From Sunday, December 7 to Saturday, December 13, 2014, a team of five members involved in research support activities visited the United States and conducted a "Survey on Research Support and Researcher Support Systems of U.S. Research Institutions in the Field of medical sciences" at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Washington University in St. Louis.
At the NIH, in addition to the headquarters, the team visited the NIA (National Research Centers and Institutes on Aging), the NICHD (National Research Centers and Institutes of Child Health and Human Development), and the Clinical Center to conduct a survey on the actual status of extramural and intramural research. Furthermore, at Washington University, they visited the medical school, which boasts world-renowned scale and achievements, to survey the research support system and exchange opinions on collaboration and cooperation.
As the framework for research and development in the medical field is undergoing changes in Japan, this was a valuable opportunity to gather information from both the providers and recipients of research funding.