2020 Research Leaders: Leading institutions in chemistry

The 2020 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.

Table criteria

Region/country

Sector

Subject/journals

Position	Institution	Share 2018	Share 2019	Count 2019	Change in Adjusted Share* 2018–2019
1	The University of Tokyo (UTokyo), Japan	141.49	148.05	295	-2.4%
2	Kyoto University, Japan	148.36	135.81	263	-14.6%
3	Osaka University, Japan	91.20	101.31	187	3.6%
4	Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), Japan	72.79	92.00	154	17.9%
5	Hokkaido University, Japan	60.92	66.19	130	1.3%
6	Kyushu University, Japan	46.37	58.03	121	16.7%
7	Tohoku University, Japan	59.39	56.56	124	-11.2%
8	Nagoya University, Japan	69.34	56.19	131	-24.4%
9	National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan	36.41	37.63	167	-3.6%
10	RIKEN, Japan	48.55	37.63	145	-27.7%
11	National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan	37.97	32.83	103	-19.4%
12	Okayama University, Japan	15.06	26.13	41	61.8%
13	University of Tsukuba, Japan	14.34	21.99	61	43.0%
14	Kanazawa University (KU), Japan	15.75	20.25	39	19.9%
15	Hiroshima University (HU), Japan	9.87	20.20	44	90.8%
16	Keio University, Japan	19.54	15.65	27	-25.3%
17	Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU), Japan	8.04	14.55	35	68.9%
18	Tokyo University of Science (TUS), Japan	14.14	14.45	23	-4.7%
19	Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Japan	13.36	13.77	28	-3.9%
20	Chiba University, Japan	12.29	13.24	25	0.4%
21	Toyota Group, Japan	3.37	12.75	24	253.1%
22	Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Japan	7.19	11.54	26	49.8%
23	Shinshu University (SU), Japan	6.22	11.21	29	68.1%
24	Waseda University, Japan	15.31	10.73	22	-34.7%
25	Kumamoto University, Japan	9.56	10.45	22	2.0%
26	Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan	3.90	10.16	19	143.1%
27	Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Japan	6.68	9.82	21	37.1%
28	Institute of Microbial Chemistry (IMC), Japan	5.87	9.54	13	51.7%
29	Tokyo Metropolitan University (TMU), Japan	8.77	9.08	23	-3.3%
30	Nagoya Institute of Technology (NITech), Japan	14.50	8.09	15	-48.0%
31	Gifu University, Japan	4.18	7.88	12	75.7%
32	National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), Japan	7.69	7.86	39	-4.7%
33	Kobe University, Japan	10.85	7.11	16	-38.9%
34	University of Toyama, Japan	3.05	7.06	14	115.9%
35	Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences (TUPLS), Japan	2.97	7.04	10	120.9%
36	The Kitasato Institute, Japan	2.62	6.43	12	128.5%
37	Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Japan	5.42	6.29	10	8.2%
38	Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan	2.71	6.06	10	108.6%
39	Ehime University, Japan	5.04	6.05	11	12.1%
40	The University of Electro-Communications (UEC), Japan	2.71	5.66	14	95.2%
41	Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), Japan	5.56	5.44	61	-8.7%
42	High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Japan	3.89	5.36	31	28.6%
43	Kanagawa University, Japan	4.78	4.93	8	-3.7%
44	National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Japan	1.32	4.67	14	229.1%
45	University of Shizuoka, Japan	4.65	4.19	8	-15.9%
46	Meijo University, Japan	2.05	4.16	15	88.7%
47	Yamagata University, Japan	5.42	4.01	12	-31.0%
48	Ritsumeikan University, Japan	3.56	3.91	13	2.3%
49	Tokushima University, Japan	3.71	3.88	9	-2.5%
50	Nagoya City University, Japan	2.98	3.79	9	18.7%
51	Shimadzu Corporation, Japan	3.23	3.49	7	0.6%
52	Gunma University, Japan	1.96	3.47	7	64.8%
53	Rikkyo University, Japan	3.49	3.45	10	-7.7%
54	Gifu Pharmaceutical University (GPU), Japan	2.60	3.42	6	22.8%
55	Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT), Japan	6.17	3.38	13	-48.8%
56	Toyota Technological Institute (TTI), Japan	0.98	3.37	7	220.2%
57	Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), Japan	2.81	3.36	7	11.8%
58	Chubu University, Japan	0.89	3.30	5	245.5%
59	Nihon University, Japan	2.19	3.26	11	39.0%
60	Sophia University, Japan	1.36	3.14	6	114.8%
61	Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), Japan	3.10	2.92	5	-12.0%
62	Nara Women's University (NWU), Japan	4.10	2.85	5	-35.2%
63	Shizuoka University, Japan	6.85	2.84	6	-61.3%
64	The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Sokendai), Japan	3.22	2.83	19	-18.0%
65	Rigaku Corporation, Japan	2.09	2.63	15	17.4%
66	University of Yamanashi, Japan	5.26	2.61	4	-53.7%
67	Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan	2.42	2.60	3	0.3%
68	Kochi University of Technology, Japan	0.30	2.57	7	699.4%
69	Chuo University, Japan	8.96	2.56	9	-73.4%
70	JEOL Ltd., Japan	2.35	2.54	18	0.8%
71	Saitama University, Japan	2.52	2.52	7	-6.8%
72	Yokohama National University (YNU), Japan	5.56	2.51	5	-57.9%
73	Gakushuin University, Japan	3.07	2.46	4	-25.4%
74	Niigata University, Japan	2.78	2.37	7	-20.6%
75	Toin University of Yokohama, Japan	0.07	2.30	3	2,903.2%
76	Kansai University, Japan	2.81	2.24	6	-25.5%
77	Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Japan	0.53	2.18	4	281.0%
78	Kindai University, Japan	4.37	2.17	7	-53.8%
79	Doshisha University, Japan	3.63	2.15	3	-44.7%
80	Yamaguchi University, Japan	1.58	2.00	4	17.4%
81	Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Japan	4.19	1.99	10	-55.8%
82	Toho University, Japan	2.03	1.97	7	-9.5%
83	Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Japan	1.72	1.95	6	5.8%
84	Mie University, Japan	1.35	1.92	2	32.3%
85	National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS), Japan	0.88	1.86	5	97.7%
86	Mitsubishi Group, Japan	1.56	1.75	10	4.4%
87	Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Japan	2.40	1.73	2	-32.9%
88	University of Hyogo, Japan	5.16	1.72	10	-69.0%
89	Ryukoku University, Japan	0.00	1.65	3	0.0%
90	University of Kitakyushu, Japan	0.49	1.63	3	206.8%
91	Takasago International Corporation, Japan	0.80	1.61	2	87.4%
92	Tokushima Bunri University, Japan	0.89	1.60	4	67.6%
93	Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Japan	2.10	1.60	3	-28.8%
94	Showa Pharmaceutical University, Japan	0.05	1.60	2	2,884.6%
95	Japan Fine Ceramics Center (JFCC), Japan	1.69	1.57	9	-13.3%
96	Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Japan	0.24	1.55	4	509.2%
97	Panasonic Corporation, Japan	1.50	1.55	4	-3.5%
98	Shimane University, Japan	1.17	1.49	6	18.9%
99	Nagasaki University, Japan	2.26	1.44	5	-40.3%
100	Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Japan	3.62	1.40	12	-63.8%

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

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).
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.
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2020 Research Leaders: Leading institutions in chemistry

Table criteria

Footnote