2.Creating scientific development and persistent innovation

 The government will strive for S＆T that passes on the results to society and the nation by creating intellectual and cultural value through scientific development by making S＆T related resources work effectively, and reinforcing the efforts for manifesting the results of R＆D as social and economical value through innovation. In so doing, it is not only important to work on reforming the R＆D system, but also on resolving the institutional and operational bottleneck for smooth S＆T activities and the passing on of results.

（1）Developing a competitive environment

 Although competitive funds did not reach the goal of doubling set in the second basic plan, their improvement has progressed to a respectable degree, and there was a steady progress in the efforts for the development of a competitive environment coupled with the progress of systemic reforms. There is a need to further the efforts to revitalize research activities by setting the principle of competition in motion in more aspects in the future.

（1）Increasing competitive funds and indirect costs

 The government will continue to strive to increase the competitive funds such as Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, which contribute to creating a competitive R＆D environment, by expanding the breadth and freedom of the selection of researchers’ research grants.

 Concerning indirect costs in which a fixed percentage of the research grant is allocated to institutions that employ the researchers who have won the competitive funds, the government will achieve a 30% allocation in all systems as early as possible.

 Indirect costs will be devoted to the expenses required for the management of research institutions in implementing the research, and they will be used, in principle, based on the decision of the institution. Among them all, competitive funds are expected to be used for preparing a research environment such as the departments and agencies that employ the researchers awarded with competitive funds, providing financial benefits for such researchers, and enhancing the administrative system that supports smooth application by researchers.

（2）Developing a competitive environment in organizations

（Revitalizing research activities through competition）

 Competitive funds have the effect of promoting competition among organizations that employ researchers through the promotion of competition between researchers and measures for indirect costs. Accordingly, it is necessary to promote the competition involved in securing human resources such as in universities by increasing the competitiveness and mobility for human resources, while further revitalization of research activities is also expected.

 Just as it has been carried out in the world’s top class research institutions, universities in Japan are also required to create a virtuous cycle of attracting brilliant researchers by devoting themselves to improving the research environment such as the competitive funds and indirect costs acquired by such brilliant researchers, while securing brilliant researchers by working on building an appealing research environment and providing benefits to the researchers.

（Effective combination of fundamental funds and competitive funds in universities）

 In universities in Japan, there is a research system in which fundamental funds （national university budget subsidy, facilities improvement grants, and financial aid to private educational institution） play an important part in supporting the existence of the organizations that form the foundation of education and research （securing human resources, preparing education and research environment）, while competitive funds support varied and excellent research plans. Fundamental funds and competitive funds both have their own functions, and they both play important parts. As such, examine an effective combination of fundamental funds and competitive funds in improving the overall governmental R＆D expenditure.

 In addition, since the whole of the national university budget subsidy is not something to be allocated according to the number of teachers in each university, and as it is important for allocated costs to be applied most effectively and efficiently coupled with competitive funds or external funds, from the perspective of developing a competitive environment including the president’s discretionary allocation, while respecting the independent and autonomous in-school allocation. The government will promote such endeavors.

（3）Promoting the systemic reforms on competitive funds

 In order to fully exhibit the effects of each competitive fund system, carry out systemic reforms by clarifying the purport and objectives of the respective systems, so that the scale of the research funds, the research duration, the research system, the evaluation method, and the promotion measures can be optimized according to the purport of the system.

（Establishing a fair and highly transparent screening system）

 As for the allocation of competitive funds, since the screening for a fair and highly transparent research subject that emphasizes the contents of the research and the capacity for implementation irrespective of the position or the title of the researcher is essential, the government will work to dramatically improve the screening system.

 Concerning each system, the government will proceed with the reforms, i.e., increase of the number of judges, improvement of the research plan, and review of the screening standards, while streamlining the operation of screening. Particularly with increasing the number of judges, the research community is expected to actively cooperate on its own responsibility. In addition, concerning each system, the government will make an effort to recruit young researchers and foreign researchers as judges to secure fairness in screening from various perspectives.

