Funding Under Threat in Japan

editorial Funding under threat in Japan

Japanese science is facing severe budget cuts that risk causing lasting damage.

Just as the Large Hadron Collider roared might be one outright casualty, while KEK, prize winners living in Japan — including back to life in late November 2009, the Super-Kamiokande and the Subaru telescope 2008 winner Makoto Kobayashi — in which near detector of the long-baseline T2K in Hawaii are threatened with cuts to their the claim was made that, “For Japan, a experiment in Japan was picking up its first operating funds. country poor in resources, the weakening of neutrino signatures — the latest success in The next-generation supercomputer our science and technology means the decay this effort to better understand neutrino project at RIKEN, intended for the modelling of our country.” oscillations by firing beams of neutrinos of galaxy formation and of the climate on Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has from the High Energy Accelerator Research Earth, could also fall victim: the revitalization promised to take scientists’ opinions into Programme’s (KEK) J-PARC accelerator team is recommending a freeze of the account. Less sympathy has been voiced complex to the Super-Kamiokande US$290 million budget request for 2010, by one member of the Government apparatus in the Kamioka mine, 295 km pending further review; US$610 million has Revitalization Unit, Yoshihiro Katayama, away (Nature Phys. 5, 527; 2009). But the already been invested in the US$1.3 billion who stresses, however, that the real objective jubilation of the Japanese researchers, and project, and project leader Tadashi Watanabe is to cut bureaucratic waste. That is fair, their international collaborators, was surely has called the move “very short-sighted”. and a natural action for the new-broom tempered by the news that KEK, and indeed Democratic Party government. But the depth all of Japanese science, is facing swingeing the axe is set to fall fast — of the threatened cuts is of real concern: cuts in funding. in slicing out the waste, good science risks Following the election to government too fast surely for a careful being lost. And the axe is set to fall fast — too of the Democratic Party on 30 August — assessment of where the fast surely for a careful assessment of where ending 50 years of almost unbroken rule the waste really lurks — as the government by the Liberal Democratic Party — all waste really lurks intends to finalize the budget in a matter of budget requests for the next financial year, days, by the end of 2009. beginning in April 2010, have come under Indeed, the Japanese science community Not long ago, at J-PARC’s inauguration, review by the newly established Government has responded unusually vocally to under secretary for science in the US Revitalization Unit. A huge saving, of the threatened cuts, calling also on the Department of Energy, Steve Koonin more than US$30 billion, is being sought international community for support. spoke of “another great venture in Japanese nationally. In science, there could be body Following a meeting of some 1,000 science”. What other great ventures might blows to some key facilities as well as to sympathizers at the University of Tokyo, survive in Japanese science, we must now individual grants. The SPring-8 synchrotron a statement was issued by the eight Nobel wait to see. ❐

Work in progress

Will Sesame Street, video games and robots get school children interested in science?

“We will restore science to its rightful Sesame Street will have a two-year focus on dirty. They’ll have the chance to build and place.” President Barack Obama’s explicit science; Discovery Communications will create — and maybe destroy just a little nod during his inauguration was eagerly deliver science content to 60,000 schools, bit — to see the promise of being the makers welcomed by scientists. Now fresh applause reaching 35 million pupils; and electronics of things, and not just the consumers of has greeted the ‘educate to innovate’ giant Sony will support a challenge to design things”, said Obama at the ‘educate to campaign, launched by the president last free, science-based video games. innovate’ launch event in Washington DC. month. A nationwide effort “to move Further initiatives such as ‘Connect a The White House will also host an annual American students to the top of the pack million minds’ aim to encourage youngsters science fair. in science and math achievement over the to explore science in a playful way after ‘Educate to innovate’ is an exciting, next decade”, the programme brings together school, for example through robotics landmark programme. According to businesses and non-profit groups to invest competitions (http://connectamillionminds. Obama: “We’re going to show young people in the education of middle- and high- com). And National Lab Day, to be held how cool science can be.” But the challenge school students. during the first week of May 2010, will be is in sustaining the effort, providing well- The purse holds over US$260 million the highlight of a project aimed at fostering educated teachers and job prospects for in total, including a commitment of collaboration between volunteers, students those youngsters who do decide to pursue US$100 million from Time Warner Cable and educators (http://www.nationallabday. a career in science. The goal has to be to produce shows that promote science org). “Students will launch rockets, construct greater than simply seeing US students excel and technology. Children’s favourite miniature windmills, and get their hands in tests. ❐ nature physics | VOL 6 | JANUARY 2010 | www.nature.com/naturephysics 1