Decentralizing Research Towards “Open Academia”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdV1yPGU-pA&list=PL3C6eF-zu5AYohNL1ZgOBqlwwJ29x-lTO&index=16

1. background and introduction - Theme: "Decentralizing Research Towards Open Academia - Need to change research from "closed" to "open - New ways of research funding and collaboration using crowdfunding, etc.

2. what is Academist?

• Entrepreneurial History:
  • Feeling the closure of research as a graduate student.
  • Inspired by the way graduate students abroad are connecting with diverse stakeholders
  • Founded with the purpose of creating a mechanism to "communicate our research vision to society at large and connect with supporters.
• Service Overview:
  • Providing a platform to connect researchers and supporters, with a focus on research-specific crowdfunding

3. closed and open academia

• Closed Academies Features:
  • Reliance on public funds (taxpayers' money) to finance research
  • Distant distance between researchers and supporters (taxpayers)
  • Receivers of research results tend to be limited within the academic community
• Open Academia Features:
  • Utilize diverse funding sources (individual support, corporations, foundations, etc.)
  • Researchers share and dialogue their research vision with society
  • Research results are returned to various stakeholders

4. main initiatives of Academist
   • crowdfunding （CF）
   • [Pioneer in Japan as a "research-specific crowdfunding" company
   • Adopts an all-or-nothing method (if the target amount is not reached, the funds will not be received)
   • In many cases, CF is used in the 0 to 1 conception stage, and later connected to public funds.
   • Direct" communication with supporters is possible.

• Fan Club
  • For a small monthly support fee, the researcher's daily progress and personality are continuously communicated.
  • Build long-term relationships with supporters
  • Efforts to utilize the "corporate matching pool (price formation is a type of secondary support)" mechanism are also underway.

5. 10 years of experience

• Number of projects implemented: over 300
• Partner universities: 189
• Total number of supporters: more than 27,000
• Total support: approx. 310 million yen
• Further ripple effects: Many researchers have received large research grants (totaling approximately 270 million yen) after CF
• Industry-government-academia collaboration: About 2/3 of the researchers obtained new collaborations with companies, educational institutions, etc.

6. the importance of Research Relations (Re: Rel)

• Role:
  • Organize and disseminate the researcher's vision and research in an easy-to-understand manner
  • Create contacts with businesses and society to generate support and collaboration
• Required Skills:
  • Deep understanding of academia (ideally PhD holder, etc.)
  • Ability to bridge industry and society (connect their "stories" and create new value)
• Re:Rel -- A new type of job that realizes the vision of researchers｜Academist Corporation

7. the concept of the Decentralized Research Institute

• Aim:
  • Research organizations with diverse funding sources that are not overly dependent on public funds
  • Operate as a "small unit" of about 50 people, and assume mutual cooperation (openness).
  • Researchers, supporters, and ReL personnel form autonomous teams to promote research
• Expected Effects:
  • Easy to create multifaceted cooperation and co-creation
  • Promote open academia and increase research freedom

8. key points for questions and answers

• Benefits of CF:
  • Increased contact with donors, companies and foundations, not just money
  • Increased likelihood of meeting unexpected partners
• Capabilities required for ReL:
  • Understanding of the culture of academia + understanding of the business side
  • Connecting the needs of both parties to create new stories and value

9. summary

• The need for open academia:
  • Connecting researchers and society to diverse funding sources and collaborators
  • Promote widespread recognition of the value of research and open the way to social implementation
• Future Outlook:
  • Continued support for young researchers through the "Thousand True Funds" project, etc.
  • Expanding new models of collaboration among research, companies, and individuals to achieve a decentralized research institute
  • Re: fostering Rel and driving open academia

Thus, crowdfunding and fan clubs were used as concrete tools in the transition from closed academia to open academia, and furthermore, a new profession, Research Relations (ReL), which connects researchers and society, was shown to play an important role. The vision of a decentralized research institute is expected to contribute to the diversification of research systems and the promotion of more flexible academic activities in the future.

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