(The field of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) Call for Unit Leaders of the Smart Agriculture Research Unit (provisional name)

Summary

F-REI (hereinafter referred to as “the Institute”) aims to be a world-premiere "center of excellence of creative reconstruction" that will serve as a hope for realizing the future and dream of Fukushima district as well as the other part of Tohoku region. We also expect this institute to lead the Japan's scientific and technological innovation as well as strengthen the industrial capabilities, therefore to contribute to the growth of economy and the human well-being.

To this end, the Institute prioritizes recruitment and infrastructure development for research and development activities led by Leader of the research and development unit. 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 leader or deputy unit leader of the Smart Agriculture Research Unit (provisional name) to carry out the following research and development projects in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

〇 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”

〇 Priority research areas of the Research Unit

In anticipation of the future smartification of agriculture, we will carry out research and development, as well as social implementation activities of research outcomes, aimed at improving efficiency and automation of farming operations through data utilization, and ultimately advancing agricultural practices. These include:

- Research and development to realize a multipurpose autonomous agricultural machine capable of handling multiple types of farming operations, by leveraging elemental technologies developed in the Institute’s robotics research field, along with advanced sensing, robotic control, and AI-assisted technologies.

- Research and development on technologies that promote the advancement of agriculture through data utilization, by collecting and integrating diverse data obtained during the operation of autonomous agricultural machinery—such as data on the machinery itself, fields, and crops—along with environmental data such as weather and crop market prices. These technologies aim to support future operations by enabling improved control of machinery, efficient operation of autonomous agricultural machines, optimization of other farming tasks, field maintenance, and farm management support.

〇 About core facilities

Research facilities will be constructed until FY2030. We will consider the unit leader’s request in the development of core facilities.

〇 About the development of research infrastructure

We plan to develop research infrastructure for the unit’s activities by renting laboratories

〇 Budget for the Research Unit

The budget for each research unit consists of personnel costs and research expenses, with approximately 100 million yen per year allocated to each category, totaling around 200 million yen annually. (The personnel budget includes the salary of the appointed Unit Leader or Deputy Unit Leader.)

1. Title of the position

Unit Leader or Deputy Unit Leader (equivalent to professor or associate professor)

2. Number of position

Several

3. Affiliation

Smart Agriculture Research Unit (provisional name), Research and Development

4. Location

F-REI (Namie-town, Futaba-county, Fukushima, Japan) and the locations designated by the Institute

5. Specialty areas

Systems engineering (complex systems), AI-based data utilization, sensing technology, autonomous driving, agricultural machinery, agro-engineering (agricultural civil engineering), etc.

6. Duties

 Unit Leader

-Supervision of research activities in the Research Unit

 Deputy Unit Leader

-Engagement in the development of autonomous agricultural machinery or in research on the utilization of data obtained during the operation of such machinery in the  Research Unit

-Assisting the Unit Leader in management duties

7. Qualifications

[Requirements]

(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

8. Starting date

On or After November 1, 2025 (to be adjusted as necessary)

The start date will be individually coordinated, taking into consideration the time required for procedures such as obtaining or changing the appropriate work visa/status and other necessary arrangements related to the employment contract and the candidate’s circumstance.

9. Term of appointment

One of the following employment types will apply:

For tenured positions: no fixed term

For tenure-track positions: up to five years

Depending on the results of the tenure review, the contract may be converted to permanent employment or extended. The decision will be based on factors such as ability, job performance, research achievements and their societal impact, as well as other relevant considerations.

10. Probationary period

For a period of six months from the date of appointment

11. Working hours and other conditions

(1) Working hours 8:30 to 17:15 (60-minute break from 12:00 to 13:00)

*The employee may be ordered to do work outside the stated working hours as necessary.

*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.

12. Salary and allowances

(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

Allowances will be paid in accordance with the rule of F-REI.

F-REI’s salary rules for research staff

https://www.f-rei.go.jp/assets/contents/research_staff_salary_regulations.pdf (Japanese only)

13. Insurance

Enrollment in health Insurance, employee's pension insurance, employment insurance, and industrial accident compensation insurance

14. Submission package and application deadline

The application documents are as follows:

(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)

: Based on the "Research and Development Field Assigned to the Unit Leader or Unit Sub-leader Being Recruited," please describe the research you wish to conduct at F-REI within 10 pages. The description should include the technical issues to be addressed, the research and development activities to be implemented, the structure to be established (including securing personnel and fostering human resources), and the required facilities, etc.

(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.

15. Mailing address and contact

Please include the above-listed documents in the prescribed order above. Items No.(1) – No.(7) must be combined into a single PDF. Please attach the combined PDF file (Items No.(1) – No.(7)) and Item(s) No.(8) to an email and send it to the following address with the subject line “[Application – AFF] Call for Researchers (Unit Leader).”

[Contact]

Ms. Chiba

Second R&D Promotion Division, Department of Research and Development Promotion, Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation

Phone: +81-240-41-9984

E-mail: F-REI_PIetc@f-rei.go.jp

16. Application deadline

16:00, Monday, August 18, 2025(JST).

17.Selection process

After screening of documents, an interview will be conducted for qualified candidates.

- Document screening scheduled for early September 2025

- Interview screening scheduled for mid to late September 2025

* 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 selection result will be notified by email.

18. Measure to prevent passive smoking

F-REI Headquarters: Smoking is forbidden on the premises.

Areas designated by the Institute (excluding F-REI Headquarters): The rules for the facility where the working location is situated apply.

19. Other

Working conditions other than those described above are as stipulated in the work rules for the employees of the Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation.

The working conditions etc. described above are as of the date of the posting of this recruitment information and may be revised.

We welcome applications from female researchers.

20. Recruiting organization

Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation