MEXT's Leading Initiative for Excellent Young Researchers

In recent years, short-term employment and job insecurity for young researchers have meant that the environment for them is conducive to neither challenging new areas of research nor to creative achievement. This has raised concern that the advance of Japan's scientific, technological and academic research cannot be sustained. In addition, low researcher mobility across industrial, academic and governmental sectors means knowledge is not transferred among researchers, making it difficult to deal with the global and rapid structural transformation of industry.

It is important, meanwhile, that universities, public research institutions, corporations and similar organizations take full responsibility to tackle career formation and development of young researchers in order to secure diversity, development and the success of human capital. The young researchers themselves must become aware of the need to carve out their own careers, enhance their own abilities, and take advantage of those abilities in a wide range of societal situations.

Against this backdrop, we conduct the Leading Initiative for Excellent Young Researchers(LEADER) in order to show new career paths to young researchers who can succeed in the national-wide research institutions run by industry, academia and government, while creating a stable and independent position for young researchers that is conducive to tackling new areas of research.

Project outline

In this project, we will provide support to the research institutions of the industry-academia-government where the young researchers with motivation and flexibility who can develop new research areas obtain stable and independent research environments in the research institutions.

First, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) invites posts from the research institutions that wish to participate in this project, and then publicizes those posts after satisfying the requirements through the website of MEXT or a neutral public institution. At the same time, MEXT publicizes invitation for the EYR. Next, a neutral public institution conducts a review of the young research applicants based on the purpose of this project, and MEXT selects the EYR candidates. On the other hand, each research institution, presenting the published posts, negotiates individually with the EYR candidates (hereinafter referred to as “negotiation among the parties”), and as a result, when the EYR candidate obtains a stable and independent research environment in a research institution, MEXT decides the candidates as excellent young researchers. Therefore, we will provide expenses for a certain period of time as may be needed.

In the FY2019 public offering, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (hereinafter referred to as "JSPS") supports MEXT as a neutral public institution on the review of this project.

Furthermore, the establishment of a FY2019 budget allocation is a prior condition for this project.

Please be aware in advance that the contents may change depending on the budget situation.

Posts requirements that are to be publicized (Research institutions)

Only posts that meet the following requirements are to be publicized:

Requirements for research institutions

The institutions must fall under any of the following:

• Universities (prescribed in Article 1 of the School Education Act (Act No. 26 of 1947).) However, this does not include universities determined to be in compatible as a result of the most recent evaluation by an institution authorized by the Minister of MEXT according to the provision in Article 109 of the School Education Act.
• Colleges of technology (colleges of technology prescribed in Article 1 of the School Education Act)
• Inter-University Research Institute Corporations, which are prescribed in paragraph 4, Article 2, National University Corporation Act (Act No. 112 of 2008).
• National Research and Development Agencies, which are prescribed in paragraph 3, Article 2 of the Act on General Rules for Independent Administrative Agencies (Act No. 103 of 1999).
• Public Research and Development Institutes
• Companies incorporated in Japan etc. (engaged in research and development activities)

Areas of research of posts to be publicized

Areas of research are all areas of humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

So, the posts to be publicized shall be based on the future plans of the institution under the leadership of the institute director (e.g.: a president of university) and satisfy any form of employment shown below. In principle, an annual salary system is applied to the paystructure.

Employment is to be carried out under the tenure-tracking system or another similar fair, transparent, and stable personnel system. Furthermore, a research institution that applies a certain fixed-term employment system setting a limitation on the number of reappointment to all higher ranking positions (equivalent to professors) can employ a person in the post according to regulations, etc. formulated/published by research institutions.

Indefinite-term employment.

Research environment

Build an independent research environment so that EYRs can set their own research themes by themselves and carry out the research. (e.g. placement of mentors, provide assistance for raising research funds, improve the research support system, ensure the research space, placement of shared equipment, assignment of graduate students to laboratories as chief advisors, etc.)

However, based on consultation with the research institution to which they belong, it is possible for the EYRs to change a part of their research subject.

