Sir

Your News story “Japan aims to forge stronger European links” (Nature 411, 875; 2001) clearly identifies why it is difficult to recruit foreign scientists to work in Japan.

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) has been running a pilot '2 + 2 programme', which allows a British researcher to spend two years in Japan with the assurance of two years' subsequent funding in the United Kingdom. To promote greater collaboration between research in the European Union (EU) and Japan, this should now be established in other European countries. I would not have applied for this scheme without the return element, yet have already felt the benefits.

Researchers tempted by a period of research in Japan, or wishing to establish a long-term collaboration, face other problems in addition to those mentioned in your News story. Permanent university staff have heavy teaching loads which, combined with family commitments, allow only the fortunate to take long-term sabbaticals. Postdoctoral researchers are far more mobile (often not from choice). Schemes such as the 2 + 2 programme can turn this mobility into a positive factor, helping them establish long-term collaborations early in their careers, while providing a degree of security.

Unfortunately, much may depend upon the Japanese economy. Provision under the JSPS scheme for Japanese language lessons has recently been reduced, and the tax-free salary status is under threat. Several other improvements could make a significant difference to the quality and number of applicants, for example one paid-for trip home during the two-year period, and greater opportunity for overseas research collaboration. Changes are also required in the host countries — I am unable to contribute to my university pension while in Japan, for example.

Other schemes for EU–Japanese collaboration should be open to all, unlike Britain's otherwise excellent Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Japan Partnering Awards (http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/international/bbsrc/japan.html), which restricts applicants to current BBSRC grant holders or employees.

Although you report that in the past three years only two people have applied for JSPS funding from the EU, the JSPS does have other types of grant allotted for specific countries or institutions within Europe, and it expects to fund 440 fellowships for the financial year 2001 (see http://www.jsps.go.jp/e-home.htm).