High-Incentive Tenure-Track Lecturer
48Osaka Metropolitan University
Japan, 〒530-0001 Osaka, Kita Ward, Umeda, 1-chōme−2−２−６００ 大阪駅前第二ビル 6階
$5,000,000 - $5,000,000
Research positions, commonly called research jobs, are academic roles centered on advancing knowledge through investigation, experimentation, and scholarly output. Unlike teaching-focused jobs, these emphasize producing publications, securing funding, and collaborating on projects. In higher education, they exist at universities, national institutes, and labs, supporting fields from sciences to humanities.
The meaning of a research position involves independent or team-based work to address research questions, often measured by metrics like h-index or citation counts. In Japan, these roles gained prominence post-2004 university reforms, promoting competitive research amid globalization.
Japan's research positions trace to the Meiji era's imperial universities, evolving through post-WWII expansion under GHQ reforms. The 21st-century COE (Centers of Excellence) program boosted research, followed by tenure-track introductions in 2009 to retain talent. Today, amid declining birthrates, Japan prioritizes international hires for research jobs, with over 10,000 foreign researchers in 2023.
To enter research jobs, candidates need a doctoral degree, specifically a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) or equivalent (Hakase) in the relevant discipline. For senior roles, additional postdoctoral training is standard.
Research jobs demand specialized knowledge aligned with lab or department priorities. In Japan, strengths include materials science, robotics, and quantum computing at institutions like RIKEN or Tohoku University. Expertise might involve techniques like CRISPR for biology or machine learning for AI research.
Employers favor candidates with proven track records:
For Japan, experience in competitive funding like JSPS enhances prospects.
Cultural competency, like understanding nemawashi (consensus-building), aids success.
Japan hosts vibrant research ecosystems at national universities (e.g., Kyoto University) and institutes. Challenges include job insecurity, but perks like advanced facilities attract talent. International researchers thrive in English-led teams. For tips, read about postdoctoral success and prepare your academic CV.
Recent trends show increased funding, with NIH-like approvals boosting grants, paralleling global research booms.
To land a position:
Explore research assistant jobs as entry points or postdoc opportunities.
Japan offers dynamic research jobs for dedicated scholars. Browse higher ed jobs, university jobs, and specialized research jobs. Get expert guidance from higher ed career advice. Employers, post a job to attract top talent.
If you are searching for research jobs in Japan, you need more than a keyword dump of “scientist” ads. You need openings that match how universities actually hire: postdoctoral fellowships, research assistant and associate roles, research fellows, lab technicians, research coordinators, and faculty researcher lines. Academic Jobs (AJ) is built for that search. Every listing on this page is already filtered to university and institute research roles, so you spend time on fit — lab, method, contract length, and location — instead of wading through unrelated industry postings.
Job seekers come here with a clear intent: find a funded research post they can apply to this week. Use the filters above to narrow by city, institution, employment type, or a keyword such as CRISPR, ethnography, or clinical trials. On a country page the region is pre-set, so the count in the heading is the live number of research openings in Japan, not a global total. That is the number you should trust when you are deciding whether to relocate, stay local, or keep a worldwide search open.
AJ aggregates research jobs from universities, medical schools, national labs, and research institutes in one board. That matters because most research hiring is still posted on a single employer career site and easy to miss if you only check two or three campuses. A postdoc in public health, a research technician in a core facility, and a research professor line will not sit on the same faculty page — they will sit on AJ if the employer posted or syndicated the role. You can also save a job alert with the same research filters so new fellowships hit your inbox instead of disappearing after a short closing window.
Compared with general job boards, AJ’s research collection is scoped to higher education. You will still see staff research and faculty research together, which is useful when your next step could be either a fellowship or a research-track faculty post. Pair this page with Science Jobs if you want scientist titles, or Professor Jobs if you are targeting a teaching-and-research chair. For most candidates asking “where do I find research jobs in Japan that I can actually apply for?”, the short answer is this listing: live count, research-only filters, and a board that employers in higher education already use.
Reach qualified research professionals across any industry. List your vacancy on AcademicJobs.com.
Get notified when new research vacancies are posted on Academic Jobs.
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