Call for applications for the position of Junior Research Associate (JRA) for FY2012 | RIKEN's Junior Research Associate Program | Career opportunities

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Call for applications for the position of Junior Research Associate (JRA) for FY2012
Application guidelines

Applications are now being accepted for the position of Junior Research Associate (JRA) for fiscal 2012 at RIKEN, an Independent Administrative Institution for basic research in a broad range of scientific fields.

1. Description	The Junior Research Associate (JRA) program, launched in 1996, was revised in FY 2009 to focus on graduate students working on their PhDs at Japanese universities with collaborative agreements with RIKEN. We are now calling for applications for the FY 2012 JRA program. This program provides part-time positions at RIKEN for young researchers enrolled in Japanese university PhD programs to give them the opportunity to carry out research alongside RIKEN scientists and to enhance RIKEN's creative and basic research capabilities. To strengthen RIKEN's ties with Japanese universities, the FY 2012 JRA program is directed at applicants attending graduate schools that have collaborative agreements for education and research with RIKEN or that are involved in joint research with RIKEN. NOTE: From FY 2011, RIKEN has been making special efforts to foster the development of basic research in medical fields, and recent graduates of medical and dental schools who have acquired their medical or dental licenses are welcome to apply.
2. Research fields	All scientific and technological areas of physics, chemistry, biology, medical science, and engineering that relate to research being conducted at RIKEN.
3. Number of available positions	Around 70 (including around 10 individuals with medical or dental licenses)
4. Qualifications	Candidates must fulfill both of the following requirements: (1) Must be enrolled in a doctorate program at a Japanese graduate school as of April 1, 2012. (2) Must meet one of the following conditions: ˙ Enrolled (or will be enrolled) in a graduate school which has a joint graduate school program agreement1 with RIKEN (Joint graduate school category) ˙ Enrolled (or will be enrolled) in a graduate school which is involved in joint research2 with RIKEN scientists under a joint research contract or agreement, and which is willing to give permission for the applicant to undertake research instruction at RIKEN (see item 12 (5). Joint research category) ˙ Enrolled (or will be enrolled) in a graduate school which has a research collaboration agreement3 with RIKEN, and which is willing to give permission for the applicant to undertake research instruction at RIKEN (Research collaboration category) Those whose time at the university has exceeded the standard term of study for a PhD or who are participating in a similar program for young researchers4 at another institution are ineligible to apply. Notes: 1. Graduates schools participating in RIKEN's joint graduate school program are listed at http://www.riken.jp/engn/r-world/riken/organ/kokunai.html 2. In principle, there must be an agreement for joint research in place by April 1, 2012. Application may be made before the joint research agreement has been signed. 3. In principle, there must be an agreement for research collaboration in place by April 1, 2012. The collaboration may be between a RIKEN center and an equivalent department or center at the univeristy or between RIKEN and the university. Application may be made before the research collaboration agreement has been signed. 4. For example, scholarship programs for foreign students sponsored by the Japanese government (MEXT) or the JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists (doctoral course). Contact the office listed under item 14 below for further information.
5. Host laboratories	Laboratories eligible to host JRAs must meet the following conditions: (1) The laboratory must be able to host the JRA for a period exceeding one year. Laboratories that are scheduled to close sometime in or at the end of FY 2012 may not host a JRA. (2) Laboratories that are only nominally headed by the head of another laboratory may not host a JRA. (3) The laboratory must have fulltime researchers on staff who can give instruction to the student If the host laboratory is scheduled to be closed in less than three years from April 2012, this must be clearly explained to the JRA candidate and also noted on the cover page of the application form, under Laboratory duration.
6. Applicant	(1) The applicant is the head of the host laboratory who will be responsible for the JRA and who is the person who must submit the JRA application. (2) The head of the host laboratory must take sufficient time to explain the program to the JRA candidate and must have the candidate's agreement before submitting the application.
7. Research supervisor	The research supervisor is the person who will directly oversee the research of the JRA. The applicant and research supervisor may be the same person. The research supervisor must meet the following criteria (including in cases where a joint graduate school or joint research is in the process of being signed.) (1) For a joint graduate school category JRA, the research supervisor must be a RIKEN researcher who is also acting as the JRA's supervising instructor at the partner university. (2) For a joint research category JRA, the research supervisor must be the researcher in charge of the joint research project on the RIKEN side. (3) For a research collaboration category JRA, the research supervisor must be specialized in the field of research covered by the collaboration, must be directly involved in the collaboration, and must shall be the researcher working on the collaborative research project on the RIKEN side.
8. Work location	Location of the RIKEN host laboratory
9. Contract duration	One year from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013. If, however, the JRA student acquires a PhD or quits the university, the contract will terminate at such time regardless of whether a full year has passed. The contract may be renewed up to a maximum of two times (for PhD programs requiring 4 years, up to a maximum of 3 times).
10. Work hours	Part-time: 5 hours per day, 5 days per week.
11. Salary and benefits	(1)Salary: JPY 164,000 per month (tax included) (2)Commuting allowance: At cost up to a maximum of JPY 45,000 per month in accordance with RIKEN regulations (3)Holidays: Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays, year-end holidays (12/29-1/3), RIKEN Foundation Day. Annual paid leave: 12 days per year (unused days can be carried over to the next year) Special annual paid leave for students: Maximum of 5 days per month, up to 50 days per year. Unused days cannot be carried over to the next year. Other provisions in accordance with RIKEN regulations.
12. Application procedures and deadline	(1) Application See attached explanation of application procedures. (2) Document screening Application documents will be screened in late December and results will be announced in early February 2012. (3) Employment contract Employment contracts are scheduled to be concluded in mid-March, 2012. (4) Start date Employment will commence on April 1, 2012. (5) Permission from graduate school All JRA candidates must make sure they have the permission of their supervising professor and have gone through the procedures required to secure formal permission from their graduate school. JRA candidates in the joint research and research collaboration categories must have their supervising professor's agreement to the fact that they will be under the instruction of a RIKEN researcher. For the joint research and research collaboration categories, it is the JRA candidate's responsibility to make sure that all required procedures are followed at his/her university to acquire permission to participate in the program. In principle, the university's written permission must be submitted to the JRA Desk (item 14 below) of the RIKEN Global Relations Office by the deadline given below.
13. Deadline	Application documents must be submitted to the office listed below by 17:00 on Friday, November 25, 2011.
14. Submissions and queries	Junior Research Associate Desk Research Personnel Support Section Global Relations Office, RIKEN 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 Fax: 048-463-3687 NOTE: Please send queries by fax or email. Telephone inquiries cannot be accepted. Information cannot be provided on the details of the screening process.
15. Regarding the handling of personal information	Submitted documents will be handled with the utmost care in accordance with RIKEN's rules for the protection of personal data and will be used only for employment screening purposes. This information will never be divulged, assigned, or loaned to a third party without legitimate reason.
16. Additional information	1. Incomplete or incorrect applications may be rejected. 2. Submitted application documents cannot be returned. 3. All costs incurred in making application for the JRA position are to be paid for by the applicant. 4. The conditions for this position are subject to change if there are changes in RIKEN's government budget allocations or other extenuating circumstances.