2019 Research Leaders: Leading institutions in chemistry

The 2019 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2018.

Table criteria

Position Institution Share 2017 Share 2018 Count 2018 Change in Adjusted Share* 2017–2018
1 Kyoto University, Japan 172.54 148.36 286 -19.1% Decrease
2 The University of Tokyo (UTokyo), Japan 159.89 141.49 302 -16.8% Decrease
3 Osaka University, Japan 114.11 91.20 166 -24.8% Decrease
4 Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), Japan 66.07 72.79 127 3.6% Increase
5 Nagoya University, Japan 58.44 69.34 135 11.6% Increase
6 Hokkaido University, Japan 61.12 60.92 126 -6.3% Decrease
7 Tohoku University, Japan 52.26 59.39 134 6.9% Increase
8 RIKEN, Japan 45.53 48.55 162 0.3% Increase
9 Kyushu University, Japan 49.24 46.37 105 -11.4% Decrease
10 National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan 28.60 37.97 114 24.9% Increase
11 National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan 39.15 36.41 149 -12.6% Decrease
12 Keio University, Japan 22.89 19.54 33 -19.7% Decrease
13 Kanazawa University (KU), Japan 14.73 15.75 27 0.6% Increase
14 Waseda University, Japan 17.15 15.31 34 -16.1% Decrease
15 Okayama University, Japan 14.75 15.06 26 -4.0% Decrease
16 Nagoya Institute of Technology (NITech), Japan 12.52 14.50 27 8.9% Increase
17 University of Tsukuba, Japan 16.10 14.34 38 -16.3% Decrease
18 Tokyo University of Science (TUS), Japan 15.04 14.14 31 -11.6% Decrease
19 Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Japan 15.44 13.36 23 -18.6% Decrease
20 Chiba University, Japan 10.21 12.29 27 13.2% Increase
21 Kobe University, Japan 9.92 10.85 17 2.8% Increase
22 Hiroshima University (HU), Japan 15.98 9.87 25 -41.9% Decrease
23 Kumamoto University, Japan 8.80 9.56 21 2.2% Increase
24 Chuo University, Japan 5.44 8.96 17 54.9% Increase
25 Tokyo Metropolitan University (TMU), Japan 9.13 8.77 24 -9.8% Decrease
26 Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU), Japan 16.32 8.04 19 -53.7% Decrease
27 National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), Japan 5.07 7.69 25 42.8% Increase
28 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Japan 8.88 7.19 14 -23.9% Decrease
29 Shizuoka University, Japan 2.04 6.85 12 216.3% Increase
30 Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Japan 8.92 6.68 18 -29.6% Decrease
31 Shinshu University (SU), Japan 6.90 6.22 18 -15.2% Decrease
32 Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT), Japan 8.70 6.17 17 -33.4% Decrease
33 Institute of Microbial Chemistry (IMC), Japan 10.00 5.87 8 -44.8% Decrease
34 Yokohama National University (YNU), Japan 6.73 5.56 8 -22.2% Decrease
35 Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), Japan 7.73 5.56 65 -32.4% Decrease
36 Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Japan 6.74 5.42 11 -24.4% Decrease
37 Yamagata University, Japan 6.26 5.42 14 -18.6% Decrease
38 University of Yamanashi, Japan 3.90 5.26 10 27.0% Increase
39 University of Hyogo, Japan 3.11 5.16 17 56.0% Increase
40 Ehime University, Japan 3.13 5.04 10 51.3% Increase
41 Kanagawa University, Japan 4.85 4.78 8 -7.3% Decrease
42 University of Shizuoka, Japan 6.79 4.65 9 -35.6% Decrease
43 Yokohama City University (YCU), Japan 1.48 4.52 8 188.3% Increase
44 Kindai University, Japan 7.93 4.37 7 -48.1% Decrease
45 Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Japan 5.78 4.19 11 -31.8% Decrease
46 Gifu University, Japan 0.00 4.18 8 0.0% Increase
47 Nara Women's University (NWU), Japan 1.43 4.10 6 169.9% Increase
48 Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan 5.32 3.90 13 -31.1% Decrease
49 High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Japan 3.85 3.89 22 -5.0% Decrease
50 Tokushima University, Japan 1.35 3.71 9 158.7% Increase
51 Konan University, Japan 2.40 3.66 6 43.3% Increase
52 Doshisha University, Japan 1.61 3.63 11 111.2% Increase
53 Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Japan 1.55 3.62 14 119.8% Increase
54 Ritsumeikan University, Japan 3.27 3.56 14 2.5% Increase
55 Rikkyo University, Japan 4.25 3.49 9 -22.9% Decrease
56 Toyota Group, Japan 5.01 3.37 11 -36.8% Decrease
57 Shimadzu Corporation, Japan 1.54 3.23 10 96.7% Increase
58 The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Sokendai), Japan 2.45 3.22 17 23.6% Increase
59 University of Fukui, Japan 3.70 3.10 4 -21.2% Decrease
