Position Opening Announcement

The National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) in Japan is pleased to announce the opening of the following positions to promote the interdisciplinary nature of fusion science. We would like to request your assistance in identifying suitable applicants for these positions.

1. Positions and number of recruitments

(1) Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor: a few (up to ten people)

(2) Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor: 1 person or more (woman only)

(Term of appointment: five years. Renewal possible.)

2. Recruitment background and requirements

Fusion is a fundamental mechanism of nucleosynthesis and energy generation in the Universe and is the energy source that supports the activity of stars. NIFS comprehensively promotes a wide range of research topics, including plasma physics, microscopic quantum processes, materials science, and engineering technology, which are necessary for realizing fusion energy in a form we can use. Fusion science is an exhaustive research field that aggregates many difficult issues, and there are still many research problems to be solved. Therefore, academic research is needed to create innovations that open up new possibilities, in addition to development research that groups together various sciences and technologies. As an academic research institute, NIFS promotes the interdisciplinary nature of fusion science by dividing the challenge of fusion energy into several themes and generalizing each problem. We hope to deepen collaboration with universities and other institutions in Japan and abroad through interdisciplinary development that shares cutting-edge concerns and issues in various academic fields. By promoting intellectual collaboration involving an unprecedentedly wide range of fields, we aim thereby to enable the sustainable promotion of long-term fusion development research.

To promote interdisciplinary research, NIFS has established ten joint research teams, "Units," that come together under a common research theme, and the new system has operated since 2023. To strengthen the Unit system, we are actively seeking researchers who have creativity and strong communication skills and who can lead the interdisciplinary development of fusion science by actively participating in domestic and international joint research as members of an Inter-University Research Institute.

 NIFS is actively working to increase gender and nationality diversity to build a diverse research environment that generates innovative and creative ideas.

3. Selection Criteria

In the selection process, we will closely evaluate the applicant's research achievements (highly original or challenging research papers that have undergone rigorous peer review, as well as the ability to continue writing papers) and the idea and originality of the plan (research that advances fusion science with a broad, interdisciplinary vision, that develops fusion science in an interdisciplinary manner by utilizing the applicant's diverse background, that advances the research goals and academic strategies of the Unit to which the applicant wishes to belong).

Applicants for Professor or Associate Professor

(1) Hold a Ph.D. degree.

(2) Those who are motivated to engage in fusion science research, including interdisciplinary fields, by utilizing their research achievements in their specialized fields to date.

(3) Actively engage in joint research in Japan and overseas and demonstrate leadership.

(4) Have an incentive to cultivate human resources.

Applicants for Assistant Professor

(1) Hold or expect to obtain a Ph.D. degree.

(2) Those who are willing to engage in fusion science research, including interdisciplinary fields. (regardless of experience in the field of fusion science)

(3) Actively engage in joint research in Japan and overseas.

4. Deadline for applications

17:00 JST, Tuesday, 12 November 2024.

5. Appointment

As early as possible upon selection.

6. Selection procedure

(1) The Administrative Council is responsible for selecting appropriate applicants for NIFS.

(2) Applicants will be chosen based on their application documents in the first selection. Only those who pass the first round will be invited for an interview for the second selection.

(3) Interviews are scheduled for the beginning of February 2025, and details will be emailed to those who have passed the document screening by the end of January 2025.

7. Documents to be submitted

The following documents (1) - (6) must be submitted via e-mail (see Section 8. for e-mail address). For the letter of recommendation (7), please follow the instructions in Section 8.

(1)    Curriculum Vitae: Specify the possible starting date, attach a passport-size photograph, list the applicant's academic degree(s) held, and provide an e-mail address.

(2)    Applicant's past research summarized in two pages of A4 or letter-size paper.

(3)    Future research plans at NIFS summarized in two pages of A4 or letter-size paper.

The National Institute for Fusion Science has been reorganized into a Unit research system from FY2023. Researchers belong to one of the Units to conduct research. In the future research plan, please select one of the Units you wish to belong to (Meta-hierarchy Dynamics / Structure Formation and Sustainability / Phase Space Turbulence / Plasma Quantum Processes / Transports in Plasma Multi-phase Matter System / Sensing and Intellectualizing Technology (S&I) / Plasma Apparatus / Complex Global Simulation / Ultrahigh-flux Concerting Materials / Applied Superconductivity and Cryogenics), the research plan in the Unit, and desired position (Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor).