Assuming total office hours per year of 100%, in principle, EYRs should spend 50% or more on making efforts to conduct research activities for 5 years after employment (within the range of 50 % or more, it is acceptable to set this to 70% or 80% depending on features of a research institution).

Start time of research

In principle, the start time of research in research institutions for EYR is in 2019. However, those who can receive the support of subsidies in FY2019 have to complete the negotiation among the parties by the end of September 2019 

Applicants (Young researchers)

Applicants (young researchers; hereinafter referred to as the “applicants”), who are going to be active in various research institutions of industry-academia-government, shall satisfy the following requirements. They must meet all these requirements at the time of application.

Attained academic degree, etc.

Those who satisfied all following requirements below:

• Those who have received a doctor's degree, or those who have acquired all the predetermined credit in graduate school doctoral programs for the standard term of study or more and completed the doctoral program without having a doctoral degree (referred to as “those who completed the doctoral program without receiving a doctoral degree”)
• As of April 1, 2020, those who are below 40 years (those below 43 years are accepted in the medical field which requires clinical training). For those who have stopped research for a total of 3 months or more due to childbirth or childcare (regardless of sex), we will consider the age requirement by about 1 to 2 years according to individual circumstances. In this case, enter the reason why research was suspended, due to childbirth or childcare, in the application form and submit it with an additional document certifying that reason. For details of the application procedure, please check “(vi) An interruption of research activities for more than 3 months for childbirth or childcare" in “ IV. Procedure, etc. for Applicants 1. ”.
• Those who have research achievements (a doctoral dissertation can be added for a person who received a Ph.D.) in the past five years (since 2014).

Nationality

Those who fall under any of the following:

• Those who have Japanese nationality or foreigners who have obtained permission for permanent residence
• Those who have nationality of countries which have diplomatic relations with Japan (Taiwanese or Palestinian researchers are treated in accordance with this.)

Publicize the post list

Research institutions offer post(s) based on an application form to MEXT. MEXT checks the post(s), from the viewpoint of conformance with requirements shown above, lists posts that meet requirements and publicize the list through MEXT's web site or JSPS’s web site. Upon doing so, if a research institute wish to further disclose detailed information regarding the post(s), as a matter of principle both in Japanese and English, register the post(s) in JREC-IN Portal operated by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) or disclose them on web sites of research institutions.

The posts offered by Monday, February 18, 2019 will be confirmed for their requirements and publicized in late February. From the perspective of making the post offering period more flexible, the posts offered by Friday, April 5 will be also accepted and they will be publicized. However, to offer information early on for applicants, it is recommended to offer posts by Thursday, February 28.

Further, the research institutions that offered posts by Friday, April 5, 2019 can correct post information and add more posts until the end of December 2019. Consult with MEXT as necessary, as research institutions that do not offer posts by Friday, April 5, 2019 may be allowed to offer new posts through Friday, June 28. 

• Date of publicize the post list: late February 2019 (Publicize the posts offered by Monday, February 18) 
• Deadline for offering of posts: 17:00, Friday, April 5, 2019 (However, research institutions that offered posts by Friday, April 5 may apply to correct the post information and add more posts until the end of December 2019 )

Selection of excellent young researcher (EYR) candidates

A review is carried out to select EYR candidates (hereinafter, the “Candidates”) by the EYR Selection Committee (hereinafter, the “Selection Committee”) established within the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. A review is conducted by the Selection Committee members through screening of the application documents (especially, Researcher Form 1 (including the Attachment) and 2), submitted by the applicants. (Please see “2018 Review Guidelines for Leading Initiative for Excellent Young Researchers (LEADER)” for detailed review method.)

Based on review results by the Selection Committee, MEXT determines candidates and notifies them using the electronic application method installed and managed by JSPS.

Negotiation among the parties

Negotiation among the parties

In this project, when each research institution, presenting the published posts, negotiates individually with the EYR candidates or applicants and they can obtain a stable and independent research environment in each research institution, we will provide expenses described in 7 below, as necessary.

In negotiation among the parties, the EYR candidate or applicant may contact and visit the research institution or vice versa.

