東邦大学の研究力の定量評価ならびにリサーチ・アドミニストレーター(URA)配置による研究支援効果
Quantitative Assessment of Scientific Research Activity at Toho University and Evaluation of Research Support Activity by Its University Research Administrator
総説東邦大学医学部では2017年度にURAが導入され,研究支援業務に携わっている.URA制度の拡充を検討するためには,研究支援効果の評価が必要である.そこで,論文出版数と科研費獲得件数を指標として東邦大学の研究力の現状を把握し,URA導入の効果を検討した.論文出版数および科研費採択件数に基づく比較では,医学部を擁する私立大学31校の中で,東邦大学医学部の研究力は総合的にみると平均的な位置付けであることが見出された.科研費「若手研究」の研究種目に関してはこれまで平均の半分程度の採択件数であったが,2020年度には改善の兆しが見られた.これらのことから,若手研究者の支援においてURA配置の効果がすでに現れていると考えられる.今後は,URA増員などの支援体制の拡充や,科研費申請時期に過度に集中する支援業務を分散させるような支援方法の工夫が望まれる.
In 2017, the Graduate School of Medicine of Toho University has established a research administration division, hiring the institution’s first university research administrator (URA). The URA is expected to provide support toward enhancing research activity at the university. To evaluate the support provided by the URA, I quantitatively assessed the research activities at Toho University based on the number of publications and awarded extramural grants. The number of publications was obtained by searching the Web of Science and PubMed databases. The number of awarded MEXT/JSPS KAKENHI (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research) was obtained by searching the KAKEN database. I made a comparison of Toho University’s research activities with those of the other universities using those search results. The medical school of Toho University showed an average performance level compared to 30 other private Japanese universities that have a medical school. In the KAKENHI research category of Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists, the number of grants awarded to Toho University’s medical school was about half the average of the 31 institutions. However, Toho University did show a notable increase in that number in 2020. The positive effects of the support provided by the URA were evident in the research category of Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists. Toho University’s medical school submits a large number of grant applications. The Division of Research Administration receives excessive support requests as the deadlines for grant applications approach. Thus, it may be necessary to devise a system that more effectively copes with the requests received and also to consider recruiting more URAs.
FULL TEXT AVAILABLE AT ⇒ 東邦医学会雑誌 = Journal of Medical Society of Toho University 68(3), 122-133, 2021-09