（Feedback on the screening results）

 Since communicating the details of the screening results and the views expressed at screening in as much detail as possible is believed to secure the transparency of screening, the government will improve the quality of research, and contribute to improving the quality of researchers including young researchers, and promote detailed disclosure so that the screening results will be fed back appropriately to the researchers in each system that relates to competitive funds.

（Enhancing the functions of the distributing agencies）

 On the basis of transferring the allocation functions of competitive funds to independent distributing agencies, the systems with established policies will proceed with a steady transferal, and those with no established policies will respond appropriately by drawing a conclusion promptly while taking the reality into account.

 As for the program officer （PO） and program director （PD） that support each system, the government will give consideration to the benefits so that those with qualities appropriate for these professions can be secured in a quantity that corresponds to the scale of the system. In addition, it will turn PO and PD into full-time positions as early as possible, mainly with large systems. Furthermore, the research community as a whole is expected to adequately evaluate the job experience of POs and PDs so that they can be positioned as part of the career paths of researchers.

 As the improvement and enhancement of POs and PDs, as well as the research analysis functions for supporting their activities, and the operational functions related to screening, granting and managing are essential in the distributing agencies, the government will steadily carry out their system improvements by securing a percentage of the competitive funds. In addition, distribution agencies will strive for the training of competent POs and PDs by improving overseas training and seminars in Japan.

 Moreover, in allocating competitive funds, it is necessary to take budgetary measures appropriately while taking the purport and objectives of the competitive funds into account to enable an efficient and flexible management of the competitive funds such as carrying over the funds of the year, and multiple applications per year.

（2） Enhancing the competitive edge of universities

 In an age when the creation and application of new knowledge is dramatically increasing its importance, the enhancement of the global competitiveness of universities is extremely important. Therefore universities that will lead the world’s S＆T should be established. We are also in an age when it is essential for each university, be it national, public or private, including local universities, to enhance its competitive edge by utilizing its uniqueness and characteristics. With this understanding, fundamental funds that support the foundation of education and research will be provided responsibly.

（1）Creating universities that lead the world’s S＆T

 Universities with global competitiveness cannot be created without sound competition between universities. For this reason, the government will further promote the development of a competitive environment, and the improvement of the mobility of human resources in universities, be it national, public or private. Furthermore, in order to actively develop the creation of universities that rival other universities in the world, and lead the world’s S＆T, it will promote the further enhancement of intensive investment under the principle of competition for organizations aiming to become the world’s top class research and education centers.

 The 21st Century COE Program is currently being developed as a part of structural reforms of universities through national, public and private universities. It is fitting to plan for further development in a more full and evolved way by implementing a stricter selection of focus based on the evaluation and validation of the program. In so doing, it is important to secure perspectives that universities play roles in further developing talented researchers and improving the basic research, as their primary missions. As such, it is appropriate to establish a wide range of disciplines as the scope and maintain the basic concept from the perspective of securing the diversity of fundamental research, and creating new areas, rather than placing a disproportionate emphasis on specific research areas.

 While developing measures for securing the diversity of such fundamental research, in creating innovation, concretize the intensive investment for creating research and education centers by focusing on specific advanced research areas, while obtaining the cooperation of the business world from the perspective of creating research areas that may lead the world, as doing so will be extremely effective.

 It is expected that these initiatives would lead to create about 30 research centers that will be positioned as the world’s top class centers according to various evaluation indexes on research activities, i.e., centers of world’s top 20 in field thesis citation index.

（2）Vitalizing universities that utilize uniqueness and characteristics

（Developing universities open to the community）

 Local universities are important intellectual and human resources for the local community, be it national, public or private, and they, as an entity open to the local community, should contribute further to the progress of the overall community. With the understanding that it is indispensable for local authorities to perceive and utilize such universities as partners in community regeneration, active support is anticipated.

 For instance, it would be desirable to create a virtuous cycle of creation of knowledge and human resources, and community vitality through local universities by the community working together with the universities with the support of the government, such as a community contribution type industry-academia cooperation undertaken by universities in the creation of technological opportunities and new technologies of indigenous industries or traditional industries, and the promotion of human resource development in partnership with those industries.

 As a part of community regeneration through the revitalization and utilization of local universities, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Regional Generation Center and the Council for Science and Technology Policy will promote the “Regeneration Program for Local Knowledge Centers ”, which incorporates support measures and general improvements for the independent efforts of the community in partnership with universities.