MEXT and JSPS do not engage in introduction or mediation of a specific EYR candidate or applicant to a specific institution. For smooth negotiation among the parties, each research institution registers information such as the necessity of advance notice for each post and the outline of selection process and schedule at the time of offering posts to MEXT and disclose it at the time of publicizing the list of posts. After publishing the list of posts, it is also possible to update information on the selection process schedule, etc. at each research institution.

Regardless of the timing of negotiation among the parties and the time when each research institution can start advance notice, the funds delivery destination described in 7 below will be decided after the decision of EYR.

Advance notice in negotiation among the parties

It is possible to have negotiation among the parties regarding the posts requiring advance notice even before the EYR candidates are decided, as far as it is after the publication of the post offers. 

(Points to note in advance notice)

• If a research institution contacts the researcher and carries out screening before the determination of EYR candidates, the research institution is required to indicate the necessity of advance contact in the post information it publishes and clearly state the method of contact and the deadline. 

• Each research institution should be careful not to decide employment informally before the end of the application deadline (Wednesday, April 24, 2019 ).
• It is possible to change from a post requiring advance notice to a post not requiring advance notice. (However, it is not possible to change a post from that of optional to a post requiring advance notice, because it might be disadvantageous to the applicant.) 

Provision of EYR candidate and applicant information to research institutions

For smooth negotiation among the parties, after the candidates are determined, the list of EYR candidates as well as application information “Researcher Form 1” and “Form 1 Attachment” will be sent to all research institutions which offered posts. Further, application information of those who have agreed to provide such information to institutions that offered posts at the stage of application is provided to the research institutions once application is made.

Each research institution may confirm application information, etc. and contact the candidate or applicant for adjustments. Institutions shall use a fair and highly transparent selection process so as to avoid situations that go against the selection process and schedule indicated in the published post information such as informally deciding on employment before closing contact from candidates and applicants and denying the requests of candidates and applicants. 

Provision of EYR candidate list and application information to institutions supporting negotiation among the parties

In FY2019, we plan to introduce support for such negotiations to connect the candidates and research institutions so as to promote the unearthing of talented young researchers who can succeed at research institutions run by industry, academia and government and to facilitate smoother negotiations.

Support for the negotiation among the parties is provided by institutions which MEXT signed an outsourcing contract. After the candidates are selected, the list of the candidates as well as application information “Researcher Form 1,” “Researcher Form 1 Attachment”, and attribution of institution of their first choice are provided to the institutions that support the negotiation among the parties to promote negotiation between the candidates and research institutions. Details of the support for the negotiation among the parties will be provided at a later date. 

Determination of EYR and scheduled number of EYRs

Determination of EYR

If the negotiation among the parties is complete by the end of September 2019 between a candidate and the research institution which offered a post and if the employment starts within FY2019, MEXT will determine the candidate as an EYR for FY2019.

In addition, as for the posts publicized in FY2019, candidates whose negotiation completed between October 2019 to the end of March 2020 and the candidates whose hiring starts in FY2020 as a result of the negotiation are to be determined as EYRs and they may be eligible for support with subsidies.

In principle, those who are selected as EYRs should carry out research at a laboratory other than the Alma Mater's Laboratory and the Current Laboratory except for the unavoidable reasons stated below. 

(Unavoidable grounds)

• It is difficult for the EYR to be engaged in researches in a laboratory other than the Alma Mater's Laboratory and the Current Laboratory due to a physical challenge, childbirth/childcare, etc.
• Purposes/contents and plans of researches make it extremely difficult to change a research laboratory to the one other than the Alma Mater's Laboratory and the Current Laboratory in the current status of researches of research institutions in Japan.

The scheduled number of excellent young researchers (EYRs)

MEXT plans to newly determine around 72 EYRs in FY2019.

