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Part Promotion of Scientific Research

According to the Report on the Survey of Research and Development of the Management and Coordination Agency, the total sum of research expenditures in Japan in FY1989 amounted to \11.8155 trillion. Out of this total, \2.1294 trillion, or 18.O%, was spent by universities and other institutions of higher education. Comparing the total amount of national research expenditures in Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany (formerly West Germany) and France, Japan is surpassed only by the United States. However, as to the percentage share of public funding in the total research expenditures, as well as the percentage share of public funding in the gross national product, Japan lags behind all of these nations.

As to research expenditures in the university sector, Japan stands in second place behind the United States in the total amount, but it mostly stands lower than any of the previously listed countries in the percentage of public funding in the total research expenditures, the amount per capita for researchers, the percentage share of the total sum in the gross national product and the percentage share of public financing for research in the total public expenditures.

In FY 1991 the Government budget for science and technology, excluding the humanities and social sciences, totaled \2.0226 trillion. Included in this is the budget for scientific research for the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture which amounts to \936.3 billion or 46% of the total science and technology budget.

The great majority (80%) of the Ministry budget for scientific research goes to national universities. The expenditures related to national universities, including the salaries of teachers, running expenses for research activities, and costs of research facilities and equipment, etc., are disbursed through the Special Account for National Educational Institutions.

Chart 4 Trends in the Amount of Research Expenditures by Sector

Table 4 International Comparison of General Research Expenditures

Chart 5 Government Budget Related to Science and Technology (FY1991)

Table 5 International Comparison of Research Expenditures in University (1987)