（Utilizing the research and education functions of private universities）

 Private universities have been developing diverse and unique education and research activities based on the unique spirit on which their schools were founded, and it is indispensable for the government to utilize the human resource development functions and research functions of private universities from the perspective of securing the improvement and diversity of the S＆T standards of Japan as a whole. On the other hand, even private universities, which are aiming to become global research and education centers, are suffered from shortcomings in their research environment in terms of human resources and facilities comparing to national universities. Therefore, there is a need to improve on those aspects.

 For this reason, various measures should be undertaken. to enhance private universities. Public subsidies should be provided for private universities in order to strengthen research function of such private universities. In addition, 30% application of indirect costs in all systems should be achieved in managing the competitive funds, and then preferential indirect costs should be provided. Necessary condition ordering will also be carried out for promoting the introduction of various private funds.

（3） Enhancing systems for creating innovation

 In order to effectively link the innovative R＆D results, including the results of outstanding fundamental research created by universities and public research institutions, to innovation continuously, industries, universities and government will unite to enhance the system that creates innovation to fully exhibit Japan’s potential.

（1）Maintaining the various research fund systems according to the development stage of R＆D

 The government will further define the purport of the research fund systems, the anticipated outcome, the evaluation method, and the promotion measures according to the development stage and the characteristics of the R＆D, and adequately maintain and operate the various systems from fundamental research to innovation creation.

（Efforts towards high-risk research in fundamental research）

 The system that supports fundamental research is improving in quality and in quantity by the past reforms of the competitive fund system and the research standards are improving steadily. As the competitive fund system that supports fundamental research is based on what is called pure review screening, ensure its improvement.

 On the other hand, just operating pure review screening uniformly may make it difficult to spot high-risk research （research that may create highly innovative results based on the fresh ideas of the researcher）. For this reason, the government will take high-risk research into account by establishing a mechanism that flexibly selects the challenges by assessing the originality and possibility of the ideas of the researcher in the part of the system that supports fundamental research.

（Enhancing competitive research for innovation creation）

 From the perspective of promoting the passing on of results to society and the nation, there is a need to enhance R＆D that takes on the challenge of creating innovative technology so that scientific and technological discoveries created in fundamental research are linked to creating social and economical value without ending as mere articles. For this, an appropriate management of research is required so that the research does not end as a mere extension of the researcher’s intellectual curiosity. For this reason, the government will enhance the management system for competitive funds that promote the target fundamental research and applied research for innovative technology that leads to creating new value by establishing innovation-oriented goal setting or putting in place a program officer （program manager） with responsibility and discretion in carrying out research progress management.

（Creating bases for advanced interdisciplinary research）

 Innovation is frequently created from new interdisciplinary research areas, and such areas are effectively created by active involvement for business solutions based on socioeconomic needs. For this reason, the government will selectively create research education centers in universities that focus on advanced interdisciplinary research areas that will enable Japan lead to the world by getting the active participation of the business world. The following points must be respected in creating these centers （bases for advanced interdisciplinary research for innovation）

（1）They are research and human resource development centers genuinely created by industry/academia collaboration,
（2）They carry out research from a fundamental stage with commercial viability in mind.
（3）They are centers that are open nationally and internationally.
（4）They have the clear commitment of the business world such as the provision of research resources.
（5）They carry out innovative organizational operation and system reforms that facilitate the abovementioned points.

（Reforming the research fund system beyond office and ministries）

-Enhancing the appropriate management that correspond to various systems-
 By carrying out appropriate management according to various research fund systems results visible to the nation are produced.
 For this reason, the government will promote the enhancement of management for producing results by checking to see if appropriate institutional design and operation are implemented based on the anticipated results, according to the developmental stage and characteristics of the subject R＆D on the various research fund systems such as competitive funds and project research funds.

