APPLICATION QUALIFICATIONS
REGISTRATION FORM / APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
SECOND SELECTION STAGE (document screening)
THIRD SELECTION STAGE (interview)
WORKING CONDITIONS
OTHERS
APPLICATION QUALIFICATIONS
＜Age＞
Q：Are researchers over age 40 eligible to apply?
A：Yes, there is no age limit, but most previous intakes were in their 20s and 30s.
＜Research Fields＞
Q：Is any research fields acceptable?
A：Yes, all research fields are acceptable. However, when you fill in the online application form, you will be asked to specify the research area (Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, or Humanities) in which your research is situated.
Note: It is not permissible to select more than one area.
＜Qualifications＞
Q：I’d like to know, before I apply, if my academic background is suitable for WIAS application.
A：Suitability as a WIAS researcher is assessed based on the documents submitted by the applicant. You should decide to apply based on your own assessment.
Q. Application Qualification section b. reads: Persons who are expected to obtain a doctorate by the time of appointment. Note: If you are not able, no later than one month prior to the date of appointment, to provide an official letter stating that the doctorate will be granted by the time of appointment, your appointment will be revoked.” Please, in detail, what kind of document is required as an official letter?
A: Please submit a document signed by your chief examiner, deputy examiner, or supervisor, stating that your doctoral degree has been awarded after the doctoral degree examination.
Q：What research/education projects is Waseda University engaged in?
A：Waseda University is strengthening initiatives in the areas of life science and data science, as well as the seven model units that fall under the “Top Global University Project: Waseda Goes Global – A Plan to Build a Worldwide Academic Network that is Open, Dynamic and Diverse.” Please refer to the following links for details on the initiatives in each unit/discipline.
Global Japanese Studies
Empirical Analyses of Political Economy
Health Promotion: The Joy of Sports and Exercise
Frontier of Embodiment Informatics: ICT and Robotics
Mathematics and Physics Unit: Multiscale Analysis, Modeling and Simulation
Energy and Nanomaterials
Global Asia Studies
Life Science
Data Science
Carbon neutrality
REGISTRATION FORM / APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
All applicants are required to apply through online registration form on WIAS website. Please make sure to read this FAQ and “the instructions regarding the Online Registration Form” in advance.
＜Research Achievement / Number of Academic Presentations＞
Q：Can I include the times when I have been a collaborator in a research project, even though I personally did not give a presentation at an academic conference?
A：That may depend on the discipline. Generally, please include only research projects that you have presented yourself.
Q：If I gave a presentation in English at an international conference held in Japan, does that count as “domestic” or “abroad”?
A：If the conference is an international conference, please count it as “abroad”.
＜Research Achievement / Number of Papers Published＞
Q：Q: I want to list all the papers I have published, but it would take up too many pages. How can I handle it?
A：Please list selected papers, and indicate the total number of other papers as “ other XX papers ” Do not change the font size to a size smaller than the specified size.
＜References＞
Q：Do I have to provide the names of two references?
A：Yes, two references are absolutely necessary.
Q：Are references who live outside of Japan acceptable?
A：Yes, non-Japanese and overseas references are acceptable. Please note that references will be asked to submit your recommendations directly to us around early to mid-July.
＜Format for Application Documents＞
Q：Is it possible to submit application documents in a form other than the specified form?
A：For the CV section, yes. You can use your own format. However, please ensure it covers all the required items specified in the application guideline. For the research plan section, please be sure to use the prescribed form, as it contains specific items that are essential to our screening process.
＜Language＞
Q：Do you accept application documents written in a language other than Japanese or English?
A：No. All application documents must be written in Japanese or English.
＜Application Documents＞
Q：Can I add pages to “Curriculum Vitae” in the application documents?
A：Yes, you may add a pages if necessary. Please ensure that this section does not exceed 2 pages. Please provide the required information as adding columns accordingly.
Q：Can I add pages to “Research Plan” (page 1 -7) in the application documents?
A：Yes, you may add pages, making it a total of 9 pages in the Japanese application form, and 10 pages in the English application form.
Q: In a Research Plan section 3. “Collaboration Plan”, I am asked to describe “Prospective collaboration networks and research collaborators.” Do I need to obtain prior consent from my prospective collaborators before naming them?
A: It is up to the applicant whether or not to communicate proactively with prospective collaborators.
Q: In Section 3, “Collaboration Plan,” it mentions “Prospective collaboration networks, research projects & activities, and research collaborators you will work with in the future.” Can you introduce me to researchers I might want to collaborate with?
A：We do not provide individual introductions. Applicants are encouraged to contact collaborator independently by referring the link below.
Waseda University Researchers Database
Q: On a Research Plan section 4. “Publications, Invited Lectures and Presentations,” can I list unpublished papers under research achievements?
A: If the papers have been accepted for publication, you can list them as research achievements with a note such as “accepted for publication.”
＜Application Submission＞
Q：Can I bring application documents directly to the WIAS office?
A：No. Only online application is acceptable.
Q：Can I submit my letters of recommendation along with the application documents?
A：No. Only application documents may be sent for the first selection stage.
