Report of the 10th Brain Science Institute Advisory Council
I. Overview
BSI continues to thrive and improve. During the past five years, the number oflaboratories has decreased, the quality of laboratories has increased, outside funding hasincreased, all of the most modern research techniques have been adopted, research
productivity has increased, and outstanding young and more senior investigators havebeen recruited. Today, BSI carries out the best brain research in Japan, and it ranks
among the top places for brain research worldwide.
II. Postdoctoral Fellows
BSI, having achieved an international reputation as a premier multidisciplinary
neuroscience institute, now attracts an excellent and diverse group of postdoctoral
fellows from Japan and abroad. RIKEN BSI provides opportunities for fellows to carryout research with excellent scientists who span a spectrum of modern neuroscience andwho are supported by cutting-edge technical support. However, in the past, fellows
felt that they were somewhat isolated and wished to have more opportunities forincreased interaction and for obtaining training in areas in addition to research that will
help them achieve their long-term career goals. In response to suggestions made in ourlast BSAC meeting, they have now established a postdoctoral association and, withsupport from Dr. Tonegawa and the assistance of Dr. Charles Yokoyama, haveundertaken a diverse set of activities that effectively address these needs. These include
grant and manuscript writing workshops, alternative career workshops, a joint teaching
program with universities in Tokyo to allow BSI fellows to obtain teaching experience,
and a mentoring program to improve public speaking skills. In addition, the students
host each year an outstanding scientist who presents a public lecture but also interacts
informally with the postdoctoral fellows on career issues. They have also formed awomen-in-neuroscience group to address gender equality issues. They have hosted apanel of leading female scientists from the Tokyo area and a national symposium incollaboration with the University of Hokkaido.
Our BSAC was greatly impressed by the progress that had been made and by BSI’s
support of these efforts. In discussion with postdoctoral fellows, we found that they now
are generally quite happy, but some felt that BSI could put further effort in helping them1with advancement to the next level in their career.
III. Graduate Students
In the past the BSAC has encouraged RIKEN BSI to increase the number of graduate
students, since the BSI multidisciplinary neuroscience environment is optimal fortraining students in neuroscience. As a result of collaborative efforts with several
universities in the Tokyo area, the BSI currently has about 50 graduate students hosted
amongst the 40 labs; thus, on average, there is about one graduate student per lab.
This low number of graduate students is owing to a long-standing challenge: the BSI isa research institute, not a degree-granting institution. The graduate students at the BSI
must be granted degrees from Japanese universities, requiring an agreement betweenuniversities and the BSI.
The BSAC discussed with the BSI faculty the difficulties ofthis situation, including a general reluctance of universities to give up prospectivestudents. One benefit to the university would be to list a graduate student’s affiliation
for publications as both RIKEN BSI and the University. Since the BSI produces very
high-quality publications, this connection should enhance the publication portfolio of
the university. The BSAC also encourages the BSI to strengthen the ties it has withsome university departments.
On a more global scale, BSAC endorses the idea that BSI start its own graduate student
collaboration program which would expand the number of host institutions that the BSI
could partner with to train students. As for recruiting graduate students, the BSAC
suggests that the BSI website explicitly indicates the opportunity for graduate studies(separate from the section on “research opportunities at the BSI”). In addition, in orderto increase the recruiting of potential students to BSI, the team leaders (TLs) could givesome graduate student recruiting talks at different venues (universities, etc.). New
faculty members should be advised on the means by which they can successfully recruit
graduate students to their laboriatories.
The BSAC did not receive statistics on the distribution of the students in various
laboratories, the time to degree, the publications, or the fate of students who havecarried out their Ph.D. research at the BSI, which would be helpful in evaluating thegraduate program. It also appears advantageous for BSI to enhance the overall training
environment for the students, which could be achieved the enabling them to participate
in the range of activities developed by the postdoctoral fellows association as well as by2

