12th batch (2021)

Call for Applications
【Global Type】

※The 12th period (2021) open call for participants has ended.

The Hakubi Project to Foster and Support Young Researchers was launched by Kyoto University in 2009. Through the program, the University employs promising young researchers from around the world as program-specific faculty members, providing support for their research activities with aim of cultivating visionary researchers who will pioneer new paths in their respective fields.

Since 2015, the project provides two types of appointments: Global Type and Tenure-track Type. The Tenure-track Type is a part of the Leading Initiative for Excellent Young Researchers (LEADER) subsidized by the Government of Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

This Call for Applications is for the Global Type of appointment. Detailed information of the Tenure-track Type will be announced on the website of the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research at a later date.

1.Research Field

Research projects in all fields of the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences are welcome.
The Review Section Table (Overview)

2.Eligibility

Researchers with a doctoral degree (or equivalent research abilities) are eligible. All nationalities are welcome.

Those who have previously been employed as “Hakubi researcher” through the Hakubi Project to Foster and Support Young Researchers are not eligible. It is not possible to apply for both the Global Type and Tenure-track Type appointments of Kyoto University in the same Japanese academic year.

3.Employment Appointment

Around 15 applicants will be appointed.

4.Employment Conditions

  • Selected applicants will be appointed as full-time program-specific faculty members (associate professors or assistant professors on limited-term contracts with an annual salary) in compliance with the university’s Rules of Employment for Fixed-Term Program-Specific Faculty Members. Salaries will be determined in accordance with the employment regulations of Kyoto University.
  • Their affiliation will be the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research (“the Center”) of Kyoto University.
  • In principle, the term of appointment will begin on October 1, 2021. However, the date can be adjusted to meet the requirements of individual researchers.
  • In principle, the employment term will be 5 years. There can be no renewal of the appointment. However, it is possible in consultation with the Hakubi researchers’ host institution and host professor, to add a period of childcare leave (for up to 1 year) to the original duration of their term, provided the childcare leave is taken after their employment has commenced and they wish to add the period of leave to the original duration of their term.
  • Selected researchers will be eligible for MEXT Mutual Aid Association membership, an employees’ pension, employment insurance, and workers’ compensation insurance.
  • The Center does not have any research facilities. Therefore, to facilitate a smooth start to their research after appointment, each researcher is required to find and negotiate with a “host” (department/division/researcher) within Kyoto University that is willing to provide suitable research facilities.
  • The university will provide each researcher with an annual research fund of approximately 1 to 4 million yen. The amount awarded to each individual will depend on factors such as their research plans, etc.
  • The selected researchers will be referred to by the title of “Kyoto University Hakubi researcher” in recognition of their excellent research abilities, and their pioneering work in their respective academic fields.
  • Hakubi researchers must submit annual reports on their research activities at the end of each academic year. The Center does not conduct any evaluations, but self-assessment should be implemented according to the regulations of Kyoto University. When leaving the Hakubi Project either after completing the full five-year term or earlier, the Hakubi researchers are obliged to give final presentation at an event organized by the Center.
  • Following their appointment, Hakubi researchers are obliged to attend Hakubi events, and they are also required to give their research presentations on the events.
  • Following their appointment, researchers must observe the Rules of Employment for Fixed-Term Program-Specific Faculty Members of Kyoto University.

5.Screening Method

  • (Primary screening)
    The Expert Committee, organized by Kyoto University professors selected in accordance with their respective fields of studies, screen the application documents, focusing on academic achievements and research plans.
  • (Secondary screening)
    The Hakuraku Council, consisting of influential internal / external intellectuals, interviews the candidates selected by the Expert Committee. In addition to applicants’ academic achievements, the Hakuraku Council will evaluate their potential to become leading figures in the global academic community. Interviews will be held at Yoshida Campus, Kyoto University.
  • (Third screening)
    The Steering Committee of the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research will make the final decision as to who is enrolled as a Hakubi researcher. The decision will be made in consideration of the interviews held by the Hakuraku Council, etc.

6.Results of Screening

Results of the screening will be sent to all applicants by e-mail. Please note that information on the screening process and reasons for decisions will not be provided.

7.How to Apply / Deadline

  1. Create an account by registering your details using the online form on the following website: https://recruit.hakubi.kyoto-u.ac.jp
  2. Login your account.
  3. Upload your proposal to your account in PDF format (Proposal for the Kyoto University Hakubi Project to Foster and Support Young Researchers [Global Type]).
  4. Applications will be accepted only after both the online registration and the upload of your proposal have been completed.

