Application
Application for the Buribushi Fellowship (FY2024)
We are pleased to announce the establishment of a new independent fellowship at OIST, the “Buribushi” fellowship. Buribushi means “a cluster of stars” in Uchinaaguchi (Okinawan language). The establishment and first few years of the fellowship will be funded primarily by the J-PEAKS grant.
The fellowship is a principal investigator position intended to give opportunities for early career independence, to boost promising researchers toward a tenure-track faculty position. We hope that it will come to be recognized as one of the most prestigious and desirable positions for pre-faculty researchers in Japan.
Buribushi fellows will be offered a salary competitive with Assistant Professor positions, research funds (~10 Million Yen per year), and research space. The research funds can be used flexibly to hire staff or cover research operating expenses. Fellows are encouraged to apply for external grants (FOREST, KAKENHI, etc.) for additional support of their research activities. The initial term of the fellowship will be for 3 years, with an additional 2 years possible after an internal review to demonstrate satisfactory progress.
To expedite the establishment of the fellowship, we are opening an initial round of applications for internal candidates already at OIST with the expectation of appointing 2-3 fellows. In parallel, we will prepare for a global call for applications opening this fall, with new fellows arriving in FY2025.
Call for internal applications:
The applications are due June 15, with target beginning of the appointment on August 1.
The criteria for evaluation:
- A record scientific excellence and creativity at the highest level for their career stage, with potential for continued success.
- High potential and demonstrated capacity for leading independent research.
- Early career stage, with considerations for career delays due to childcare/illness, etc. It is expected the fellowship will be a stepping-stone to a junior faculty position in Japan or beyond.
- A research plan that is appropriate for the resources provided, considered in context of the support systems at OIST which will be available to fellows (e.g. core facilities).
- A research plan that has distinct goals from the research programs of existing units at OIST, and must clearly not constitute an incremental expansion of current unit research activity.
- Collaborative work with OIST units is encouraged, provided the fellow is the intellectual driver of the main project.
Application for FY2024 [Closed]
To apply, please submit a cover letter explaining your background, future goals, and how you fit the criteria for the position, 2-3 page research statement describing a 5-year research plan, and a full CV in one combined PDF document in the upload field below. The research plan should be understandable to scientists outside your field.
In addition, please arrange for two referees to email letters of recommendation directly to buribushi at oist.jp. The submission deadline for all materials is June 15, 2024.