IIR Research Fellow

Call for Applications to FY 2023 IIR Research Fellow Program (Fall Semester)

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 2023 fall semester. Under the 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 Research Fellow title on university business cards and other stationery.
In this program, the IIR intends to employ students for multiple years. At the end of FY 2023, the IIR will review research achievements submitted by participants, and decide on the following year’s fellowship.
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 2023
• 2. First- to third-year doctoral students who have not received a research fellow salary
  Note: Students who expect to complete their doctoral programs in September 2023 are ineligible.

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 Human Resource Development Fellowship or the “Cross the border! Tokyo-Tech Pioneering Doctoral Research 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 2023
  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 Research Fellow title while studying at Tokyo Tech.
  (You must promptly notify Institute Administration Group 1 if, after applying to this program, you notice that the total amount you receive for FY 2023 is going to exceed JPY 1,560,000.)
• 6. Students that are enrolled but have exceeded the standard duration of doctoral degree programs (Consult with us individually if you have special reasons such as studying abroad.)
• Note: For any other questions, academic supervisors must inquire with the director-general. (Students are not to inquire.)

Application criteria

• 1. The student’s main academic supervisor (or expected main academic supervisor) must be associated 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 210,000 or more, or a half-year salary of JPY 105,000 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 210,000 or more, or half-year salary of JPY 105,000 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).

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.

• (1) "IIR Research Fellow Application Form" (Excel document) The document file name should contain applicant’s name and student ID number
  (e.g., " IIR Research Fellow Application Form_20D12345_Taro Tokodai.xlsx" )


• （2）"Research Plan" (prepared in Word, converted to PDF before submission) The document file name should contain applicant’s name and student ID number.
  (e.g., Research Plan_20D12345_Taro Tokodai.pdf)

How to submit documents 1 and 2 by uploading them to Box

• 1. Click on the URL below 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 email address. (Box does not have the function to send confirmation emails. However, you need to provide a contact email address for inquiries regarding the application.)
• 4. Click "Submit"(送信)

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