enhancing their ability to interact with each other. One suggestion would be for the next
BSAC to receive information on the students and to then meet with them during themeeting to see what additional changes could be made to enhance the training
environment and make BSI an even more attractive place to obtain their PhD researchtraining.
IV. Response to earlier BSAC recommendations
The RIKEN BSI 9th Advisory Council Report made a number of recommendations
based on presentations and interviews with faculty and postdocs.
1. Improving the recognition of BSI among the international community.
The Report recommended that measures be taken to make the international
community more aware of the BSI. In response, BSI launched a highly
effective world recruitment tour by Charles Yokoyama and several faculty tomajor research centers. Other events that brought attention to BSI include ayearly international summer course that is highly popular; an international
symposium that was held in 2012 on Neural Circuit Genetics and anothersymposium sponsored by RIKEN and IPSEN that is planned for 2015; BSI also
created an additional special seminar series of (two in 2013) that brings leadinginternational researchers to RIKEN to deliver a research seminar as well asinteract expensively with postdoctoral fellows and students.
2. More efficient procurement by computerization.
The acquisition of lab
equipment and supplies was impeding scientific efforts and the cost of orderedgoods was inflated by vendors. In response, BSI introduced an online orderingsystem in 2011 which was much more efficient that the previous labor intensive
system and is now used in 45 BSI labs and 1 non-BSI lab. This has led to a
35% reduction of paperwork and a 56% reduction in manpower. However, theexorbitant cost of equipment and supplies has not changed. One PI told us thata single Matlab license with toolboxes was $12,000, whereas the equivalent costat US institutions was less than $100.
3. Establish a non-resident faculty program. The Report recommended thatthe BSI should establish a small group of senior, accomplished faculty whocould visit RIKEN annually to provided advice to the Director and important
issues such as faculty promotions. BSI did not establish such a non-resident
faculty program because of financial constraints and RIKEN’s system ofgovernance. Given that the Advisory Council has some degree of continuity
3they might in the future take on some of these responsibilities, as outlined insection II.
4. Forming an official graduate training program. The Report strongly
recommended BSI to create a Graduate School in cooperation with universities
in the Tokyo area. This was not pursued because of the MEXT/RIKEN policy.
However, collaborations with graduate programs at neighboring universities
have been pursued, as outlined in section I.
5. Improving career development for postdoctoral fellows. Postdoctoral
fellows were receiving excellent scientific training in labs but were in need ofcareer counseling and improvements in writing and speaking skills. In response,
1) BSI established Postdoctoral Fellow Association (PDFA) and has supported abudget and a dedicated lounge; 2) a bi-weekly, BSI Brain Lunch seminarseries was started with postdoctoral speakers; 3) over 2/3 of all postdoctoral
fellows took advantage of opportunities to attend international conferences andsymposia.
6. Mentoring for junior faculty. A formal mentoring system was established in
response to a recommendation by the 8th Advisory Council Report, but juniorfaculty were still uncertain about expectations for promotion and how well they
were doing. In response to the 9th Advisory Council Report, a mid-term
review system was introduced for Team Leader and Unit Leaders. This
feedback is valuable, especially when it is critical and constructive. Timely
feedback following the review would be most effective. BSI also provides
active help to both domestic and international PIs who are leaving BSI, which
included 3 voluntary and 12 non-voluntary faculty departures in FY
2011-FY2013.
7. Faculty Meetings. The Report recommended an all-hands faculty meeting todiscuss important issues and disseminate information that affects lab planning.
Although such meetings occur now on an ad hoc basis when there are important
issues to discuss, it is still worth considering the possibility of a regularlyscheduled general faculty meeting perhaps once per year.
8. Policies for faculty with children. In response to the recommendation thatBSI should “stop the tenure clock” after child birth, both male and female tenure
track PIs now receive a full one-year extension of the tenure clock.
V. Budget

