The government plans to boost financial support for doctoral students, amid fears that a shortage of researchers will lead to a decline in Japan's R&D capabilities.
Money will be allocated from a research fund called the "competitive fund," which is distributed to laboratories after government screenings and other selection procedures.
In addition to their studies, doctoral candidates usually work as researchers. Only 10.4% of doctoral students receive 1.8 million yen or more per year from their laboratories as living expenses, while more than half, or 52.2%, receive no money at all, according to an education ministry survey.
Having to work for little to no compensation is unpopular, resulting in fewer people in Japan pursuing a doctoral degree.
About 12,000 students with a master's degree went on to doctoral studies in 2003, but in 2018, the number halved to about 6,000.
The government therefore decided to make it standard to allocate part of research funds to cover doctoral students' living expenses, and will revise the application guidelines for competitive funding accordingly.
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