For the research themes and keywords of each Unit, please refer to " Unit" (https://unit.nifs.ac.jp/research/en) on the website. If necessary, please consult with the contact listed in 9.(2) For inquiries concerning research or the respective Unit Leader to plan your research.

(4)    List of Publications:

·      For all joint publications, the name(s) of the joint author(s) must be printed.

·      For each paper, be certain to indicate whether it was reviewed by referees.

·      List of competitive research funds and patents which the applicant received.

**NOTE**

The List of Publications must be created in accordance with the document "Guidelines for Compiling the List of Publications" to be provided by NIFS.

(https://www.nifs.ac.jp/en/about/recruit/)

(5)    Copies of research papers: Applicants for Professor or Associate Professor should submit about five main works (books/articles). Three or more of them should have been published in the past three years. We will take into consideration any leave for the purpose(s) of maternity, child-care, and/or family-care (including shorter working hours for reasons of child-care and/or family-care) in assessing your performance (please follow the instructions in Section 10 (5)). Applicants for Assistant Professor should submit about three main works (books/articles). Should applicants for Assistant Professor not yet have publications, a dissertation, papers under review for possible publication, or papers in preparation may be included. All submissions on A4 or letter-size paper. Photocopies are acceptable.

(6)    A document of a brief summary of each publication and her/his contributions attached according to (5) in two pages of A4 or letter-size paper. (any format)

(7)    Letters of recommendation: Applicants for Professor or Associate Professor should submit these from two or more researchers. It is advisable to include a letter of recommendation from a researcher at an institution in a country different from that of the applicant’s institution. One letter of recommendation for applicants for Assistant Professor should be submitted. Any format is acceptable.

All documents must be prepared on separate pages. Documents other than the curriculum vitae should be printed on A4 or letter-size paper.

Also, in principle, print the applicant's name in the upper right corner on all documents.

8. Address for sending the documents

[Documents (1) - (6)]

E-mail address

nifs-jinji[a]nifs.ac.jp

Personnel Section, General Affairs Division,

Department of Administration,

National Institute for Fusion Science

Send an e-mail with the subject "Application in Research-education employee / Application in Research-education employee (woman only)" and attach the above documents (1) - (6) to the e-mail. If you do not receive a confirmation of receipt within three working days after sending the e-mail, please contact the address in Section 9.

[Letters of recommendation (7)]

The letter of recommendation should be sent directly from the recommender by post or e-mail. (When sending by e-mail, please write "letter of recommendation in Application in Research-education employee / letter of recommendation in Application in Research-education employee (woman only)" in the subject. We accept PDF files only.)

Postal address:

Oroshi 322-6, Toki, Gifu 509-5292, Japan

Personnel Section, General Affairs Division,

Department of Administration,

National Institute for Fusion Science

E-mail address

nifs-jinji[a]nifs.ac.jp

9. Contact

1) For the application documents

Personnel Section, General Affairs Division,

Department of Administration,

National Institute for Fusion Science

E-mail: nifs-jinji[a]nifs.ac.jp

2) For inquiries concerning research

Professor Ryuichi SAKAMOTO, Director of Department of Research, NIFS

E-mail: sakamoto[a]nifs.ac.jp

10. Others

(1)  The information regarding the job offering may also be found on the NIFS website (https://www.nifs.ac.jp/en/about/recruit/).

(2)  Payment is on an annual salary system. (The salary will be paid in monthly installments.)

(3)  NIFS's fixed-term system is prescribed by its regulations on Rules of Employment Terms of NIFS Research and Education Personnel. (https://www.nifs.ac.jp/en/about/recruit/).

(4)  This opening will be conducted jointly with that of "Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor (woman only)"at the National Institute for Fusion Science, which will close on November 12, 2024 (Tuesday). Woman applicants who apply for this position will automatically be eligible for selection for both openings.

(5)  The purpose of the Basic Law for a Gender-Equal Society will be respected in this appointment. The National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) is committed to improving the quality of education and research by increasing the diversity of researchers.

·      Women and foreign researchers are employed when they are recognized as equal in terms of research and educational achievements and personality evaluation.

·      If you have taken leave for the purpose(s) of maternity, child-care, and/or family-care (including shorter working hours for the purposes of child-care and/or family-care) or have been absent from research activities due to disease or injury occurring while working or commuting, please indicate this in your curriculum vitae. We will take this into consideration in assessing your performance.

Note: Please replace the at mark [a] in the address with @.