Holistic observation and monitoring of the impact of interdisciplinary academic research projects: An empirical assessment in Japan

Abstract

Large-scale competitive research funding systems are currently being set up, and, in parallel, academic research projects aiming to integrate interdisciplinary research fields are being implemented at universities and research institutions. However, no objective methods have been established for readily evaluating academicians’ productivity or the levels of integration between the disparate fields of interdisciplinary research projects. Such a methodology should be fundamental to the essential ex-post evaluation of policies, but currently, any evaluation of these projects relies merely on conventional qualitative methods, such as peer review. Indeed, with such subjectivity, it is hard to say whether academic institutions possess standardized management approaches for interdisciplinary projects.This is an action research focused on two interdisciplinary academic institutional research projects, with the aim of objectively validating the key performance indicators for interdisciplinarity and productivity of research and testing the strategic fitness of each project. As for the indicator of interdisciplinarity, we have included the breadth of the research network coupled with the range of research fields. In this study, we have observed both consistencies and inconsistencies in governmental funding strategies, in the management of each project, and in the outcomes as measured by the key performance indicators. In addition, since these indicators could be measured quantitatively and recursively monitored during the project, they could also be applied readily to project management and to interim evaluation and benchmarking by the government.