Objective of Project

The objective is to promote the project of nurturing female research leaders by the university, which has its strength in industry-university-government cooperation. This includes support for female research leaders in interdisciplinary and/or joint research and support for females in senior positions to harmonize their working lives with their family lives.

 

Goals and Action Plan

The goals and action plan are set for the midterm plan and goal of the third period (2017 to 2022).

• 30% of female faculties in new hiring after 2016
• 21% of female faculties in the overall faculty at 2020
• No department without female professor
• 23% of females in senior positions (professor, associate professor, and lecturer)
• 25% of females in senior positions (vice president, director, and advisor to the president

 

Summary of Project

• The Research Center for the Diversity Research Environment will be established within the university to nurture female research leaders and to support females in seeking senior positions.
• Each department will be encouraged to take initiatives to achieve the goal of increasing the proportion of females, by rewarding those that attain exceptional results with incentives.
• As a means to support young female researchers, personal portfolios (including the roadmap to senior positions) will be utilized, and programs aimed at enhancing research skills will be carried out.

 

Activities of Research Center for the Diversity Research Environment

Ⅰ　Establishing the foundation for Diversity Research Environment

• Increasing the ratio of female faculties and researchers.
  • Each department develops and implements a human resource plan to secure a certain ratio of female researchers in recruitment.
  • Supporting the departments attaining high performance by providing grants as expenditure for the Diversity Research Environment.
  • Assigning research assistants to support females in senior positions to harmonize their working lives with family lives and for supporting female postdoctoral fellows and faculties (including those with special permission) to balance their research with life events or to return to work.
• For young female researchers (new recruits with a position below assistant or associate professor), assigning female mentors across various fields.
• Coordinators from the Research Center for the Diversity Research Environment, mentors mentioned above, and persons in charge from URA work together to support female members to improve their research skills by creating a personal portfolio (roadmap to senior positions).

 

Ⅱ　Upskill Support Program  

• Purpose and positioning of the skills-upgrading support program.
• This program helps female researchers improve their skills (1.5 years per course). This is mandatory for young female researchers who are newly hired.
• Seminar on obtaining external funding：Upgrading of skills to obtain external research funding.
• Seminar on writing academic papers in English：To present research results to the world.
• Seminar on improving presentation skills：Improving presentation and teaching skills.
• Management Seminar：Training aimed at developing capability to manage research teams, laboratories, and departments required for senior positions.

 

Ⅲ　RESPECT (Research Support Program for Enhancing Capability and Techniques)

• Purpose and positioning of RESPECT
• RESPECT is implemented as the higher training program of the skills-upgrading support program aimed at nurturing female research leaders.

 

Other

• Promoting researchers that unite interdisciplinary research areas.
• Finding and hiring females with science backgrounds and supporting their careers
• Utilizing regional partnership as a public university.