4

The total budget of RIKEN BSI has increased slightly from FY 2013 to FY 2014. Acloser look at the distribution of funding sources and spending targets, however, showssome changes that have profound implications on the future of the Institute. Since lastyear, there has been roughly a 40% decrease in the direct BSI budget that requires eachlaboratory to contract its operations. The overall BSI funding increased slightly in FY
2014 only because of $20 million in contract funds that are targeted for specificpurposes.
Such targeted funding influences the kind of science that can be pursued,
with specialized big science projects taking over from the innovative work going on in
the individual BSI laboratories. BSI laboratories are feeling the effect of the funding
restrictions: they must survive on total budgets that are 5% to 30% smaller, increasespending on resource centers that have lost supplementary support, and pay, out of thelaboratory budgets, for postdoctoral housing that had previously been supplied by theInstitute. Altogether, the decrease in individual laboratory budgets is greater than 5%
to 30%. If this trend is continued, the laboratories will have to fire personnel, with theconsequent decrease in scientific output. The Advisory Council recognizes that if theInstitute suffers further budget restrictions, it may be necessary to review laboratories atall levels (senior team leader as well as team leader) in order to allocate the diminishedresources most efficiently.
Beyond how the individual laboratories are affected, the budgetary restrictions will havenegative consequences on the vigor of the Institute. There are fewer laboratories, by
about 30%, in 2014 relative to 5 years ago, though most of the decrease occurred at thelevel of the unit leader position. The Advisory Council is concerned that unless theInstitute can continue to recruit new junior laboratory heads, the level of innovation andexcitement will deteriorate. Recruitment for new laboratories requires start up funds,
and the current financial situation does not allow even replacement due to attrition.
Another critical use of institute resources is to maintain BSI’s profile as an international
resource of neuroscience research. This requires support for travel and outreachactivities to enable international fund raising and collaboration-building for BSI faculty,
postdoctoral recruitment, and organizing international symposia. Having a global
funding strategy could help BSI recover from budget cuts, and renew BSI as theflagship of the internationalization of neuroscience in Japan.
In general, the most successful scientific research requires a degree of stability andconsistency of funding. Suspend projects on short notice is difficult, and equally5difficult to make efficient use of short term allocations of funding. Ear-marking offunds for a small number of expensive projects, when taken from the efforts ofindividual small laboratories, necessarily has a detrimental effect on research
productivity. Ultimately, the greatest benefit to translational research comes fromextended periods of research on basic mechanisms. Such research has been the mosteffective engine for the health and economy of societies at large.
VI. Place of BSI in World Neuroscience Research
Since it was started in 1997 by Dr. Masao Ito, the RIKEN BSI has established itself as aworldwide resource for investigations into brain function in health and disease.
Research completed at RIKEN BSI has made seminal contributions to understanding
the genetic, molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie human memory, cognition,sensory perception, and behavior. RIKEN investigators have also made important
contributions to our current understanding Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum
disorders, and other developmental and behavioral disorders. RIKEN BSI has also been
a center for creation of novel technologies, such as new fluorescent proteins, small
molecule sensors and innovations in microscopy that have been adopted worldwide byneuroscientists.
Through its summer courses and trainee-ships, RIKEN BSI has
contributed to the education of a large international cohort of scientists, many of whom
now have academic positions in universities in Europe, the United States, and elsewhere.
Thus, as a result of Dr. Ito’s initiative and the powerful leadership of his successors,
including Susumu Tonegawa, the RIKEN BSI is now considered not just a leader inneuroscience within Japan, but also worldwide. Consequently, it is reasonable andappropriate that RIKEN BSI seek international biotech, pharmaceutical, andphilanthropic support to help it sustain and increase its fundamental contributions tounderstanding brain function and discovery of treatments for human degenerative andbehavioral disorders. In turn, the important research contributed by pioneering RIKEN
BSI scientists will continue to provide a platform for efforts to translate basic
understanding of the brain into clinical improvements, to benefit individuals and society
at large, both in Japan and throughout the world.

6

MEMBERS OF THE 10th BSI ADVISORY COUNCILNoNameAffiliation

1

Prof. Charles F. Stevens Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory(Chair)Salk Institute2

Prof. Lynn T.
Landmesser

Department of Neurosciences
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University

3

Prof. Mu-ming Poo

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley

4Prof. Louis French
Reichardt

Department of Physiology,
University of California, San Francisco

5Prof. Terrence J.
Sejnowski

The Computational Neurobiology Laboratory
Salk Institute6Prof. Wolf Singer

Department of Neurophysiology
Max Planck Institute for Brain Research

7Prof. Denis Le Bihan

NeuroSpin

8Prof. Charles D. Gilbert

Laboratory of Neurobiology,
The Rockefeller University

9Prof. Ikue Mori

Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science
Nagoya University

10 Prof. Yasushi Miyashita

Department of Physiology,School of Medicine
The University of Tokyo

11 Prof. Richard W. Tsien

Department of Physiology & Neuroscience
NYU School of Medicine

12 Prof. Erin M. Schuman

Department of Synaptic Plasticity
Max Planck Institute For Brain Research

13Prof. Nikos K.
Logothetis

Max Planck Institute※Absence