Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation (F-REI) Call for Researchers

To this end, the Institute prioritizes recruitment and infrastructure development for research and development activities led by Principal Investigators (PIs). The Institute also plans to step up in stages its industrialization function, such as support for creation of businesses and joint research with companies, as well as its human resource development function for partner graduate schools and the younger generation. Regarding the recruitment of research and development personnel, the Institute will move in phases to recruitment through direct employment and cross appointment, shifting from research using outsourcing etc., the approach taken initially, as shown in the attached “F-REI Roadmap (for illustrative purposes).”

The Institute invites applications for unit leaders (PIs) to carry out the following research and development projects in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

• Research Policy
  We aim to realize creative reconstruction in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries by establishing a profitable and sustainable regional recycling-oriented economic model which goes beyond recovery from the earthquake and nuclear disaster, and expanding it to the Hamadori area and other areas of Fukushima, as well as to spread it to other areas in Japan and abroad. To this end, we will conduct the following research themes that will lead to the development of core technologies, which are to play a pivotal role in the F-REI's research field of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
  • - Basic research on animals, plants and soils
  • - Applied research to realize super-laborsaving, super-efficiency, and large-scale production to realize high profitability and sustainability through robotization, smart and fully automated operations
  • - Research in collaboration with other research fields of F-REI: “Robotics and drones,” “Energy,” “Radiation Science, Development of Medicines Using RI,” and “Knowledge Management on Nuclear Disasters”
• Examples of research topics
  • - Development and demonstration of smart technologies and laborsaving technologies that contribute to achieving super labor-efficient agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
  • - Multi-omics analysis of physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil and application of the results
  • - R&D of alternative technologies that contribute to reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and agricultural chemicals
  • - Basic research on animal physiology and immunity, and its application to livestock production, measures for prevention of damage caused by wildlife, and fisheries
• Priority research areas
  • - Development and demonstration of sensing technologies that contribute to achieving smart agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
  • - Research on economics that contributes to achieving profitable and sustainable agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, as well as research that contributes to entrepreneurship, management, and industrialization for achieving social implementation
  • - Research on future climate change adaptation and mitigation in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
• About core facilities
  Research facilities will be constructed. We will consider the unit leader's request in the development of core facilities.
• About the development of research infrastructure
  We plan to develop research infrastructure for the unit's activities by renting laboratories. We expect that the budget for the procurement of the research equipment etc. to be used by the unit will be approximately 100 million yen.
• Labor expenses
  A unit will consist of several researchers. We expect that the budget for labor expenses to be used by one unit will be approximately 100 million yen.
• About research expenses
  We expect that the budget for the research expenses per unit will be approximately 100 million yen per year (including labor expenses for postdoctoral fellows and other personnel with limited contract period).

• * The structure of units will be determined later.

• (1) A doctoral degree
• (2) Outstanding research achievements in the specialty areas described above
• (3) Ability to communicate in Japanese or English at a level that would cause no inconvenience in the performance of duties

• - For the tenure, the term of the contract will be indefinite following a one-year trial period.
• - For the tenure track, the term of the contract will be five years, provided that the term may be extended based on consideration of the PI's ability, performance and other circumstances.
• * In the tenure assessment, not only research results but also social impact and other factors will be considered.

• (1) Working hours 8:30 to 17:00 (45-minute break from 12:15 to 13:00)
  • * The employee may be ordered to do work outside the stated working hours as necessary (e.g. for human resource development, industrialization, and work related to communicate information about research results).
  • * The employee may work using the flexible working hours system and the discretionary work system.
• (2) Days off
  Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays of Japan, and year-end and new year holidays (from December 29 to January 3 in the following year)
• (3) Leave
  Annual paid leave (granted according to the length of employment)
  Sick leave
  Special leave
• (4) Residence (for rent)
  Accommodations are available upon request. The rent has to be paid by employees. A part of the rent will be covered by F-REI.

• (1) Salary
  Annual salary system will be adapted. provided that if it is difficult to apply this system, salary may be determined by comprehensive consideration of the applicant's ability and experience, as well as the complexity, difficulty, and level of responsibility of the duties.
• (2) Allowances
  Other allowances will be paid in accordance with the rule of F-REI.

• (1) Curriculum vitae (Form 1)
• (2) Statement of research and development achievements (Form 2)
• (3) List of research achievements (Form 3)
• (4) Activities in academic associations and in civil society (Form 4)
• (5) Resume regarding your educational activities (Form 5)
• (6) Research and development and human resource development activities that the applicant would like to implement at the Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation (F-REI) (Form 6)
• (7) Persons who can provide a reference about the applicant (Form 7)
• (8) Up to five major theses in PDF format (with notes on the impact factor and the number of citations described)

• * Note that the personal information contained in the application documents is used for the purpose of assessing the applicant in the recruitment process and taking the steps necessary for personnel affairs etc. after the applicant is employed and will not be disclosed to any third party.
• * The application documents will not be returned to the applicant.

[Contact]

Mr. KAWAI
Second R&D Promotion Division, Department of Research and Innovation, Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation
Phone: 0240-41-9984
E-mail: F-REI_PIetc@f-rei.go.jp

• - Document screening scheduled for mid July of 2024
• - Interview screening scheduled for late July of 2024
• * Only qualified applicants after the document screening will be notified of an interview individually.
• * You may be requested to give a presentation during interviews.
• * Interviews may be conducted more than once.
• * Online interviews are also available, but the final interview will be conducted in person.
• * Applicants must bear their own travel and accommodation expenses for the interviews. However, F-REI will cover those expenses for the final interview.
• * The result will be notified by email.