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Mission |
The National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) is a national research institution that was established in accordance with the National Government Organization Law under the direct jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to be engaged in the Japanese government's science and technology policy-planning process. It is expected to ascertain government needs, to collaborate and cooperate with government agencies, and to participate in the decision-making process. NISTEP has three missions:
1) To forecast future policy issues and investigate them through autonomous research
2) To carry out research in response to requests from government agencies
3) As a core institution in the science and technology policy research field, to provide data that forms the basis of research by other institutions and researchers in order to contribute to the accumulation and expansion of knowledge
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Objectives |
In recent years, the scope of science and technology policy research, including innovation-related policy research, has been expanding. Also, analysis from a broad international perspective has been required. In order for NISTEP to fulfill its mission under the circumstances, it should swiftly respond to government needs and, at the same time, carry out autonomous research that looks to the future. NISTEP works out a mid-term plan every five years, which sets the direction of the fundamental mid- to long-term research activities of the institute. The mid-term plan is available to the public on NISTEP's website. In regard to the annual plan, NISTEP sets up its annual research plan by flexibly responding to conditions during the fiscal year.
Science and technology system reform and strategic prioritization of science and technology were two of the most important strategies stipulated in the Second and Third S&T Basic Plans. Various policies have been developed in accordance with these strategies. There are important science and technology policy research topics in the foreseeable future: Among them are how to improve the performance of the science and technology system as a whole, which fields and areas are the most likely to develop in the future, in particular, which fields and areas Japan should concentrate its resources on for their development, and how to reinforce research and development while meeting future social needs. NISTEP is responsible for addressing these issues proactively. NISTEP is working on the following research topics.
1) Research on science and technology systems
2) Research on innovation
3) Research on fields and areas that are likely to develop in the future
4) Research on the relationships between science and technology and society
5) Research on items contributing for the
follow-up studies of the Third S&T Basic Plan
6) Research on evaluation of the results of science and technology policy
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Features of NISTEP's Organizational Management |
1) Management for effective and
efficient promotion of research
In order to respond to the expansion and diversification of the areas covered
by science and technology policy research, NISTEP accepts various research
personnel from industry, academia and the government, and promotes studies
by fully utilizing their experience and knowledge. In order to improve
its efficiency, it divides its personnel into small groups. Furthermore,
when it works for especially important research topics, NISTEP establishes
research committees comprising experts and science and technology policy
specialists. These committees are a mechanism for in-depth exchange of
opinions on the current state of relevant research and future research
topics and methods.
2) Utilization of outside institutions
As it did with research for the formulation of the Third S & T Basic
Plan (the Basic Plan Review, the Foresight Survey, and so on), NISTEP allocates
its own human resources in core sectors of science and technology policy
research, and outsources the less important research activities, such as
data collection, to think tanks and other private-sector institutions to
the extent that this is possible.
3) Acquisition of outside funds
While carrying out research using its own resources remains fundamental,
NISTEP makes the utmost effort to obtain outside funds such as Special
Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology, Grants-in-Aid
for Scientific Research and foundation grants, depending on the particular
research purposes.
4) Securing human resources
To ensure more steady development of younger human resources in fields
related to science and technology policy, NISTEP actively hires younger
personnel who aim to become leaders in science and technology policy research
and provides them with venues for research presentations and opportunities
for participation in study groups and symposiums. Furthermore, NISTEP has
been actively utilizing the visiting researcher system to receive researchers
from the private sector as visiting researchers. NISTEP believes that the
visiting researcher system not only stimulates intellectual contact among
researchers and improves research results, but also brings new ideas to
science and technology policy research through the perspectives of private-sector
researchers.
NISTEP endeavors to utilize human resources from foreign countries. As part of these endeavors, NISTEP carries out joint research with foreign researchers, accepts foreign students, and accepts international affiliated fellows.
5) Collaboration with institutions in Japan and abroad
NISTEP has concluded a collaboration agreement with the National Graduate
Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) and has been actively collaborating
with specialized institutions in Japan, such as the Cabinet Office's Economic
and Social Research Institute, the Japan Science and Technology Agency
(JST), and Hitotsubashi University.
Furthermore, NISTEP has been collaborating with foreign universities and/or research institutes by concluding memorandums of understanding (MOUs).
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External Evaluation |
NISTEP undergoes external evaluation of all its operations, including its research activities. NISTEP works to improve institutional management and to more effectively and efficiently promote research by appropriately securing and allocating research resources and addressing management issues based on these evaluations. To date, NISTEP has undergone three external evaluations. Starting with its FY2004 Mid-Term Plan, NISTEP moved to undertake external evaluations every five years, coordinating them with the cycle for setting and implementing Science and Technology Basic Plans.
For NISTEP's third institutional evaluation, an External Evaluation Committee comprising outside experts was established in November 2005. Through such efforts as interviews and discussions with relevant personnel from government agencies and interviews with NISTEP research personnel, the Committee studied and evaluated NISTEP's research and all of its operations. The Committee completed its External Evaluation Report in June 2006. NISTEP revised its Mid-Term Plan and is developing its work in light of the various suggestions contained in the report. The External Evaluation Report is available to the public on NISTEP's website.