-Building a mechanism that link outstanding research results to practical application beyond office and ministries-
 As the research fund system of each office and ministry, and R＆D in industry-university-government research institutions range widely from the stages of fundamentals to practical application, the government will strive to build a mechanism for advancing R＆D without interruption beyond systems and institutions, and link it to practical application for research that is about to produce outstanding results, and those that have the potential to develop to create innovation. The Council for Science and Technology Policy will promote such undertakings by each office and ministry.
 As for research fund systems, which are expected to lead research to the next level, the government will introduce a mechanism that enables for the research of outstanding projects to be continued without interruption by implementing an evaluation at an appropriate time before the completion of the research. In addition, it will incorporate it into the research fund system or the collaboration between industry-university-government research institutions beyond office and ministries. Specifically, it will promote the efforts such as the prompt transmission of interim assessments and ex-post assessment results in various research fund systems and their utilization in other systems and institutions, the information sharing of advanced research trends and results, and R＆D strategy and roadmaps through workshops between distributing agencies and research institutions, the building of a database that extracted and collected the information on the potential for the application of the results, and the enhancement of the functions of extensively studying other research results in planning R＆D in distributing agencies and public research institutions.

（2）Building a sustainable and progressive industry-university-government collaboration system

 As a country that must create persistent innovation from its own unique research results amidst global competition, industry-university-government collaboration is an important means for realizing such a creation, and Japan will build a sustained and progressive industry-university-government collaboration system.

（Expanding into a full scale industry-university-government collaboration）

 With the view that efforts must be made to expand into a more full-scaled industry-university-government collaboration, in addition to the technological transfer of traditional collaborative research that utilizes brilliant seeds of universities, the government will promote a strategic and systematic collaboration that could boost the effects of the collaboration by getting the industries, universities and government to hold a dialogue from the stage of establishing the research project, and working on collaborative research that sees through all aspects from fundamentals to application from a long-term perspective. The government will aim to create research centers that carry out world-class research and human resource development under industry-university-government collaboration, as a part of such a collaboration.

 In addition, from the standpoint of promoting improvement of competitiveness of regions, and the regional contribution of universities and public research institutions, the government will promote regional-contribution type collaborative research undertaken by universities on the technological opportunities and new technology creation of local industries including small businesses. Through these efforts, the government will aim to substantially increase the amount of research funds from private businesses for universities.

（Sustainable development of industry-university-government collaboration）

-Developing industry-university-government trust-
 Mutual understanding between businesses and universities is essential for sustainable industry-university-government collaboration. For instance, there is a need to develop trust by solving problems through thorough discussions after both parties have understood the differences regarding the considerations towards the characteristics of the collaborative research results, flexible and prompt response to corporate needs, thoroughness of awareness towards confidentiality, and characteristics of the university, which is a non-responsible organization involved in the joint invention. As well as providing opportunities for both parties to communicate, and information on best practice, the government will promote the independent formulation of rules by presenting guidelines where required.
 As for the indirect costs that will be required for the collaborative research or sponsored research with businesses in universities and public research institutions, the government will promote appropriate provisions, as it is important to secure the costs in the relevant research funds based on thorough discussions by both parties. 

-Promoting the autonomous efforts of universities-
 Universities are required to appropriately position the activities of industry-university-government collaboration in their respective operation policies, and engage proactively in collaborative activities by perceiving social contributions including industry-university-government collaboration, as well as education and research, as important missions. Universities are also expected to appropriately evaluate the achievements of researchers who are actively engaged in industry-university-government collaboration. In addition, they are also required to improve the mechanism that properly manages the conditions of conflicting interest that occur with the progress of collaborative research. The government will strive to give incentives to universities that are actively engaging in the activities of industry-university-government collaboration.

-Revitalizing and enhancing the collaboration of university intellectual property centers and technology licensing organizations （TLOs）-
 In order for the activities of industry-university-government collaboration to achieve sufficient results, it is necessary to further revitalize the activities of university intellectual property centers and TLOs and make them more effective.
 Intellectual property centers in universities that carry out strategic creation, management and utilization of intellectual property are a vital presence for universities to achieve their mission of passing on their research results to society, and the government will support their efforts while seeking the initiative of universities and management collaboration. As for TLOs that carry out technological licensing projects for the private sector, the government will strive to enhance the technological licensing system of other TLOs and universities by disseminating the success factors of TLOs that are achieving great results and support their launch.
 Universities will further enhance collaboration between their intellectual property centers and TLOs from the perspective of fully utilizing the knowledge and know-how on technological licensing accumulated by TLOs and clarify their external contact by defining the relationship between their intellectual property centers and the TLOs.

