II. Recruitment Systems and Programs for Research and Academic Staff and Collaborators
Recruitment systems and programs intended for Research and Academic Staff and collaborators fall into three categories: NAOJ’s recruitment systems, recruitment programs of NAOJ-related organizations, and recruitment programs of external organizations. Among such systems and programs, this section describes those which receive a large number of applications from international researchers.
1. NAOJ’s Recruitment Systems
(A) Tenured Research and Academic Staff
Tenured Research and Academic Staff are those who are engaged in research and education duties, and fall into several positions such as: Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and so on. With some exceptions such as Tenure-Track Assistant Professors, staff belonging to this category are employed on a permanent basis and are assigned to each project at the time of hiring based on their expertise and experience.
The employment period of Tenure-Track Assistant Professors is limited to 5 years and their projects are already specified at the time of recruitment. However, depending on the results of the fifth-year review, there is an opportunity for such tenured staff to be promoted to a permanent position.
Tenured Research and Academic Staff are recruited on an as-needed basis through open calls for applications. The job announcements will be posted on the website below.
(B) Specially Appointed Academic Staff
Specially Appointed Academic Staff is a collective term used for describing staff who are engaged in research and education duties at a specific research project, and fall into either of the following positions: Project Professor, Project Associate Professor, and Project Assistant Professor. They are all employed on a fixed-term contract and their projects are already specified at the time of recruitment.
Specially Appointed Academic Staff also includes “International Visiting Scholars” and “NAOJ Fellows”, as more fully described below.
International Visiting Scholars
International Visiting Scholars are those who are affiliated with research and educational institutes (in astronomy and related fields) overseas and engage in joint research projects as Visiting Professors, Visiting Associate Professors, or Visiting Research Fellows at NAOJ in order to promote research in astronomy and related fields, as well as education and training for young researchers.
Their visiting period can vary from 1 month to 1 year (within a given fiscal year) and their benefits include salary and round-trip airfare. (In certain circumstances, individuals may choose to apply for a non-employee position. In this case, their visiting period is limited from 1 month to 90 days. They will be provided with round-trip airfare and accommodation allowance, but will be not included in the “Specially Appointed Academic Staff” category.)
Open Recruitment for this position is held once a year (usually from late August to early September) and an application is made by a host researcher at NAOJ. If you wish to stay at NAOJ as an International Visiting Scholar, please refer to I.3.(B) and contact a possible host researcher at NAOJ.
NAOJ Fellowship
The NAOJ Fellowship is a position for independent, highly qualified young researchers of any nationality who wish to explore the cutting-edge frontiers in astronomy and become global leaders in their new fields. This program provides such ambitious researchers with opportunities to engage in their own research/development project at NAOJ as a Project Assistant Professor employed under the annual salary system.
Call for applications for the NAOJ fellowship opens once a year (usually around August).
| Number of Open Positions | Several persons/year |
|---|---|
| Research Areas | Astronomy, development of astronomical instruments, or related fields. |
| Eligibility | Applicants must hold a Ph.D. degree or be expected to receive one by the starting date. |
| Recruitment Process | Application period opens in August prior to the year of award and successful candidates are selected in early November. |
| Term | 5 years in principle |
| Annual Salary | 6,600,000 JPY (550,000 JPY/month) |
| Research Funds | 1,000,000 JPY/year |
More details and the latest updates can be found on the website below.
(C) Project Researcher
Project Researchers are those who are engaged in research activities at particular projects. They are employed on a fixed-term contract.
Project Researcher also includes “Project Research Fellows”, as more fully described below.
Project Research Fellowship
The Project Research Fellowship is a position designed for excellent young researchers of any nationality. Project Research Fellows are recruited separately through three different categories.
Project Research Fellows are expected to spend up to the amount of time specified by their categories or funding programs for duties assigned by their projects, but can use the rest of the time to pursue their own research interests.
Eligible candidates must hold a Ph.D. degree in astronomy or related fields, or be expected to earn one by their starting date. The term of appointment is 3 years in principle, but depending on their categories, it may be extended for up to another 2 years subject to an end-term review.
The following table provides an overview of each of the fellowship categories.
| Recruitment | Annual Salary | Research Funds Per Year | Application Period (FY 2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 4,200,000 JPY | 500,000 JPY | Mid-September to late October |
| Project/Center | 4,200,000 JPY | 500,000 JPY | As-needed basis |
| External Funding including Subaru, ALMA, and TMT | 4,200,000 JPY | Varies depending on the programs | As-needed basis |
For more details, please refer to each job description at the following links.
Post Doctorial Fellow Programs in National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
Open calls for application are available at the website below.
(D) Other Invited Researchers
Other than those described in the above, there are several invitational programs devoted to international researchers. Neither of these programs is open to the public, but instead is implemented using an internal procedure, whereby the host researcher at NAOJ makes an application in accordance with relevant NAOJ rules, and a subsequent evaluation process determines whether the candidate should be invited.
If you wish to visit NAOJ under one of these programs, please refer to I.3.(B) and contact a possible host researcher.
