Call for applications for the position of Special Postdoctoral Researcher (SPDR) for FY 2024

RIKEN is currently accepting applications for the FY 2024 Special Postdoctoral Researcher (SPDR) Program, from young, creative, independent researchers who will be a powerful force in furthering RIKEN’s research activities.

Description

The involvement of creative young scientists is critical in pioneering new frontiers of science and technology. RIKEN’s Special Postdoctoral Researcher Program is a program to foster the development of researchers who will become internationally active in the future, and provides creative young scientists with the opportunity to be involved in autonomous and independent research on a topic of their own choosing that is in line with RIKEN objectives and research fields.

Research funds that can be used at one’s discretion will be granted to SPDRs. It is expected that as a corresponding author, outcomes accomplished independently on one’s own proposed research topic will be presented in academic journals and conferences.

With consideration to changes in the environment surrounding the SPDR program in recent years, the monthly salary for this program will be revised as of FY2023.

Research fields

Mathematical Sciences (pure mathematics, applied mathematics, computer science, information science, artificial intelligence, etc.), Physics I (particle, nuclear, astrophysics, etc.), Physics II (condensed matter), Chemistry, Biology (cell biology, developmental biology, plant biology, structural biology, microbiology, imaging, measuring, etc.), Medical Science (brain science, psychology, immunology, oncology, genome science, etc.) and Engineering that relate to research being conducted at RIKEN. As part of the screening process, the research category to which you applied may be changed to a different category.

Number of openings

Around 70
(subject to change with any change depending on budget)

Qualifications

Applicants must fulfill all five conditions given below:

• 1.Be prepared to independently and responsibly pursue a research topic.
• 2.Have a PhD awarded on or after January 1, 2018, or expect to be awarded a PhD by the date of hire.
  Note: Those with PhDs acquired prior to December 31, 2017, may also apply if there was a lapse in their research activity, and if subtracting this period of non-research activity will allow them an equivalency that meets the above requirement. If applicable, please fill the details (specific reasons and period) in the application form.
• RIKEN’s screening committee will determine whether the period of lapse is justifiable after the deadline for submitting the application.
  Examples of acceptable periods of lapse: maternity leave, childcare leave, and working in private industry in a non-research capacity.
• 3.Able to start work in FY2024 (April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025)
• 4.Those who have previously participated in the SPDR and FPR programs are NOT eligible to apply.

Place of work

Location of RIKEN host laboratory
The address and work location written above may differ depending on the hosting laboratory. Please confirm the hosting laboratory's location on the website of its affiliated center.

Duration of contract

Three years from date of hire (in principle, April 1, 2024) (Actual starting date to be decided upon consultation)

Salary and benefits

• 1. Annual salary paid in monthly installments of 550,000 yen (social insurance premiums and taxes included). Commuting allowance (actual cost up to maximum of 55,000 yen per month) and housing allowance (partial payment of rent) will also be paid.
• 2. Travel cost to take up the appointment at RIKEN will be compensated according to RIKEN’s rules and regulations.
• 3. Enrollment in the RIKEN Mutual Benefit Society (Kyosaikai) is compulsory. A Kyosaikai membership fee will be automatically deducted from your salary each month.
• 4. Days off from work include Saturdays and Sundays, national holidays, year-end/New Year holidays (Dec 29 to Jan 3), and RIKEN Foundation Day.
• 5. Other provisions as per RIKEN regulations.
• 6. Research budget: 1,000,000 yen per year, an additional budget can be available upon screening.

Notes

• SPDRs will be exempt from repayment of category 1 scholarship loans from the Japan Student Services Organization that were made before fiscal year 2003.
• SPDRs are eligible to apply for external funding (kakenhi and the like).
• SPDRs who take maternity leave, childcare leave, or additional leave for childcare during the contracted period may have their contract duration extended, in accordance with RIKEN regulations.
• RIKEN promotes a Gender Equality Program to create a workplace where both men and women are fully able to apply their talents and abilities. When applicants are judged to be equally qualified on the basis of fair and impartial criteria, women applicants will be given preference.
• No smoking on site (designated smoking areas available)

Application procedures and deadline

Procedures

• 1.Contact the RIKEN laboratory where you would like to work

  Select a RIKEN laboratory where you would like to work from among the laboratories that have indicated their willingness to host a SPDR and contact the lab to confirm that it is ready to host from FY 2024. Refer to the "Laboratories with SPDR Openings (as of February 15, 2023)" list to find out which laboratories have openings and contact the addresses shown on the relevant webpages.
  Note: This list is updated regularly. Please take note of the date on which the list was last updated. The laboratories and other listed organizations may change even after April 13, 2023.

