Japanese funding agencies predominantly support research within strict disciplinary boundaries, leading to underfunding of interdisciplinary research and missed breakthrough opportunities. The authors propose five directions to foster interdisciplinary research in Japan, including shifting to researcher-focused funding and embracing high-risk projects, while highlighting successful models like OIST's approach to cross-disciplinary collaboration.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00394-8

#researchfunding #interdisciplinaryscience #japaneseacademia #innovationpolicy #scientificreform