Recruitment - 15th batch (2024)

Call for Applications
【The Global Category】

Kyoto University has striven to develop the Hakubi Project to foster and support early-career researchers since 2009. The Hakubi Center is now accepting applications for positions as a researcher in the Global category with the aim of fostering future world-class researchers at Kyoto University.

Note: In addition to the call for applicants for positions in Global category, which is the original type offered by the Hakubi Project begun in 2015, Kyoto University has started accepting applications for what has been called the Tenure-Track positions which is a part of the Leading Initiative for Excellent Young Researchers (LEADER) Program subsidized by the Government of Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Positions in the category known as Tenure-Track will be described in detail in the information on the LEADER Program homepage (https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-le/index.html). 

In the 14th of call for applications, we received 326 applications and decided to hire 20 people (men: 12, women: 8). Kyoto University promotes gender equality. We welcome applications from female researchers. In the 15th of call for applications, the aim is to have at least half of the recruits be women. As part of its effort to promote gender equality at the university, in accordance with the provisions of Article 8 of the Act on Ensuring Equal Opportunity and Treatment between Men and Women in Employment (Equal Employment Opportunity Law), women will be given priority in employment if their evaluation is equal to that of a male candidate in the selection process. If an applicant has interrupted research due to any causes, such as childbirth, childcare, or nursing care etc., upon the applicant’s request, this will be taken into consideration in the screening of research achievements.

1. Target Fields

Research projects in all fields of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences are welcome. These include all academic research, from basic to applied.

2. Eligibility Requirements

Researchers with a doctoral degree (including those without the degree who have academic research ability equivalent or superior to that of a doctoral degree holder) are eligible. Applicants of all nationalities are welcome. However, those who have been employed as a Hakubi researcher by the Hakubi Project in the past are not eligible to apply. It is not possible to apply in both the Global and Tenure-Track categories at the same time.

Those candidates selected as researchers in the Global category of the Hakubi Project will be affiliated with the Hakubi Center, but their research itself will be conducted at their respective departments; host departments within Kyoto University.
In addition, the host teacher who provides guidance and is the mentor for you in the host department on matters that need to be addressed for the smooth implementation for your research, such as administrative procedures and securing a research location. Due to their role, host teachers must, in principle, be in an employment relationship with Kyoto University. Each applicant is encouraged to contact the host researcher of his or her choice at the same time of applicant to obtain their informal consent. The informal consent of the host researcher must be obtained by the interview screening at the latest.

3. Number of Positions

Program-specific assistant professors: approximately 15
Program-specific associate professors or program-specific junior associate professors: approximately 5

4. Terms and conditions of employment

• Successful applicants will be hired as program-specific faculty members (program-specific assistant professor, program-specific junior associate professor, or program-specific associate professor) on an annual salary basis as stipulated in the Kyoto University Rules of Employment for Fixed-Term Program-Specific Faculty Members and will be paid in accordance with the university’s payment standards.
• Special allowances will be NOT paid for commuting, housing, dependents, term-end, extraordinary service, and so on.
• Retirement benefits will be NOT paid.
• Researchers will be affiliated with the Hakubi Center, Kyoto University.
• As the employment period is five years, the term of appointment for recruits in the 15th of call is from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2030. This expected date of employment may be postponed in consideration of individual circumstances, however, the end of the term of appointment is until March 31, 2030 in any case. (For example, if a person starts working on October 1, 2025, the term of appointment will still run until March 31, 2030.)
• The term of appointment is not renewable. However, if a researcher takes childcare leave or nursing care leave after being hired and wishes to extend the term of appointment, it is possible to extend the term of the appointment by the period of absence after consultation with the host researcher and host department.
• Successful applicants will be covered by the MEXT Mutual Aid Association membership, including an employee pension, unemployment insurance, and workers’ accident compensation insurance.
• Research grants will range from 1 to 4 million yen per year depending on the nature of the research.
• Those employed in this project will be awarded the title of ‘Kyoto University Hakubi Researcher’ from the date of employment as proof that Kyoto University recognizes them as outstanding researchers who will lead the next generation of scholars.
• Hakubi Researchers are required to submit an annual report on their research activities to the Hakubi Center at the end of each academic year. At the end of the employment period, Hakubi Researchers must present their research results to the Hakubi Center.
• In addition, they will be evaluated as faculty members in accordance with Kyoto University internal regulations by the department or program with which they are associated, but no interim evaluations will be conducted by the Hakubi Center.

