period from November 1998 to January 1999, 3075 questionnaires were returned.Main findings from the analysis of this data are as follows,1) Correlations of the total budget for academic research between 1995, 1996 and 1997 are very high. In addition, the extent of space and the grade of laboratory equipment are also highly correlated to total budget for academic research. Therefore, it is hypothesized that resources for academic research activity are distributed concentratedly.2) about the relation between total input and outcome of academic research activities, it is thought that 1. some lowest level (threshold) seems to exist for good outcome, and 2. additional input of academic resources produce better results in proportion, and 3. another level of the ceiling exist where the outcome of research activities stops growing.3) the fact from this data is that in general, the better the total academic environment is, the better the degree of academic outcome is. For detailed study, method of measuring academic environment and outcome must be improved.