IIR Research Fellow

Call for Applications to FY 2024 IIR New Research Fellow Program (September)

The Institute of Innovative Research (IIR) established the IIR Research Fellow Program in April 2020, and we have now started receiving applications for the FY 2024 fall semester.
Under this program, doctoral students who meet the criteria below and apply for a research fellowship will, if approved by the Institute, be employed by the IIR and be eligible for compensation for work-related research and research support activities. By retaining selected doctoral students as research fellows, this program aims to provide students with financial support, increase engagement with the Institute, and allow students to further develop their research skills. Participating students will also be allowed to use the title of Research Fellow on university business cards and other stationery.
Please note that the IIR will be renamed as Institutes of Integrated Research on October 1, 2024, and the title will also be renamed as Institutes of Integrated Research Research Fellow. This program is intended for multi-year employment of students, who are required to submit their research achievements at the end of every fiscal year. Continuation of the fellowship in subsequent years will be decided based on these submissions. The founding working group of Institutes of Integrated Research is now discussing how to operate this program from FY 2025 onward.
If you wish to apply to this program, please notify your intention to your academic supervisor after thoroughly understanding its purpose.

Eligible students

• 1. Students who will enroll in or advance to doctoral programs in September 2024
• 2. First- to third-year doctoral students who have not received a research fellow salary
  (excluding those completing their doctoral studies in September 2024)

Ineligible students

• 1. Students studying under an international scholarship program offered by the Japanese or a foreign government
• 2. Students receiving the JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists, RIKEN JRA students, students under the Tokyo Tech SPRING program (formerly Tokyo Tech Human Resource Development Fellowship and the “Cross the border! Tokyo-Tech Pioneering Doctoral Research Program”) or Tokyo Tech BOOST program, or students enrolled in and receiving financial aid from the WISE program
• 3. Adult students who have income from their occupation
• 4. Students unable to receive a salary from Tokyo Tech due to employment restrictions of any kind
• 5. Students who receive (or expect to receive) an RA salary (excluding the IIR Research Fellowship)　from Tokyo Tech, and/or salary-based financial support from private foundations, of JPY 1,560,000 or more in total in FY 2024
  If a student becomes ineligible after being hired for this program (when receipt of scholarships, etc. totaling JPY 1,560,000 or more is confirmed), payment of the salary for this program will stop in the following month and the employment will be terminated.
  However, the student is allowed to continue to use the title of Research Fellow while studying at Tokyo Tech. (You must promptly notify Institute Administration Group 1 if, after applying to this program, the total amount you receive is going to exceed JPY 1,560,000.)
• 6. Students who are enrolled but have not graduated within the standard duration of doctoral degree programs (Students must consult with us individually if they have special reasons such as studying abroad.) Academic supervisors must inquire with the director-general regarding any other questions. (Students are not to inquire.)

Application criteria

• 1. The applicant’s (expected) academic supervisor is affiliated with the IIR.
• 2. The student’s main academic supervisor (or expected main academic supervisor) must approve payment of the following from his/her laboratory’s research funds (e.g., institutional operating expense funds, external funds, and donations for education and research): an annual salary of JPY 280,000 or more, or a half-year salary of JPY 140,000 or more (for students who complete doctoral programs in September); when the student is employed in the following year as well, an annual salary of JPY 280,000 or more, or a half-year salary of JPY 140,000 or more (for students who complete doctoral programs in September) in the following year.
  The amounts of these payments will be included in the total annual salary payment of JPY 840,000, or a half-year salary payment of JPY 420,000 (for students who complete doctoral programs in September).

Points to note:
The amount of laboratory contributions has been revised due to the change in the payment sharing ratio of Tokyo Tech, IIR, and laboratories starting from FY 2024.
Payment sharing ratio (until FY 2023): Tokyo Tech: 1/2, IIR: 1/4, Laboratories: 1/4
Starting in FY2024: Tokyo Tech, IIR, and Laboratories: 1/3 each

Application documents:

Applicants must complete documents 1 and 2 below and submit them to their main academic supervisors, who will then upload the documents to Box.
(Note: The academic supervisor must submit them by uploading to Box.)

• (1) "IIR Research Fellow Application Form" (Excel document) The document file name should include the applicant’s name and student ID number (e.g., “Application_24D123456_Taro Tokodai.xlsx”).


• （2）"Research Plan" (prepared in Word, converted to PDF before submission) (e.g., “Research Plan_24D123456_Taro Tokodai.pdf”)

How to upload files to Box

• 1. Click on the following URL to open the “File request window.”
  Box File request window
• 2. Choose "Drag and drop files (ファイルをドラッグアンドドロップ)" or "Select files(ファイルの選択)"
• 3. Enter the email address of a contact person who can respond to inquiries regarding the application. Please note that a confirmation email will not be sent upon submission of documents.
• 4. Click "Submit"(送信)

Please download the application form from the above [Application documents] link.