[Application Closed] Call for Applications for the Utilization of the Research Support Staff System for FY2023

[Application Closed]

*The Japanese version is the authoritative version, and this English translation is intended for reference purposes only. Should any discrepancies or doubt arise between the two versions, the Japanese version will prevail.

Hiroshima University implements the Research Support Staff system as one of the approaches for realizing diversity in the research environment, with the aim of supporting researchers so that they can balance their research work with life events.

Purpose

This system aims to support our researchers in balancing their work with life events by assigning Research Support Staff to work under the direction of the supported researchers when they have difficulties in securing enough time for their own research due to child birth, childcare and/or nursing care.

Eligibility

Applicants must either be a researcher (professor, associate professor, lecturer, assistant professor, research associate) who carries out their duty at Hiroshima University or a personnel member with full-time education/research contracts (specially appointed faculty, contributing faculty, faculty, collaborative research laboratory members, hospital assistant professors, researchers, specially appointed researchers, hospital physicians).

Applicants must also satisfy the eligibility requirements (1) through (4) that are detailed below:

1. Those who fall under one of the following:
  pregnant at the time of application
  caring for a child aged 11 or younger (or who will turn 12 before March 31 of the fiscal year in which support will be provided)
  caregiver of the applicants’ parents and/or children who are living together with the applicant, and has been certified as requiring long-term care (including individuals certified as requiring support)
2. Those who fall under one of the following:
  have a spouse/partner (*The definition of “partner” is based on Policies and Guidelines at Hiroshima University for Respecting Gender and Sexual Diversity.) who is working full-time
  have a spouse/partner but live separately
  do not have a spouse/partner
  *Only for male applicants: those who have a spouse/partner who is working full-time as a researcher at a university, a university’s joint-use facility, or an incorporated administrative agency, etc.
3. Those not on maternity leave, childcare leave, long-term home care leave, or any other leave. (Note that for those with a spouse/partner, the spouse/partner must also not be on any of the aforementioned leaves or any other leave.)
4. Those who have not acquired external funding of five million yen or more over a period of a year.

Details of Support

The hours of support provided by the Research Support Staff shall be no more than 7 hours per day and no more than 10 hours per week. The total number of support hours during the support period shall be determined within the total cost of hiring support staff.

In principle, a single Research Support Staff member shall be assigned. However, it is possible to assign multiple Research Support Staff members as long as the total support time provided by each Research Support Staff member does not exceed 10 hours per week.

Research Support Staff

Research Support Staff Candidates

Candidates for Research Support Staff must have the necessary abilities and qualities to carry out the work requested by the researcher who is applying for the use of this system, and must meet one of the following two requirements of (1) or (2). Note that the researchers who are applying to use this system are required to find and choose their own Research Support Staff candidates, however, note that they cannot choose their own relatives as Research Support Staff candidates.

1. Students enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate school at Hiroshima University (master’s courses, doctoral courses, and professional degree courses only)
2. Those outside of Hiroshima University (limited to university graduates)

Status of Research Support Staff

Research Support Staff shall be classified as part-time Education and Research Support Staff, and shall belong to the same graduate school, etc. that the supported researcher belongs to.

Duties of Research Support Staff

Research Support Staff shall be engaged in research assistance work under the supervision of the researchers at predetermined locations (in principle, limited to campus facilities).

Working Hours for Research Support Staff

The upper limit of working hours per week for Research Support Staff is 10 hours. However, if the Research Support Staff member is a student enrolled at Hiroshima University, please check to see if they are working part-time at other laboratories inside the University and the amount of hours they are working, and consider setting the total working hours per week in a way which ensures that the student’s own studies are not interfered with.

The working hours per day shall be 7 hours or less and in general, shall be undertaken anytime between the basic working hours of 8:30 and 17:00. Depending on the situation of the research assistance, it is possible to request the Research Support Staff to work during hours other than between the basic working hours of 8:30 and 17:00, but not between the late-night hours of 22:00 and 5:00.

Salary for Research Support Staff

As Research Support Staff shall be classified as part-time Education and Research Support Staff, the following hourly wage amount shall apply.