60 Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), Japan 0.09 3.10 7 3,204.2% Increase
61 Gakushuin University, Japan 0.43 3.07 8 566.7% Increase
62 University of Toyama, Japan 4.18 3.05 9 -31.4% Decrease
63 Nagoya City University, Japan 1.48 2.98 8 89.9% Increase
64 Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences (TUPLS), Japan 1.99 2.97 5 40.7% Increase
65 Kansai University, Japan 4.76 2.81 5 -44.4% Decrease
66 Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), Japan 1.44 2.81 9 82.9% Increase
67 Niigata University, Japan 3.91 2.78 10 -33.1% Decrease
68 Tokai University, Japan 1.00 2.75 7 158.5% Increase
69 Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan 3.88 2.71 5 -34.4% Decrease
70 The University of Electro-Communications (UEC), Japan 2.12 2.71 9 19.8% Increase
71 The Kitasato Institute, Japan 5.50 2.62 6 -55.2% Decrease
72 Gifu Pharmaceutical University (GPU), Japan 4.09 2.60 3 -40.3% Decrease
73 Saitama University, Japan 7.56 2.52 9 -68.6% Decrease
74 Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan 3.56 2.42 3 -36.2% Decrease
75 Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Japan 1.40 2.40 3 61.2% Increase
76 JEOL Ltd., Japan 2.39 2.35 15 -7.4% Decrease
77 Nagasaki University, Japan 7.45 2.26 8 -71.5% Decrease
78 Nihon University, Japan 2.44 2.19 6 -15.9% Decrease
79 Ibaraki University, Japan 3.56 2.17 7 -42.7% Decrease
80 Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Japan 1.58 2.10 6 24.7% Increase
81 Rigaku Corporation, Japan 2.41 2.09 13 -18.7% Decrease
82 Meijo University, Japan 1.14 2.05 10 69.7% Increase
83 Toho University, Japan 0.67 2.03 9 183.9% Increase
84 Gunma University, Japan 3.00 1.96 5 -38.6% Decrease
85 Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (KISTEC), Japan 0.53 1.86 6 228.1% Increase
86 Hitachi, Ltd., Japan 2.00 1.84 11 -13.4% Decrease
87 Peptide Institute, Inc., Japan 0.88 1.83 2 97.0% Increase
88 Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science (IGAKUKEN), Japan 0.39 1.81 2 338.3% Increase
89 Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Japan 1.98 1.72 8 -18.6% Decrease
90 Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd., Japan 0.11 1.71 7 1,321.4% Increase
91 Eisai Co., Ltd., Japan 2.11 1.70 6 -24.2% Decrease
92 Japan Fine Ceramics Center (JFCC), Japan 1.27 1.69 9 25.1% Increase
93 Ochanomizu University, Japan 0.92 1.61 4 65.6% Increase
94 Hoshi University, Japan 0.08 1.60 2 1,705.5% Increase
95 Yamaguchi University, Japan 4.06 1.58 6 -63.3% Decrease
96 Mitsubishi Group, Japan 1.79 1.56 11 -18.0% Decrease
97 Panasonic Corporation, Japan 0.94 1.50 2 50.4% Increase
98 Sophia University, Japan 1.56 1.36 7 -17.8% Decrease
99 Mie University, Japan 0.20 1.35 5 535.4% Increase
100 Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Japan 0.00 1.35 3 0.0% Increase

Footnote

Each year, the Nature Index publishes tables based on counts of high-quality research outputs in the previous calendar year. Users please note:

  1. The data behind the tables are based on a relatively small proportion of total research papers, they cover the natural sciences and health sciences only and outputs are non-normalized (that is, they don’t reflect the size of the country or institution, or its overall research output).
  2. The Nature Index is one indicator of institutional research performance. The metrics of Count and Share used to order Nature Index listings are based on an institution’s or country’s publication output in 145 natural-science and health-science journals. The journals were selected on reputation by an independent panel of leading scientists in their fields. The list is reviewed periodically and journals may be removed or added. Articles from eLife were no longer included in the Nature Index from 2023 after the journal changed its publishing model.
  3. Nature Index recognizes that many other factors must be taken into account when considering research quality and institutional performance; Nature Index metrics alone should not be used to assess institutions or individuals.
  4. Nature Index data and methods are transparent and available under a creative commons licence at nature.com/nature-index/.
  5. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The Nature Index database undergoes regular updating, corrections, adjustment of institutional hierarchies, and removal of retracted papers and thus the live website can differ from the frozen research leaders.