A comparative study of global research networks: predictors of international research collaborations and determinants of Japanese research network effectiveness

• In Event: Contemporary research dimensions in international higher education

Proposal

1. Relevance in higher education and internationalization in research
This study examines the 1042 international collaborative research projects funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the counterpart academies, funding agencies, research councils, and organizations around the world. JSPS is a quasi-governmental agency in Japan, and it advances scientific research and supports individual researchers, universities, and research institutes in all academic disciplines.

From 2014 to 2016, JSPS and the 44 counterpart agencies around the world jointly selected and supported the 1042 international collaborative research projects up to three years in the JSPS Bilateral Joint Research Project (BJRP). Researchers in Japan got the form of travel grants from JSPS, and their collaborators received support from the partner agencies or organization in Japan’s counterpart nations. The 44 partner agencies or organizations in Japan’s counterpart nations were in the following regions: Africa (4), Asia (16), Middle East (2), South America (1), Oceania (1), and Europe (20).

The purposes of this study are: a) to enhance an historical understanding of what characteristics lead researchers and their collaborators to receive government research funds and conduct international collaborative research between 2013 and 2019 (funded from 2014 to 2016; collaborative research conducted from 2013-2019) in JSPS BJRP; and b) to understand Japanese researchers’ collaboration and networking patterns with their collaborators in JSPS BJRP.

2. Theoretical framework and contextualization
Based on motivation theory, Blackburn and Lawrence (1995) state that socio-demographic characteristics influences faculty behaviors. They argue the affiliated institution, individual career characteristics, and the affiliated academic disciplines of the faculty members are predictors to understand faculty behaviors. Finkelstein, Walker, and Chen (2013) also conclude that faculty research involvements in international research and networking patters are strongly influenced by four primary factors such as socio-demographic characteristics, career characteristics, social knowledge, and self-knowledge of individual researchers.

Based on these studies, this study conceptualizes Japanese researcher collaborations and networking patterns as a function of institutional characteristics, team characteristics, individual characteristics, and funding structure in JSPS BJRP. To implement an analysis of the international research collaborations in this study, I address three research questions: (1) To what extent, do characteristics of the research fund recipients and their collaborators influence researchers’ involvements in international research collaborations? (2) To what extent, does academic discipline influence researchers’ involvements in international research collaborations? (3) To what extent, does funding structure influence researchers’ involvements in international research collaborations?

The author names the four influences as independent variables: 1) institutional characteristics (Johnes & Yu, 2008; Kantabutra & Tang, 2010), 2) team characteristics (Abramo, Cicero, & D’Angelo, 2011; Groot & Garcia-Valderrama, 2006; Sav, 2012), 3) individual characteristics (Abramo, Cicero, & D’Angelo, 2011; Sav, 2012; Stevens, 2005), and 4) funding structure (Guan & Chen, 2012; Robst, 2000). In this study, there are two dependent variables: 1) outcomes of the funded international collaborative research projects; and 2) the reviews by the JSPS BJRP fund recipients on their research projects. These are conceived to reflect the effects of the four influences such as institutional characteristics, team characteristics, individual characteristics, and funding structure.

3. Data, data collection, data analysis, and information sources
JSPS provided international collaborative research funds to 1042 primary investigators who were affiliated with Japanese institutions during the time of application submission process between 2013 and 2015. In this study, the author examines the 1042 research reports written by the recipients of JSPS BJRP fund between 2014 and 2016 while collaborating and conducting international research projects with their collaborators. The recipients were the primary investigators, and they were also responsible for planning, conducing, and assessing research.

Each research report addresses information of individual characteristics, team characteristics, institutional characteristics, and research expenditures of an international collaborative research project. The report also introduces the researchers’ experiences and challenges during their international research collaborations. The research reports, the government research archival data, the JSPS documents, and the researchers’ outputs related to their funded international collaborative research will be also analyzed to understand the relationship between the characteristics of the research fund recipients, their teams, their institutions, funding structure, and research outcomes.

4. Research methods and results
This study is a longitudinal study (non-experimental) on the relationship between the characteristics of the research fund recipients (and their collaborators) and the outcomes of the funded research projects in JSPS BJRP from 2014 to 2016 (projects were actually conducted between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2019). JSPS and the 44 partner agencies or organizations around the world supported 1,042 international collaborative research projects, and the author examines the1042 research reports.

The expected study results will be specific aspects of institutional, team, individual characteristics, and funding structure are significant components to find research collaborators and receive research funds in JSPS BJRP. By analyzing the characteristics of the research fund recipients and their collaborators, it helps us understand the predictors of international research collaborations and determinants of Japanese research network effectiveness.

5. Original contribution and importance:
This study will contribute to studies addressing the needs of understanding challenges and opportunities to promote international collaborative research projects funded by national government agencies or organizations across all academic disciplines. The results of this study shows what specific aspects of institutional, team, individual characteristics, and funding structure are significant components to receive the government funds in international collaborative research with specific counterpart nations. This study also helps us understand which academic disciplines are likely to be funded by government funding agencies or organizations in international collaborative research.

Understanding characteristics and perspectives of the government research fund recipients will be helpful to expand our awareness of the researchers, students, professionals, policymakers, and all other stakeholders who lead international collaborative research. It will also benefit administrators, faculty and staff members to promote international research and refine research education across nations at the institutional level in higher education institutions and government research institutes.

Author

• Takehito Kamata, University of Minnesota