-Developing smooth intellectual property activities-
 The government will promote the efforts of organizations to properly secure the costs for intellectual property activities such as the costs of patent application in universities within organizations. In doing so, active utilization of indirect costs in competitive funds is expected. The government will also adequately aid the costs of overseas patent applications from the perspective of enhancing Japan’s global competitiveness and improve the support for competitive R＆D for promoting the passing on of research results produced in universities to society.

（3）Promoting the utilization of new technologies in the public sector

 Promoting the utilization of new technologies through public procurement is important not only from the standpoint of improving the functions of the activities of the public sector and increasing efficiency, but also from the standpoint of promoting the passing on research results to society. For these reasons, the government will promote the coordination and collaboration of the public sector’s needs, and the R＆D seeds in R＆D such as for S＆T and advanced equipment research that contribute to safety. With S＆T that contributes to safety, the government will strive to build a network of research information.

 Furthermore, the public sector’s creation of advance initial demand for new technologies for which demand is high or market scale is still small has major significance not only in contributing to the policy goals of each sector but also for forming new markets and stimulating private-sector innovation. The public sector is expected to actively consider the introduction of new technologies to the business scene by actively utilizing bidding systems that emphasize technical capabilities such as the integrated evaluation bidding system.

 In addition, as it is important for R＆D type ventures to have their products procured by the public sector to boost the creditworthiness of their companies and secure income at the inception stage, the government will take procurement from R＆D type ventures into consideration in the introduction of new technologies by the public sector.

（4）Promoting the entrepreneurial activities of R＆D ventures

 R＆D type ventures including ventures initiated by universities are a presence that ought to play an active part in creating new industries, reforming the industry structure, and passing on the research results of universities to society, as the engine for innovation. For these reasons, the government will enhance the comprehensive support measures for R＆D type ventures in the aspects of technology, funding, human resources, and demand creation, and promote general improvements on entrepreneurial activities. Particularly with regards to ventures initiated by universities, the government will competitively provide support to create ventures that grow and develop, and continue to support the creation of such activities.

 In addition, since R＆D type ventures can actively respond to the demands of the client due to their high motivation for taking on new businesses, the government will actively consider the utilization of capable R＆D type ventures in R＆D carried out by competitive funds for creating innovation, and R＆D carried out by national and public research institutions on commission. Furthermore, the government will support the creation of a network between venture supporters, and strive to work on the facilitation of risk money supply to the ventures through developing entrepreneurial support type venture capital that utilizes fund contributions, promoting the investment activities of private investors such as the expansion of the utilization of the fax system for Angel, and promoting efficiency in government organizations’ system of lending.

 In addition, as there is criticism of the weakness of entrepreneurship in Japan by international standards, it is essential to create a thick layer of human resources, i.e., potential entrepreneurs that are motivated to take on challenges that may lead to commercialization in promoting essential entrepreneurial activities. For this reason, the government will encourage the efforts of promoting such entrepreneurial activities as the support of such activities by students, the creation of entrepreneurial opportunities through human interaction, and the improvement of quality such as business promotion related courses in universities.

（5）Promoting R＆D by private enterprises

 Since it is private enterprises that create market values in the form of new products from the results of R＆D and industry-university-government collaboration, leading them to ultimately achieve innovation, it is important to revitalize private sector R＆D. As a nation, Japan will strive to utilize tax measures that contribute to the promotion of R＆D activities, and improve the technological development programs that reduce the risks of R＆D up to commercialization to boost their motivation on the basis of the self-supporting efforts of the private sector. In addition, with regards to small businesses that support the foundation of Japan’s industrial competitiveness, the government will support efforts towards the enhancement and development of manufacturing technologies after taking the vulnerabilities of the financial base and managerial resources into account.

 Moreover, amidst the increasing tendency towards the manufacturing of in-house products by the utilization of external R＆D capacity and results, there is a need to build a cooperative relationship that mutually develops in a sustainable way in the private sector by positioning universities and public research institutions as their partners for innovation from a long term perspective to accelerate the creation of innovation by the nation as a whole.

