Who We Are & What We Do

Who We Are

Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) is an independent public body of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). JST plays a key role in implementing science and technology policies formulated in line with the nation's Science and Technology Basic Plan.

JST was formed in October 2003 as a successor of Japan Science and Technology Corporation that was founded through a merger of Japan Information Center of science and Technology (JICST) and Research Development Corporation of Japan (JRDC) in 1996.

What We Do

With an aim to promote and encourage the development of break-through technologies that contribute to attainment of the country's strategic objectives, JST provides a variety of research funding programs for promising research projects. CREST is one of JST's major undertakings for stimulating achievement in fundamental science fields. In addition, returning the fruits of such researches to the society through innovations is another important responsibility of JST.
JST also deploys extensive activities in such fields as providing S&T&T information service, enhancing public understanding of science and technology and developing international collaborative research on strategic subjects.

In the fiscal year of 2008, JST invests about 58.4 billion JP Yen (ca. US$ 584 million) for fundamental research, and about 24.0 billion JP Yen (ca. US$ 240 million) for developing practical applications of the fruits of such research. JST also spends about 24.0 billion JP Yen (ca. US$ 240 million) for S&T information service, research supports and researchers' intercommunication, and promoting public understanding of science and technology.