The Relationship Between Applications/Acceptances for Funding Projects and Financial Conditions at Japanese Private Universities: Focusing on Competitive Funding Projects in the 2010s

Abstract

 Subsidy income is the second-largest source of income for private universities in Japan; however, in the 2010s, changes in the market environment and subsidies for private universities were less clear.

 This study analyzed the relationship between competitive funding projects' acquisition status, financial conditions, and university attributes in private universities in Japan. In particular, I explored the question, “Does the status of applications/acceptances of competitive funding projects in the 2010s improve the financial conditions of universities?”

 This paper concludes with the following four points: First, it became clear that the financial condition of private universities in the 2010s was worse than that of universities in the 2000s. Second, the number of applications/acceptances of competitive funding projects in the 2010s was lower than that in the 2000s. Third, the number of applications/acceptances of competitive funding projects was related to the size of the university but not to its prestige or financial conditions. Fourth, the number of applications/acceptances of competitive funding projects was not affected by changes in financial conditions in the 2010s.