Associate Chief Scientist
Frequently Asked Questions
Application documents
| Q. |
Do the forms need to be filled out in English or Japanese? |
| A. |
Either is fine. We will accept applications written in either English or Japanese. |
| Q. |
Will a letter of recommendation from an overseas scientist be
accepted? |
| A. |
Yes. The people writing the letters of recommendations may be of any nationality
and reside in any country. Recommendation letters may be written in either Japanese
or English. |
The status of the Associate Chief Scientist within RIKEN's organization
| Q. |
Is the position of Associate Chief Scientist a preliminary to
becoming a Chief Scientist? |
| A. |
No. This is not intended to be a trial in preparation for becoming a Chief
Scientist. The Associate Chief Scientist is selected solely on the basis of the
character and qualifications of the candidate and is not restricted to any one
field. The Chief Scientist, however, is selected on the basis of his or her achievements
in a specific field of research. The Associate Chief Scientist is not automatically
promoted to the position of Chief Scientist. |
| Q. |
What is the status of the Associate Chief Scientist within RIKEN? |
| A. |
The Associate Chief Scientist is considered to be a Principal Investigator
(PI) and manages his or her own independent laboratory. The Associate Chief Scientist
is expected to build upon this experience to later attain a higher position within
or outside of RIKEN. |
Laboratory
| Q. |
What is the Associate Chief Scientist's annual research budget? |
| A. |
In the first year, the Associate Chief Scientist will be given priority in the allocation of 20 million yen to start a new laboratory (those who is hired from within RIKEN will be provided 10 million yen). Thereafter, all laboratory operating expenses will need to be covered by securing competitive funding. |
| Q. |
The Associate Chief Scientist appears to have some degree of
authority in appointing personnel. When hiring laboratory personnel, will their
salaries need to be paid out of competitive research funds, and is there a quota
on the number that can be hired? |
| A. |
Salaries for fixed-term contract employees must be paid out of the laboratory's
own funds. The Associate Chief Scientist cannot appoint tenured researchers and
there is therefore no personnel quota of tenured employees for the Associate Chief
Scientist laboratory. |
Research equipment & facilities
| Q. |
What kinds of shared research equipment and facilities are available
at RIKEN? |
| A. |
Shared equipment and facilities include those for surface, molecular, and
biomolecular analyses. |
Remuneration
| Q. |
What salary can be expected? |
| A. |
Salary is calculated on the basis of relevant experience and RIKEN's rules
and regulations. For example, under RIKEN's current salary rules, a researcher,
age 37 (15 years after graduating from university) with a dependent family of
a wife and two children receives an annual salary (inclusive of various allowances)
of about 9,600,000 yen. This is just an example. Salary will vary according to
the individual's background, family composition, and the like. |
Qualifications
| Q. |
The application notice calls for "young" scientists.
How old were the scientists you have hired so far? |
| A. |
Most were under 40 years of age when they were hired. |
Laboratory space
| Q. |
How much laboratory space will there be? |
| A. |
Laboratory size may vary depending on location and other factors, but in general
the standard size should be around 150m2. |
Other concerns
| Q. |
Will RIKEN be advertising for Associate Chief Scientists every year? |
| A. |
We will be soliciting applications next year and thereafter. |
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