1 Doctoral course student at Hiroshima University JPY1,265
2 Outside of Hiroshima University (limited to those who have master’s degree/s and/or doctoral degree/s) JPY1,265
3 Undergraduate or master’s course student enrolled at Hiroshima University JPY1,135
4 Outside of Hiroshima University (university graduates, excluding those who belong to the aforementioned item 2) JPY1,135

Employment Period of Research Support Staff

From June 1, 2023 (planned) to November 30, 2023

 (If the necessary procedures for employment falls behind schedule, the start date may be delayed.)

Application Deadline

Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 17, 2023

Application Method

Please submit the application documents in both of the following two ways.

1. Online submission via Microsoft Forms:
    Of the documents listed below within “8. Application Documents”, please submit the Application Form (Form1), Work Plan (Form3) and various certifications via the Microsoft Forms URL below.
     [Microsoft Forms URL:] https://forms.office.com/r/X4g3CB1fHC
    After reviewing the contents of the application, each applicant will be sent an e-mail notifying them that their application has been received.
*If you do not receive an e-mail notification within 3 days (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) after submitting your application documents via the aforementioned Microsoft Forms URL, please contact the CAPWR Office via the details listed below within “12. Contact Information for Application Submissions and Inquiries”.
2. Submission by university internal mail service, or in-person:
  [If the Research Support Staff candidate is a student at Hiroshima University]
 Consent Letter from the Candidate’s Supervisor (Form2)
  [If the Research Support Staff candidate is from outside of Hiroshima University]
 CV of the Research Support Staff candidate
  Employment Certificate for Applicant’s Partner (Form4)

Application Documents

1. Application Form (Form1)
2. Documents regarding Research Support Staff
  a. If the Research Support Staff candidate is a student enrolled at Hiroshima University
    Letter of Consent (Form2)
    * If the candidate is a foreign student, please also submit a copy of their residence card (both sides) in order to confirm their length of stay, status of residence, and eligibility to work as a Research Support Staff member
  b.  If the Research Support Staff candidate is from outside of Hiroshima University
    CV (format does not matter.)
    Certificate of education (diploma, degree conferment certificate (master/doctor), etc.)
    * If the candidate is a foreign national, please also submit a copy of their residence card (both sides) in order to confirm their length of stay, status of residence, and eligibility to work as a Research Support Staff member
3. Working Plan (Form3)
4. Various Certifications
  * Please submit the following documents depending on the reason for your application.
  (1) Pregnancy:
    Copy of Mother and Child Health Care Notebook
    Spouse’s/Partner’s Certificate of Employment (Form4)
  (2) Childcare:
    Certifications which prove the child’s/children’s age, e.g., copy of child’s/children’s Health Insurance Card/s, etc.
    Spouse’s/Partner’s Certificate of Employment (Form4)
  (3) Nursing Care:
    Proof of nursing care certification e.g., copy of Nursing Care Insurance Card/s
    Spouse’s/Partner’s Certificate of Employment (Form4)

 Number of Selections

Around 10 (this may vary depending on the budget.)

Selection Process

Selection based on the submitted application documents
(The results of the selection process is planned to be e-mailed to the applicants in early May 2023.)

Points to Note after Selection

1. Submission of Research Support Staff’s Work Log
Users of this system should request their Research Support Staff to record their tasks within a work log every month. The users of this system also should submit each month’s work log to the CAPWR Office by the 5th of the following month.

2. Submission of user’s report/feedback (Form5) and Research Support Staff’s questionnaire (Form6) response
Once the support period has concluded, the users of this system must submit their report/feedback and their Support Staff’s questionnaire responses early in December, 2023.

We will not accept any further applications for this system from the users that did not submit this report.

Precautions regarding COVID-19

The scope of the activities to be undertaken by Research Support Staff members shall be “equivalent to that of Researchers”, but the scope of activities may be restricted and also the employment period may be altered depending on the situation of the spread of COVID-19.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • FAQ regarding the Research Support Staff system and call for applications for the utilization of the system (currently only available in Japanese)

Contact Information for Application Submissions and Inquiries

CAPWR Office
Research Collaboration Group,
Department of Research and Academia-Government-Community Collaboration,
Office of Research and Academia-Government-Community Collaboration
Internal Mail Box Number: 06
TEL: 082-424-5722/5289/5697 (Extension: Higashi-Hiroshima 5722/5289/5697)
E-mail:ura-women※office.hiroshima-u.ac.jp (Please replace ※ with @.)