（4）Building regional innovation systems and creating vital regions

 As the promotion of S＆T in regions contributes to building regional innovation systems and creating vital regions, thus enhancing the sophistication and diversification of the S＆T of Japan as a whole, and the competitive edge of the innovation systems, the government will actively encourage such promotion. Moreover, the government will promote broad-ranging activities as something that will contribute to achieving safe, secure and quality lives for local residents, and producing creative and appealing regions and culture.

（1）Forming regional clusters

 Formation of regional clusters not only needs R＆D by industry-academia-government collaboration, but also requires various activities such as facilitation of finance, support of new business creation, development of the market environment and building of cooperative networks. As such, the government will proceed with long term efforts based on the strategic initiative of regions and the collaboration of relevant organizations.

 The government will continue to provide competitive support for cluster forming activities carried out under local initiatives. In so doing, the government will provide selective support to regions that have the potential to develop as world-class clusters, by assessing the global competitive edge of each region according to the progress of cluster formation and develop clusters across Japan with strengths that utilize regional characteristics, however small in scale.

（2）Developing smooth S＆T policies in regions

 In promoting regional S＆T policies, the government will expect local authorities to fulfill an active role and enhance inter-ministerial coordination by eliminating vertical divisions between ministries.

 Since the enhancement of the functions of coordinators is crucial to promoting industry-academia-government collaboration in regions, the government will develop the support system for them and support the building of coordinator networks. The government will promote the development of human resources through collaboration of local universities and industries by methods such as internships.

 Moreover, national public research institutions in the regions are expected to meet the needs of local industries while collaborating with local universities, and create and disseminate the seeds themselves. Although public research institutions of local authorities are carrying out technological developments and technical guidance that meets the needs of local industries and scenes, they are expected to play an effective role for regional industry-academia-government collaboration, while choosing and converging in operations that utilize the respective characteristics and strengths, and planning extensive collaboration between regions by taking the effectiveness of past results into account.

（5）Effective and efficient promotion of R＆D

（1）Effective utilization of research funds

（Thoroughly eliminating waste in research fund allocation）

 Illogical overlap of research fund allocation and excessive concentration of research funds that exceed the relevant efforts of individual researchers （allocation of time that an individual engaged in various operations such as research, education and administration） must be thoroughly eliminated.

 For this reason, the government must build a cross-ministerial “R＆D management system” for implementing inspections on overlap etc by sharing information between the competitive fund systems among all ministries as early as possible based on the e-Government Building Program. The cross-ministerial “R＆D management system ” will have an application receptionist function which enables researchers to input data and applies for whole research fund systems that include competitive research funds as a core.

 Meanwhile, the Council for Science and Technology Policy will also proceed with preparing the database on research funds besides competitive funds such as project research funds by building a government R＆D database to contribute to effective and efficient allocation of resources such as eliminating overlap by grasping the complete picture of the status of allocation of research funds as a whole including funds other than competitive funds. The government will promote cross-ministerial “R＆D management system” utilization after making sufficient adjustments with the R＆D management system and the government R＆D database. Through its utilization, ministries will appropriately fulfill the responsibility of providing explanations on allocation decisions by implementing inspections on overlap etc.

 In addition, the government will rigorously respond by imposing limitations on the application eligibility for researchers for dishonest receipt or wrongful use of research funds.

（Managing the efforts of researchers by universities and public research institutions）

 Universities and public research institutions should secure the time for implementing R＆D through research funds researchers obtain externally by managing the efforts of researchers. In particular, universities aiming to become global research and education centers will work on early establishment of proper effort management. Moreover, they will ensure the description of efforts of researchers in the application form under the acknowledgement of the organization in applying for a research fund system such as competitive funds and project research funds.

（2）Emphasizing the development and utilization of human resources in research funds

 In view of the importance of the development of human resources in engaging in R＆D, and stricter selection of focus on human resources that comes with the prioritization of R＆D, developing and utilizing human resources should be further emphasized in research funds such as competitive funds.

