Tokyo

Japan's education ministry has named the first 113 centres of excellence to be set up at the nation's universities.

The programme, which aims to make Japanese research more competitive, saw 464 groups from 163 public and private universities compete for the awards.

“Until now, Japan has favoured stability in funding, but now it is leaning towards competition,” says Yuichiro Anzai, president of Keio University in Tokyo and a co-chairman of the programme.

The winning centres will each receive grants worth between ¥100 million and ¥500 million (US$800,000 to $4 million) per year for a renewable five-year term — although an unfavourable review after just two years can close any of the centres.

Teams of about 20 professors competed for the grants in five fields — life sciences, chemistry and materials, information technology and electronics, humanities, and a broad category of interdisciplinary topics, including environmental science and energy research.

The chosen centres span 50 universities, with 49 of the centres based at the 7 former imperial universities. The University of Tokyo and Kyoto University lead the pack with 11 centres apiece.

But critics complain that the selection standards were not made clear — and that the government has not provided any feedback on how projects were chosen.

“Most people do not believe this programme has been considered carefully,” claims one referee for the programme, who declined to be named. Some researchers also say that the money could have been better spent on fewer, larger projects.

But most scientists are optimistic that the programme will boost high-quality, multidisciplinary research. “More competition will have a great effect on Japanese universities,” says Tadamitsu Kishimoto, president of Osaka University.