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Visiting Research Fellowships for Foreigner (Visiting Professor / Visiting Associate Professor)

Positions are available for foreign visiting professors / visiting associate professors starting from 1st October 2024. Candidates interested in the position should contact any of the professors of the Arid Land Research Center (ALRC) to explore the possibility of their hosting them. Once the host faculty member (see table 1) has agreed to host, the candidate should submit application, with all necessary documents, to ALRC, through the host professor within the deadline. Application received after the deadline will not be considered. 

A brief description of the program and the documents needed are given below:

1. Number of positions available: Two in all.
(The position could be in any of the categories listed at the top of the announcement.)

2. Application deadline: Manday, 22 April 2024 (Due JST 17:00pm)

3. Duration of fellowship:
One year starting from 1st October 2024

4. Qualifications and other requirements:
(1) A doctorate degree;
(2) Outstanding research achievements in developing solutions to the problems related to desertification, drought or sustainable development in arid regions;
(3) Willingness to cooperate with the host faculty member in the relevant division of ALRC in the conduct of research here;
(4) Assurance that the candidate would take up the assignment once the offer is made by the ALRC. (Prior permission from the parent institution of the candidate would be needed.)

5. Documents needed:
(1) Curriculum vitae (CV) on the required format. Please use the attached format in developing the CV and ensure that the details of the whole periods of your studies and work are indicated, without any gaps. This part is very important for evaluation of the candidature bye the selection committee. A full record is needed for computing the salary entitlement of the candidate. If there are gaps in studies or work, these should be indicated. Be sure to fill details of any military service done by you.
(2) Certificate of each degree obtained, or at least that of the highest degree.
(3) Reprints (or pdf files) of selected 10 articles published in international journals with JCR Impact Factor listed in Web of Science database (only "Article" or "Review" in "Document Types" of Web of Science).
(4) A letter of recommendation from your host faculty member.
 Please submit a detailed resume of your research and work experience to your host faculty member, based on which he/she would prepare the letter.
(5) A letter of recommendation from the Director or the Head of the Department of the parent institute.
(6) A clear but concise write-up of the research plan to be executed by the candidate at the ALRC.



Table 1
List of faculty members
 Name Research Field 
 Yasunori KUROSAKI  Dust Climatology
 Takeshi TANIGUCHI  Microbial Ecology 
 Reiji KIMURA  Meteorology
 Munemasa TERAMOTO  Terrestrial Carbon Cycle
 Haruyuki FUJIMAKI  Irrigation and Drainage
 Ping AN  Plant Ecophysiology
 Takayoshi ISHII  Plant Cytogenetics 
 Atsushi TSUNEKAWA  Conservation Informatics
 Mitsuru TSUBO  Climate Risk Management



Vacancy Announcement Visiting Research Fellowhips for Foreigner (pdf)
C.V. ( word / pdf )






General Information about the Visiting Research Fellowship Program

The visiting research professorship program for foreign professors is operated by the Arid Land Research Center (ALRC) of the Tottori University. Senior scientists actively engaged in dryland research are encouraged to apply. The general information about the program is given below.

1. Definition:
Visiting foreign research fellows are scientists of outstanding research achievement who would participate, on full time basis, with the Staff of the ALRC in jointly planned research in a specific area of arid land studies.

2. Status:
Visiting foreign research fellow will be granted a status in the University equivalent to that of a Japanese counterpart for the period of the assignment. The Fellow would be conferred with the title of Visiting Professor / Visiting Associate Professor depending on his/her qualification and research experience.

3. Duties:
Visiting foreign research fellow will participate with the University Staff in jointly planned research in the context of the activities of the ALRC or other units of Tottori University.

4. Contract duration:
The period of employment will be one year.

5. Remuneration:
The monthly remuneration would be computed based on the qualification and professional experience, evaluated as per the prescribed criteria. Indicative figures are given in Table 2. The salary is subject to upward revision in accordance with the regulations governing the salary adjustments for the personnel in General Service. Salary will be paid on a fixed date of each month (usually 17th day). The salary is subject to income tax deductions. However, an exemption would be allowed for the individuals coming from the countries with which a Tax Convention agreement of Japan exists and if the status of the visiting fellow fits the requirement in the relevant article of the Convention. Information on this can be obtained from the relevant tax authorities in the country concerned.


Table 2. Salary (Japanese Yen) for the visiting fellows based on the points scored by them based on qualification and professional experience (as of January 2024).
 Point Japanese Yen
 1  370,000
 2  420,000
 3  467,000
 4  519,000
 5  560,000
 6  607,000
 7  644,000


6. Mutual aid association:
Visiting foreign research fellows would become union members of the Mutual Aid Association at the time of employment. Regardless of age, members are obliged to pay for health insurance, nursing-care insurance (aged between 40 and 64) and pension scheme. Upon return home, they can be reimbursed part of the contribution they have made as the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment.

7. Travel expenses:
Travel expenses on taking up appointment:
These will be paid based on the most economical route and method of travel, whether by land, sea, or air, together with a fixed daily allowance. The actual travel expenses recognized as miscellaneous travel costs include immunization fees, passport fees, visa fees, foreign exchange procurement fees, and immigration/emigration taxes. Documentary evidence of expenditure (e.g. air ticket, receipts for various fees, etc.) would be needed for reimbursement of these expenses. Travel expenses for family dependents are not paid.

Travel expenses on return to home country:
These are paid on the same conditions as above, but only if the period of contract has been completed.

8. Facilitation of visa for Japan:
The ALRC would need the following documents from the candidates in order to arrange a certificate that will facilitate the issuance of Japanese visa to candidates in the country of their employment:
(1) Photocopy of the passport
(2) Application for Certificates of Eligibility
(3) Photograph
An authorization certificate will then be sent to you on the basis of which the Japanese Consulate in the country of the current residence of the candidate would issue the Japanese Visa.

9. Invitation and other procedures:
Once the application of a candidate has become successful, based on the evaluation of the documents provided by the candidate, a formal letter of invitation will be issued by the President of Tottori University. The invitation letter would spell out the terms and conditions of the assignment including the position offered, period of assignment, title of research to be conducted, and the entitlement for remuneration and travel expenses. Once the visiting research fellow arrives at the University to take up the appointment as per the invitation issued by the President, a contract will be formally concluded between the candidate and the President outlining the terms and conditions already mentioned in the letter of invitations and the obligations of the two parties. The contract will be made both in Japanese and English and one copy of each will be retained by each party.
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