For further details, see “Guidelines for Preparing the Proposal,” which explains each section of the form.
【Reference】Guidelines for Preparing a Proposal Form

(Registration site) :
Registration site has been closed.

(Deadline for upload of proposal) :
13:00 (Japan time), Thursday, February 4, 2021

Please submit the proposal form uploading it in PDF format:
Proposal: PDF / Word

*We will send an acknowledgement email of your application within ten days after the deadline for uploading the proposal. If you do not receive an email from us within ten days, please contact:
hakubi*mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp (Please replace “*” with “@”).

8.Hakubi Application Information Meeting

Information Meeting has been closed.

9.Contact Information

Please see the Hakubi FAQ for further information. If you have any further questions or inquiries, please contact us via e-mail at the address below.
【Reference】FAQ

The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University
E-mail :hakubi*mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp (Please replace “*” with “@”.)

10.Note

  • Personal information contained in the application documents will be used only for the purpose of screening applicants and the recruiting procedure. It will never be used for any other purpose without applicants’ consent.
  • All expenses entailed in applying for this project shall be borne by the applicants.
  • Kyoto University supports a gender-equal society. We welcome applicants from female researchers.
  • Kyoto University prohibits on-campus smoking except in designated outdoor spaces so as to minimize secondhand smoke exposure.

Recruit information
【Tenure-track Type】

Kyoto University launched the Hakubi Project to Foster and Support Young Researchers in 2009 to support the activities of promising early-career researchers and enable them to pioneer new paths in their respective academic fields.

In 2015, the Hakubi Project was subdivided into two types of program: the Global Type and the Tenure-track Type. The Tenure-track Type is subsidized by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) as part of its Leading Initiative for Excellent Young Researchers (LEADER) program.

This call for applications is for the Tenure-track Type. Details about the Global Type is available on the website of the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research:
https://www.hakubi.kyoto-u.ac.jp/eng/rec/2021/recruit-global-type

1.Posts Available through the Tenure-track Type (LEADER) Program

The posts available through the Tenure-track Type Hakubi Project (under the LEADER program) are as detailed below. Researchers employed through this program will be affiliated with the department that is offering the post, but they will also be appointed as a faculty member of the Hakubi Center, and will accordingly be required to participate in various meetings and seminars organized by Hakubi researchers.
※Post No.”21A5201″, “21A5202” have completed their “Negotiation among the parties”.

Details of available posts

Post No.DepartmentResearch fieldJob typeAdvance noticeDetails
21A5201Disaster Prevention Research InstituteMathematical and physical sciences
Engineering sciences
Social sciences
Program-Specific Assistant ProfessorNecessaryPDF
21A5202Graduate School of Pharmaceutical SciencesMedicine dentistry and pharmacy
Chemistry
Program-Specific Assistant ProfessorNecessaryPDF

Researchers who wish to apply for the above posts must first submit a separate application for MEXT’s Leading Initiative for Excellent Young Researchers (LEADER) program. For details of how to apply for the LEADER program, please refer to the website of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (below). The application period for the LEADER program is 10:00 a.m. on May 10 (Mon.) until 17:00 p.m. on June 10 (Thu.) (Japan time). Please note that the application deadline will be strictly adhered to.

Website of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
Leading Initiative for Excellent Young Researchers (LEADER): Application Guidelines (for Researchers)
https://www.jsps.go.jp/j-le/koubo_kenkyu.html

For Reference: Posts offered through the LEADER Program (Websites of MEXT* and the JSPS**)

http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/jinzai/takuetsu/index.htm (in Japanese only)
https://www.jsps.go.jp/j-le/post_list.html
*MEXT: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
**JSPS: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

2.Screening Method

The application schedule, address to send applications, etc., vary for each post. For more details, see item 1. Posts Available through the Tenure-track Type (LEADER) Program, above.

3.Contact Information

  • For the inquiries about the LEADER Program, please see the contact details in the Application Guidelines for the LEADER program on the following websites:
    MEXT Website
    https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/jinzai/takuetsu/index.htm (in Japanese only)
    JSPS Website
    https://www.jsps.go.jp/j-le/koubo_kenkyu.html
  • For inquiries about the posts offered through the Hakubi Project Tenure-track Type program, please inquire directly to the contact addresses for each post, as listed in item 1. Posts Available through the Tenure-track Type (LEADER) Program.
  • For inquiries about the Hakubi Project Global Type Program, please contact the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research at the email address below (please note that we cannot accept inquiries by phone).
    Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University Email: hakubi*mail.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp (please replace “*” with “@”)

Recruit schedule
【Global Type】

December 16thOpening of application period
Late DecemberApplication information videos will be released.
(available until 13:00(Japan time), February 4th)
February 4th (at 13:00)Deadline for upload proposal
Early MarchScreening of applications
June 27thInterview by the Hakuraku Council
August 5thPublication of nominated researchers

※Time schedule may subject to change next year.