＜Revision of Submitted Information and Documents＞
Q：There are mistakes in the information and the documents I submitted. Can I revise them?
A：Yes, but only during the application period. You can make changes to your registered contents by entering all of the information again in the application form once again, and providing the PIN number that was first registered. However, please remember: registration changes can only be made during the application period. After the application deadline has passed, the registered contents can no longer be changed, and application documents can no longer be replaced.
Q：I forgot my PIN, so I cannot revise submitted information. What should I do?
A：Since PINs cannot be reissued, you should contact us via the inquiry form on the WIAS website and provide your name and application number in your message.
＜Application Deadline＞
Q：Can you accept my application after the deadline?
A：No. Applications submitted after the deadline are unacceptable, without exception.
SECOND SELECTION STAGE (document screening)
＜Principal Research Achievements＞
Q：Can I submit hard copies of “principal research achievements (a maximum of three),” by regular mail?
A：We ask applicants to submit their achievements in digital format (such as PDF) whenever possible. If digital version is unavailable, please send three physical copies of each book to the WIAS office.
Q：Do submitted papers have to be written in English or Japanese?
A：No. Papers written in other languages are also acceptable, but you must submit English or Japanese abstracts along with them.
Q：Can I submit doctoral dissertation as principal research achievements?
A：Your doctoral dissertation is acceptable if you consider it to be your principal research achievement.
＜Recommendation Letter＞
Q：Is there a language specification for the recommendation letter?
A：Yes, please write in Japanese or English.
THIRD SELECTION STAGE (interview)
＜Language＞
Q：Can I have my interview in English?
A：Yes, you can. However, if you have a high level of proficiency in the Japanese language (e.g. if you are a native speaker of Japanese language,) you might be asked to use Japanese language in the interview. Please confirm in advance with the WIAS Office whether you will be able to have your interview conducted in English.
＜Place＞
Q：I live overseas. Do I have to go to Japan for my interview?
A：No. The interview will be conducted online.
WORKING CONDITIONS
＜Salary＞
Q：How much would my salary be?
A：Your salary will depend on your position and age. Examples of annual salaries (taxes included) are provided below.
Assistant Professor (non-tenure-track)
Age 30 : about 5.3million JPY per year
Age 35 : about 6.7 million JPY per year
Associate Professor (non-tenure-track)
Age 40 : about 8.0 million JPY per year
＜Allowances＞
Q：Do I have to join social insurance schemes, and is there any other allowance for dependent, housing or commuting to supplement my basic salary?
A：You will be enrolled in the Employee’s Pension Insurance, Health Insurance, Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance , and Employment Insurance. Commuting allowance will be paid but there are no allowances for dependents or for housing.
＜Space for Research Work＞
Q：Will I be provided with an office for my research work?
A：Yes. Each researcher is provided with an office room.
Q：Is there a laboratory or a space for experimental instruments and devices at WIAS?
A：No. WIAS does not have its own experimental laboratories. In principle you are expected to rent research space on campus using your obtained research funds (such as overhead expenses or contract research funds) or to be affiliated with relevant departments or researchers, and to use their laboratories on campus, as necessary. The university also has open shared laboratories. For more details, please refer to the following web site (Japanese only).
[Waseda University Research Support Center] http://www.sci.waseda.ac.jp/rsc/
＜Research Funds＞
Q：Does the university provide any research funds?
A：Yes, each researcher receives an Individual Research Allowance of 212,000 JPY. In addition, there are subsidies including a subsidy for copying (3,000 JPY), travel expense subsidies for conference (domestic 90,000 JPY; abroad 110,000 JPY), and the Academic Paper Publication Subsidy. The university also provides competitive grants such as the Grants for Special Research Projects, the Grant Program for Promotion of International Joint Research, the Grant for International Academic Events, and the Support for Publishing Open Access Articles (in the case of AY2025).
＜Research Assistant＞
Q：Will I be assigned a research assistant such as a graduate student?
A：No, no research assistants are assigned. If you do require an assistant, you could hire an assistant or research assistant with your research expenses in accordance with regulations of the funders or the University, if necessary.
＜Teaching Opportunities＞
Q：Am I required to teach classes?
A：Yes. Teaching experience is considered very important for building an academic career. As a general rule, you will be asked to teach classes within the specified limit from the second year of the appointment.
Q：Can I conduct my classes in a language other than Japanese?
A：In some cases. There are some faculties and departments where you could teach in English.
＜Oversea Research Activities＞
Q：Will I be allowed to do research in an institute outside Japan?
A：WIAS should be the researcher’s primary place of work, but it is permissible to conduct research abroad, depending on the research conditions, on an as-needed basis. There have been some cases where overseas business trips of one to three months were approved.
＜Tenured Position＞
Q：Is there any chance I could be promoted to a tenured position?
A：No. There is no system for appointing researchers to a tenured position.
OTHERS
Q：Can I contact you by phone?
A：No. Please contact us via the online inquiry form on the WIAS website.
Please note that we may not be able to respond to your inquiry promptly, since at times we receive many queries.
