URA Organization

What is a URA?

URA stands for University Research Administrator. URAs are human resource personnel responsible for promoting research activities conducted by researchers, and enhancing research development management. By supporting researchers at higher education institutions, URAs are involved in the planning and management of research activities and promoting the utilization of research results. (URAs are not expected to merely perform administrative procedures related to research.)

In 2011, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) launched a project called "Developing Systems to Foster and Secure Research Administrators." Consequently, many Japanese higher education institutions have rapidly assigned their own URAs.

Support offered by the URA organization

HU's URA organization provides various types of research support.

  • Examples of Support
    • Pre-award support for those who are applying for external research funding including JST, JSPS, NEDO and AMED. (URAs can check your application for consistency with the purpose of the open call, rationale, typos, etc., and set up a mock practice session if you proceed to the interview screening. Please contact us at the earliest possible stage prior to application.)
    • Providing learning materials and information sessions for KAKENHI in English.
    • Liaison with the Public Relations Group (research press release in English).
    • Providing platforms for researchers to interact with one another.
    • Survey of research and policy trends.

If you have any inquiries, contact us via email.

Contact us

Email: ura＊office.hiroshima-u.ac.jp (Replace ＊ with @.)

Characteristics of URAs at HU

The URA organization at HU was reorganized in October 2019 and April 2022. We work in the same organization as other research management professionals.

We have the following divisions related to research management.

Headquarters for Research in Collaborative Sciences Enabling the Future

  • Research Strategy and Promotion Division: Research Administrator (URA)
    We assign "academic personnel" such as those with doctoral degrees and/or who have the ability to understand research itself. The core of our work is the search of research seeds, with a focus on pre-award activities such as the formulation of research strategies and the acquisition of external funding.
  • Management Division

Open Innovation Platform

An organization under the direct control of the President of the University, the Creative Managers (CM) aim to promote large-scale joint research through intensive management of such research that is deeply related to corporate business strategies, while contributing to the strengthening of the University's financial base, promotion of university reform, and enhancement of its research capabilities. It brings together professional personnel called Creative Managers (CM).

Office of Research and Academia-Government-Community Collaboration

An operational organization placed under the Executive Vice President (Research and Academia-Government-Community Collaboration). The following divisions and groups have been established within it, bringing together various professional personnel for research management.

  • Department of Research and Academia-Government-Community Collaboration
    This department consists of administrative personnel who have experience in research administration and research support, including those who have worked for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) or funding agencies. They are responsible for supporting research projects and initiatives, including support for the promotion of URA activities.

    • Research Strategy Group
    • Research Collaboration Group
    • Research Support Group
    • Community Cooperation Division
  • Department of Academia-Government-Industry Collaboration
    • Academia-Government-Industry Collaboration Division: Industrial Cooperation Coordinators (CD)
    • Biodesign Division
    • Startup Initiatives Division
    • Academia-Government-Industry Collaboration Legal Division
  • Department of Intellectual Property: Intellectual Property Managers (MG)

URAs work with Industrial Cooperation Coordinators, Intellectual Property Managers, and various staff members.


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