Hiroshima University, Yamaguchi University, Tokushima University and Ehime University formed the Consortium, “World-Class Researcher Development Through Regional Collaboration” (hereafter referred to as HIRAKU-Global), focusing on the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, with the aim of developing innovative, influential and impactful researchers in the global community. The HIRAKU-Global Program (the Program) provides various kinds of support to early career researchers who are proactively promoting international collaborative research, such as start-up research funding, travel and accommodation expenses for medium- to long-term research visits overseas, advice from mentors, opportunities for career and skill development, to name a few.

The Program will select promising early career researchers from newly or recently appointed tenure-track faculty members at Hiroshima University, Yamaguchi University, Tokushima University and Ehime University, who possess high aspirations to promote international collaborative research while utilizing this Program.

• Hiroshima University:      3 (Any field)
• Yamaguchi University:     1 (Any field)
• Tokushima University:     1 (Any field)
• Ehime University:           1 (Any field)

*The number of openings listed above is the number that can be provided with financial support for start-up research funding and travel and accommodation expenses for research visits overseas, using MEXT’s Grants-in-Aid for the “Strategic Development Program for World-Class Researchers”. In addition, this Program will accept candidates with sufficient research accomplishments and qualities from the above-mentioned universities or other partner institutions, only if they can secure their necessary funds independently.

Applicants must satisfy both of the below criteria:

• Possess research experience of less than 10 years, or equivalent, after obtaining their doctoral degree (under 40 years of age in principle).
• Hold a recently acquired tenure-track faculty position (attained within the past two years or thereabouts, including those who will attain a position in April 2023) at Hiroshima University, Yamaguchi University, Tokushima University or Ehime University.

We are particularly seeking researchers who, as HIRAKU-Global Researchers, are motivated to strengthen the collaboration between the domestic universities within the Program and the international partner institutions, as well as to improve their competencies as researchers and increase their visibility in the global community through conducting international collaborative research, and to play leading roles in developing the Program.

Friday, April 14, 2023 at 11:59 a.m. (Japan Standard Time)

Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 11:59 a.m. (Japan Standard Time)

*Note that the deadline for applications has been extended only for Hiroshima University.

*If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledging that your application has been received from the HIRAKU-Global Office by Monday, April 24, 2023, please contact the Office via the information supplied below.

The application guideline and documents can be downloaded from the below links. Please carefully read through the guideline before preparing the required application documents.
Thereafter, please submit the completed set of required application documents to the HIRAKU-Global Office via the e-mail address supplied below.

*Please prepare the Application Form documents in English.
*Please submit all of the required application documents in PDF format.