Informal appointment for
Hakubi researchers【Global Type】

To foster prospective young researchers, Kyoto University established the Kyoto University “Hakubi Project” to Foster and Support Young Researchers in 2009 and has accepted applications. Until now, strict examination has been held such as applicant screening by the expert committee of the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research and interview by the Hakuraku Council. As the results of deliberations by the Steering Committee of the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University decided informally 15 researchers who will be hired in the Kyoto University Hakubi Center for Advanced Research.

List of prospective Hakubi Researchers【Global Type】in the Kyoto University Hakubi Center for Advanced Research (As of August, 2021)
(following Japanese alphabetical order)

NameResearch TopicPositionCurrent Affiliation/Position
Ryota AOYAGICountry-scale mapping of tropical forest recovery after disturbances: Patterns and processesAssistant ProfessorJSPS Research Fellow (PD), Forestry and Forest Product Research Institute
Shunsuke ADACHIDark matter experiment with millimeter waves – Probing unexplored mass regionAssistant ProfessorProject Resercher, Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (WPI), The University of Tokyo
Toshiya ANDODemonstration of evolutionary processes in multicellular organisms through the development of large-scale chromosomal manipulation techniquesAssociate ProfessorAssistant Professor, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Maho IUCHIElucidation of the foundations of Tibetan cultural area: On medieval Tibet and the second diffusion of Buddhism in TibetAssociate ProfessorJSPS Research Fellow (RPD), Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University
Ikue OTANIHan-Xiongnu interaction and the society of Xiongnu: Consideration based on Archaeological evidenceAssistant ProfessorResearch fellow, National Museum of Ethnology
Hitomi OMATA RAPPOThe Birth of the Japanese Saints and Race: A Survey of the Image of Japan from the Modern to Contemporary European MindsetAssociate ProfessorJSPS Research Fellow (PD), Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University
Nobuyuki KAKIUCHIResearch on clonal evolution in the human body aiming to overcome chronic diseases.Associate ProfessorAssistant Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
Chao-jung CHINGBoom of writing and rise of “Huns” in Inner AsiaAssociate ProfessorMaître de conférence associée, Collège de France
Shunsuke SHIMOBAYASHIOpto-regulation of transcriptional landscape by biomolcelar condensatesAssociate ProfessorJSPS Postdoctral fellow, Princeton University
Kazuyuki SUGIMURASimulating first galaxy formation: unified picture from cosmological structures to stars and black holesAssistant ProfessorProject Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University
Hirokazu TAHARAOptoelectronic energy recycling and quantum cooperative effects in semiconductor nanostructuresAssociate ProfessorAssistant Professor, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University
Han BAOVerifiable Machine LearningAssistant ProfessorPh.D., Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo
Sayaka TOJIMAEstablishment of “Shippology”, a biological and cultural-anthropological approach towards tail lossAssistant ProfessorAssistant Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University
Hideki NAKAMURAMulti-disciplinary invesitigation into novel roles of dynamic protein assembly in cell metabolismAssociate ProfessorAssistant Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University
Toru MATSUMOTOUnderstanding evolution of solids in space environments by studying soil samples from the asteroid Ryugu and Itokawa.Assistant ProfessorProgram-Specific Researcher, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University

Status of Application and Informal Appointment (As of August, 2021)

Number of ApplicantsNumber of Informal AppointmentCompetitive Ratio
303 people15 people20.2 times
 Number of
Applicants
RatioNumber of
Informal
Appointment
Ratio
Humanities/
Science
111:19236.6%:63.4%5:1033.3%:66.7%
On-campus/
Off-campus
92:21130.4%:69.6%6:940.0%:60.0%
Domestic /
Overseas
226:7774.6%:25.4%13:286.7%:13.3%
Associate Professor/
Assistant Professor
127:17641.9%:58.1%8:753.3%:46.7%
Average age
( Associate Prof. )
( Assistant Prof. )
40.938.4
35.133.1

*Reprinted from proposal.