Nobel price winner, Prof Nakayama said that at the ips cell research institute of which he is a director, 90 % of the staffs are nonregular employees, and he is responsible for them to get permanent poistions. Recently many universities and research institutes hire staffs under fixed-term contract. That is why in newly established institute for innovative research like Prof. Yamanaka's institute many staffs are not permanent. Unfortunately it is very tough for them to find jobs after the end of their term.
Prof. Yamanaka said that the success rate of his research was 10%. Refering to baseball, he also said the results of his research was either homerun or strikeout. But nonregular researchers are requested to make specific achievements during their tenure in order to gain the extention of their term or find new job. Accordingly they tend to choose subject whose result is predictable. Under such system we hardly expect innovative research like what Prof. Yamanaka has done.