Listed below are major invitation programs for international researchers.
NAOJ Internship
NAOJ Internship is for international graduate students who belong to universities overseas and studies astronomy or related fields. Under this program, students gain an opportunity to engage in research activities while receiving education and training at NAOJ. The visiting period for the internship is less than 1 year. This program comes in two types: paid or unpaid. Paid interns will be employed by NAOJ as a research assistant and will receive a salary (on an hourly basis) for engaging in the duties assigned by NAOJ.
Sabbatical Researchers
This program is for researchers currently affiliated with other academic institutions either in Japan or abroad, and who are on sabbatical leave to conduct an autonomous research project at NAOJ. The visiting period can vary from 1 month to 1 year. In principle, salary and accommodation/travel expenses are not provided.
More details about Sabbatical Researchers can be found at the website below.
Regarding the Acceptance of Sabbatical Researchers
2. Programs in NAOJ-related Organizations
(A) EACOA Fellowship
The EACOA Fellowship is a scholarship program established by the East Asia Core Observatories Association, which is comprised of four East Asian institutes (listed below) including NAOJ. This program aims to promote the collaborative astronomical research in the East Asian region by supporting outstanding young researchers of any nationality to conduct research activities at EACOA member institutions. EACOA fellows are expected to work in at least two EACOA member institutions during their 3-year fellowship period (at least one year at each institution).
Member institutes of EACOA are:
- Japan: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
- China: Center for Astronomical Mega-Science (CAMS)
- Korea: Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI)
- Taiwan: Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA)
As an EACOA member institution, NAOJ accepts EACOA Fellows although they have no direct employment relationship with NAOJ.
| Number of Fellowships Awarded | One person/year |
|---|---|
| Research Area | Astronomy or related fields |
| Eligibility | Those who received a Ph.D. degree within 5 years before the starting date. |
| Application Deadline | November prior to the year of award. |
| Term | 3 years in principle (subject to annual review and renewable for an additional 2 years) |
| Scholarship | 5,000 USD/month (as of 2020) |
| Research Funding | 20,000 USD/year (as of 2020) |
| Relocation Expenses | Reimbursed up to 4,000 USD |
More details about EACOA and the EACOA Fellowship can be found at the website below.
(B) IAU Outreach Visitor Program
*Given the evolving situation with the novel coronavirus infection, the 2020 round of the IAU Outreach Visitor Program (application already ended) will be offered in a hybrid of 2-month remote collaboration from home countries and 1-month face-to-face visits at NAOJ, Japan. The visiting periods for the upcoming rounds will be determined through discussion and agreement with each selected applicant based on the circumstances at the time.
More details and the latest updates can be found at the website below.
IAU Outreach Visitors Programme
3. Programs of External Organizations
(A) JSPS International Fellowships for Research in Japan
The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) provides fellowship programs for overseas researchers who have an excellent record of research achievements to conduct collaborative research, discussions, and opinion exchanges with researchers in Japan. NAOJ accepts international researchers enrolled in these programs.
JSPS’s invitation programs come in two categories: “Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan” for young researchers and “Invitational Fellowships for Research in Japan” for mid-career to professor-level researchers.
Except for some programs, JSPS Fellows are provided with round-trip airfare, maintenance allowance, and research support allowance (or Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research).
Some programs need a pre-approval and/or an application from a host researcher at NAOJ. If you wish to visit NAOJ under such program, please refer to I.3.(B) and contact a possible host researcher at NAOJ.
More details about JSPS’s programs can be found at the website below.
- Inviting Excellent Researchers from Other Countries to Japan
- Leaflets for JSPS International Fellowships for Research in Japan
(B) Fellowship Programs of Other External Organizations
Apart from JSPS, there are a few external organizations that offer invitational programs that are available for international researchers who wish to work at NAOJ. The following table provides brief descriptions of major external invitation programs in the fields related to astronomy and the development of observational instruments. More details can be found at the website for each program.
Some programs need a pre-approval and/or an application from a host researcher at NAOJ. If you wish to visit NAOJ under such program, please refer to I.3.(B) and contact a possible host researcher at NAOJ.
| Organization
Program
| Eligibility/Requirement | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Canon Foundation Research Fellowships | Nationality: European countries Requirement: Within 10 years of receiving master's or Ph.D. degree in principle | 3 months to 1 year |
| Japan Russia Youth Exchange Center (JREX) JREX Fellowship Program (Invitation to Young Russian Researchers) (Russian only) | Nationality: Russia Nationality: Russia Requirement: Those who are enrolled in or completed a post graduate program (less than 40 years old at the end of the program) | 1 week in principle | National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) NICT International Exchange Program | Discipline: ICT Requirement: Candidates must have a Ph.D. degree or equivalent. (Ph.D. candidates may be allowed depending on their achievements.) | within 1 year |
| Iketani Science and Technology Foundation (ISTF) International Exchange Grant (Invitation) (Japanese only) | Discipline: Advanced materials or other related scientific technology fields | ― |