5．Selection Method

• (First round of screening)
  The Kyoto University Hakubi Center Expert Committee, where a written review will be conducted, evaluates applicants’ research achievements and plans and determines whether the applicant will be selected for an interview. (in the middle of September 2024)
• (Second round of screening)
  The selection of candidates for employment will be conducted by the Hakuraku Council of the Hakubi Center, where interviews will be conducted, and candidates will be selected based on a comprehensive evaluation of their qualifications not only in terms of research but also as an individual equipped to lead the next generation of academics. (on December 1, 2024)
• (Third round of screening)
  The Kyoto University Hakubi Center Steering Committee will deliberate on the results of the interviews by the Hakuraku Council, etc., and decide who will be offered the positions. (in the middle of December 2024)

Note: Kyoto University promotes gender equality. We welcome applications from female researchers. As part of its effort to promote gender equality at the university, in accordance with the provisions of Article 8 of the Act on Equal Opportunity and Treatment between Men and Women in Employment (Equal Employment Opportunity Law), women will be given priority in employment if their evaluation is equal to that of a male candidate in the selection process. If an applicant has interrupted research due to any causes, such as childbirth, childcare, or nursing care, etc., upon the applicant’s request, this will be taken into consideration in the screening of research achievements.

6.  Selection Results

All applicants will be notified of the final selection results by e-mail. Please note that the Hakubi Center will not respond to questions regarding the selection process or the reasons for the selection or rejection of candidates.
The announcement of a job offer is scheduled in the late December 2024.

7. Application Procedure and Deadline

How to apply

Please be sure to read the Applicant Registration and Proposal Preparation Instructions before submitting your application.

• Applicant Registration and Proposal Preparation Instructions 
• KAKENHI Review Section Table (Overview) 

1. Please download the required proposal form below to prepare your proposal.

• Proposal (PDF) (Word)

2. The applicant registration website will be accessed on Monday April 1 , 2024, at 1:00 p.m. (Japan time). Please access the URL below and register the required information.

• https://recruit.hakubi.kyoto-u.ac.jp

3. After registration, please log in to the website again and upload your prepared proposal. Uploading the proposal will complete the application process.

Application deadline

The deadline for applications is on Friday, April 26, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. (Japan time).

※No confirmation email will be sent upon completion of registration or uploading of the proposal. Please log in to the applicant registration website by yourself to verify the updated information. We will update the screening status within approximately one week after the proposal upload deadline.

8. Online information sessions

Application information videos on the Hakubi Project are available on our website. Dr. Takakura, Director of the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, explains the project and the recruitment process. 

9. Contact Information

Please refer to the FAQ file for more information about applying. For any other questions, please contact us at the e-mail address below. Please allow ample time for responses to enquiries as it may take some time for a response depending on the nature of your enquiry. When we received enquiries close to the application deadline, we may not be able to answer until the application deadline. Please be aware of this. We do not accept telephone enquiries.
【Reference】FAQ 

The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto UniversityE-mail: recruit * mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp (Please change * to @)

10. Remarks

• Application documents will be used for employment screening only. The information will not be disclosed to any third party.
• Applicants are responsible for expenses incurred in the application process.
• Kyoto University promotes gender equality. We hope to receive many applications from female researchers.
• Kyoto University is working to prevent passive smoking by prohibiting smoking indoors and outdoors except in designated smoking areas on all campuses.