• 2.Research topic
  After you find a laboratory that is willing to be your host, you should explain the research topic you propose to carry out at RIKEN. Discuss the topic thoroughly with the laboratory head to make sure that your final research topic proposal takes into account the work being conducted within the host laboratory.
• 3.Applicant registration
  To register, visit the website noted below, and enter the required basic information.
  Registration: February 22 to April 6, 2023
  URL：RIKEN Application System
  *You cannot access to the link above until February 22. After you have registered online, download and prepare the following application documents.
• Basic information registration deadline: April 6, 2023
• 4.Language
  Either Japanese or English is acceptable for SPDR application documents and interviews.

Application forms & documents

• 1.ID photo (JPG format)
  4 cm x 3 cm
• 2.Curriculum Vitae / Curriculum Vitae
• 3.Research Achievements / Research Achievements
  This document is intended to present your major achievement to the members of the screening committee. The summary should be clear and concise and should be no more than one A4-size page. For papers of which you are a co-author, the summary should explain your specific contribution. If you have several major research achievements and related papers, they should be numbered on the list of research achievements and referred to by that number in your summary.
• 4.Publication and Presentation List / Publication and Presentation List
• 5.Research Proposal / Research Proposal
  Research topic, objective, description, and annual plan; no more than five A4 pages
• 6. Reprints of no more than three representative papers, if applicable
• 7. Reference from 1 or 2 individuals who are qualified to evaluate your research achievements
  Letters of reference should be sent directly by the referee. An e-mail requesting a letter of reference will be automatically sent from wakate[at]spdr-fpr.com, both in English and Japanese, to the email addresses for references that you list when you register to apply. In previous years, some email requests failed to reach referees due to their email server settings. Please check if your referees receive email request automatically sent from RIKEN.
  (IMPORTANT: The email requesting the letters of reference from wakate[at]spdr-fpr.com will go out at the same time as your registration. The deadline for the letters of reference is the same as the application deadline (April 14). Please register promptly so that your referees have time to prepare and send in their letters of reference. Your application cannot be accepted if the letters of reference do not arrive by the deadline. Contact your referees early and register as early as possible. It will help to register your basic information early, as you will be able to revise it later and also upload any other revised documents a second time. You can check on the status of your letters of reference through the online application system.)

  There is no set format for the letters of reference, they must meet the following conditions: they must be uploaded as PDF files and must be addressed to the President of RIKEN and include the date of issue. You may scan the signature or upload a graphic version of the signature.

• 8. Consent form / Consent form for handling personal information based on GDPR
  If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (the EU zone), you are required to submit the document, “Consent form for handling personal information based on GDPR” with your signature.

  *You will find detailed information about General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Commission's website

Submission procedure

After you have registered online, you will receive your user ID, registration number, and password via an e-mail automatically sent from wakate[at]spdr-fpr.com. Go to the website indicated in the email and upload your application documents.
Later you may revise your basic information and upload revised documents, if necessary. Please double check by the deadline that you successfully completed uploading the documents by downloading them on your own.

IMPORTANT: All files must first be converted to PDF format before you can upload them. Word files cannot be uploaded.

Deadline

For registering basic information:
5 pm April 6 Thursday, 2023 (Japan Time)
For revising or uploading application documents and letters of reference:
5 pm April 13 Thursday, 2023 (Japan Time)

Selection procedures and schedule

Stage I (document-based selection)

When you register, be sure to give a contact email address.
Notification: Middle of June 2023 (screening results and interview notice)

Stage II (interview)

Fields and interview dates (tentative):
   Mathematical Sciences, August 9 or 10
   Physics I, August 7 or 8
   Physics II, August 1 or 2
   Chemistry, August 3 or 4
   Biology, July 26 or 27
   Medical Sciences, July 31 or August 1
   Engineering, August 7 or 8

Location:
    RIKEN Wako Saitama or Online

Notification:
    Late August or early September 2023 (final results)

NOTE: Applicants coming from overseas are eligible for the following subsidies to help cover travel costs: Please be sure to bring your receipts, travel itinerary, round-trip air ticket stubs (boarding passes), and your bank information for deposit of the subsidy. All other costs must be covered by the applicant. RIKEN will not reimburse costs for travel not related to RIKEN.

Traveling from China, Korea, Taiwan: Actual cost up to 30,000 yen maximum
Traveling from other parts of Asia: Actual cost up to 50,000 yen maximum
Traveling from other countries and regions: Actual cost up to 70,000 yen maximum

Inquiries

SPDR Desk
Research Personnel Affairs Section
Human Resources Division, RIKEN
Email: wakate[at]riken.jp
Note: Please send queries by email. Telephone inquiries cannot be accepted.
Information cannot be provided on the details of the screening process.