Contents of Support (Funds for the Development of Human Resources in Science and Technology)

Expenses eligible for the subsidy (research expenditures and costs of building research environment)

In this project, JSPS will grant either one of the following [A] and [B] as Funds for the Development of Human Resources in Science and Technology (hereinafter, the “Funds”) to the research institutions that hire young researchers decided as EYRs and seek support. Please be aware that if the number of EYRs who completed negotiation among parties with research institutions exceed the scheduled number of EYRs described in 6. (3) above, we may not be able to pay the amount of the Funds each research institutions has applied for (including the amount after FY2020). 

As a matter of principle, the types of available expenses are those shown in Appended Tables 1, 2, and 3.

To eliminate the excessive concentration of support in any particular research institution, the upper limit of the total Funds concerning EYR, which starts the support in FY2019, is set at 100 million yen per research institution. 

1) Research expenditures for EYRs

For the first 1-2 fiscal years after determination of EYRs, 6 million yen per year, as the upper limit, is provided per EYR to support research expenditures required to start up the research activity. For humanities and social sciences, however, the upper limit is 4 million yen per year.

2) Costs of building research environment

To build a system to enable EYRs and other young researchers to carry out research in a stable and independent way, the amount calculated by multiplying 2 million yen (3 million yen - if the applicant belongs to a research institute outside of Japan for the past one year or more, at the time of application deadline) in the first 1-2 fiscal years after determination of EYRs or 2 million yen in the following 3-5 fiscal years - by the number of EYRs belonging to a research institute, is provided as an upper limit to support costs related to the building research environment (for example, salaries for research assistants, gratuities for mentors and expenses required to purchase/repair shared research equipment, etc., and to hold a conference to evaluate EYRs).

The upper limit of the support may be raised or additional support may be provided limited to the first and second fiscal years after determination of EYRs, if the following conditions are met.

• A research institute which hires an EYR who belonged to a research institution outside Japan for the past year or longer as of the application deadline (Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The same date as for those who are applying for continuation of the candidate eligibility) will be provided up to 3 million yen.
• If an EYR is hired in cross appointment between a corporation and an institution other than a corporation, funds up to 4 million yen shall be provided given the necessity to develop research environment at both institutes.
• If a research institution that decided to hire an EYR in FY2019 hires a young researcher (including those other than applicants) for the post published in FY2019 who is not a candidate and falls under requirements of 2. a. and b. above, and if the research institution is other than the institution to which the researcher belongs at the time of being a doctoral course student or the institution to which the researcher belongs just before the employment, additional support will be granted up to the amount that is obtained by multiplying 1 million yen with the smaller of “the number of such young researchers that belong to the institution in each fiscal year” and “the number of EYRs that are hired in FY2019 and belong to the institution in each fiscal year.” As a rule, the additional support in this requirement will be provided if the requirement is met as of the end of September depending on the budget implementation at that time.  

Exclusion of redundant support

Please note that this project cannot offer redundant support for the same researcher if a research institute gets a support from other Funds for the Development of Human Resources in Science and Technology projects (“Building a Consortia for the Development of Human Resources in Science and Technology” project, etc.)

Schedule from application to provision of the funds

Research institution

• January 24, 2019: Start date for offering of posts
• Late February: Publicize the post list (Publicize the posts offered by Monday, February 18)
• April 5: Deadline for offering of posts
• Late May: Sending applicant information
• Early July: Sending the candidate list
• Early July: Negotiation among the parties starts

* Each research institution and applicants can contact one another before the determination of EYR candidates.

• Late August: Submission of completion report of the negotiation among the parties (interim) (undecided)

*Depending on the number of candidates etc., any person who submitted the completion report may be determined as a EYR by around late August. 

• September 30: Submission deadline for completion report of the negotiation among the parties
• Early October: Start of research activities as a EYR

* EYRs may be determined from early July to September 30, and may start research activities as an EYR at the time of determination.

Applicants (Young researchers)

• Late February : Publicize the post list
• March 22: Start application
• April 24: Deadline for application
• May - June: Reviewing
• Early July: Notification of selection as an EYR candidates
• Early July - September: Negotiation among the parties

*Each research institution and applicants can contact one another before the determination of EYR candidates.

• Early October: Start of research activities as a EYR

*EYRs may be determined from mid-July to September 28, and may start research activities as an EYR at the time of determination.