 Therefore, the government will carry out necessary system improvements by working on putting research funds into the development and utilization of human resources in each research fund system. Through this, the government will promote the independent formation of research institutions by young researchers by developing young researchers through providing funds equivalent to the living expenses of doctorate course students, and providing staff costs for post-doctorals, research supporters, and external research human resources.

 At the same time, through ensuring application premised on the shared use of general purpose research equipment, and promoting the use of common spaces, the government will do its utmost for the effective utilization of the facilities as a whole.

（3）Reforming the evaluation system

 R＆D evaluation is extremely important in planning the creation of a flexible, competitive and open R＆D environment, the selective and efficient promotion of R＆D and improvement of quality, the improvement of the motivation of researchers, and the formulation of better policies by fulfilling the responsibility of providing explanation to the nation. The government will implement such evaluations according to specific policies that set out the evaluation methods by office and ministries in line with general guidelines.

 Furthermore, from the perspective of further developing Japan’s evaluation systems, the government will review the general guidelines where required based on the implementation of R＆D evaluations.

（Direction of reforms）

 The government will make efforts to ensure that evaluations do not become unnecessarily bureaucratic from the perspective of evaluation, to boost motivation by taking the difficulty of the task taken on by the researchers into consideration, and train and secure assessment personnel with a talent for spotting and cultivating unique and outstanding researchers and R＆D, so that the evaluations encourage a spirit of creation and questioning of results.

 The government will work on choosing appropriate survey analysis methods and evaluation methods according to the subject, timing and objectives of evaluation in implementing evaluations, developing and reforming evaluation methods, training evaluation personnel, including young personnel, and improving their evaluation ability （experts of respective fields skilled in evaluation, staff of ministerial organizations, researchers specializing in evaluation）, so that evaluations will be reliable and of global standard. The government will work on clearly and specifically establishing the evaluation objectives after fully recognizing that evaluations are important means of aiding strategic decision-making, and clarifying how and by whom the evaluation results will be utilized beforehand, so that they can be utilized and promote reform.

 Furthermore, concerning evaluations of R＆D measures from the perspective of the evaluation subject, the government will further establish and improve follow-up evaluations from the standpoint of implementation timing by taking its implementation into account.

（Operating an effective and efficient evaluation system）

 From the perspective of avoiding unnecessary duplication of evaluations, maintaining the continuity and uniformity of evaluations, and operating effective and efficient evaluation systems as a whole, the office, ministries and organizations that implement R＆D will improve the evaluation systems by appointing personnel responsible for the operation of the evaluation systems, and implementing improvements of the system and foundation for the mutual coordination and utilization of the evaluations, and assessment. In so doing, they will secure the budget for evaluation, train and secure evaluation personnel, and build and manage the database.

（Promoting evaluations based on policy targets）

 Evaluations are implemented by establishing appropriate items of evaluation and evaluation standards according to the characteristics of R＆D. However, in so doing, the government will work on establishing the items of evaluation and evaluation standards based on the policy targets related to the relevant R＆D so that the results can be passed on to society and the nation effectively.

（6） Resolving the institutional and operational bottleneck that acts against S＆T activities and returning benefits from R＆D to society

 In promoting S＆T, an active interaction of human resources, a smooth implementation of research activities, the promotion of industry-university-government collaboration, and the improvement of institutional environment that supports the smooth passing of research results to society are important matters for increasing the effects of human and material investments for S＆T. Although there has been remarkable progress in such areas as the research exchange system, the fixed-term system of researchers, the independent organization system, the national university system, and the intellectual property system, there is much criticism that various institutional bottlenecks still remain, including, for example, immigration controls on foreign researchers, working environment of female researchers in relation to child birth/rearing, treatment of pensions and retirement benefits associated with personnel change, promotion of utilization of contract authorization for research funds, the clinical study environment, the employment environment for research supporters, and the financing environment for research institutions.

 For this reason, the Council for Science and Technology Policy will actively deepen its involvement in the boundary area of S＆T policy and other policies, and work together with relevant ministries, agencies and councils for resolving the institutional bottlenecks that hinder the promotion of S＆T, and for resolving the various obvious issues in operating the systems in the research scenes. In addition, they will provide their opinions where required and carry out follow-ups on their implementations.