Assignment of Academic Assistant

1. Overview

This program was established to support researchers experiencing a life event, such as childbirth, childcare, or providing nursing care to a family member (researchers who fulfill “3. Application Requirements”), by assigning an academic assistant, whose duties include assisting in experiments and analyses.

This program is implemented based on A. Academic Assistance, A-1. Utilization of Academic Assistant Program of the Action Plan for Promoting Gender Equality of the Research Organization of Information and Systems (ROIS). It is also a measure to achieve [64] of the ROIS third medium-term plan, which states, “Secure diverse human resources by proactively employing people with a high level of expertise, such as URAs, and female researchers, to ensure the effective operation of the Institution. Increase the percentage of female researchers to 20% by the end of the target period of the third medium-term plan. Further, take measures to establish career paths for female researchers, such as encouraging the promotion of women to managerial positions.” 

2. Requirements, etc. of Academic Assistant

3. Application Requirements

An eligible applicant shall fulfill one of the requirements 1) to 3) of “(1) Requirements related to the applicant,” and also fulfill one of requirements A to D of “(2) Requirements related to the applicant's life event.” 

Applicants who are on maternity leave, childcare leave, or nursing care leave as of the date of application and who are scheduled to return to work during FY2022 may set the scheduled date of return to work as the start date. 

(1)  Requirements related to the applicant

1. Being a research and educational staff member (a professor, associate professor, lecturer, or assistant professor)
2.  Being a project faculty member or project researcher (excluding those working less than 20 hours a week)
3. Being a Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

(2) Requirements related to the applicant's life event

1. An expecting mother
2. The main caregiver of a child who is in the sixth grade or younger as of next March 31
3. A person who has a spouse, parent, child, or parent-in-law who needs full-time nursing care due to an injury, disease, or physical or mental disability and who provides nursing care to this person as the main caregiver
4. A person who lives with and supports their grandparent, sibling, or grandchild needing full-time nursing care due to an injury, disease, or physical or mental disability and who provides nursing care to this person as the main caregiver

4. What Will Be Subsidized

The following costs related to the employment of academic assistant will be subsidized.

1. Salary
2. Commuting allowance

3. Occupational injury insurance premiums (amount to be paid by the employer)
   The above costs will not be subsidized while the applicant is on maternity leave, childcare leave, or nursing care leave.

4. Working from home allowance

5. How to Apply, etc.

(1) How to apply

Fill in the Application for Academic assistant Program (Format 1) and submit it by the deadline indicated below.

Keep the following in mind when filling in the application form.

- If the applicant has special circumstances, describe them in the “Why childcare/nursing care is imposing an extra burden on the applicant” column. (E.g., “The applicant is the sole caregiver.” “The spouse of the applicant cannot spare the time and effort for childcare/nursing care.”)

- Describe the applicant's share of childcare/nursing care as a percentage to show that the applicant is the main caregiver.

- Being too busy with the main job is not regarded as a reason under this program.

(2) When and where to submit the application

Submit it by: Friday, February 14, 2022

Submit it to: The ROIS Headquarters Office for Gender Equality

(See “10. Contacts for Inquiries.” The same applies hereinafter.)

6. Screening

Based on the purposes of this program, the decision to approve each application will be made by a screening work group, which is obligated to maintain confidentiality, in accordance with the screening criteria described below.

Notification of the results of the screening will be sent to researchers and the office for gender equality of each institute around February 2022.

Because the budget is limited, applications may be rejected at the discretion of the screening work group, even when the applicant fulfills “3. Application Requirements.”

(Screening criteria)

1. Value the development of female research personnel.
   ([64] of the medium-term plan. See “1. Overview” of these application guidelines.)
2. Consider the degree of the burden imposed on the applicant by childcare/nursing care.

7. Employment of an Academic Assistant Member

The employment procedures shall be undertaken by the office for gender equality of each institute.

For employment procedures, consult the person in charge of personnel affairs at each institute.

When it has been decided that an academic assistant member will be employed, submit a duplicate of the notice of working conditions (Rodo Joken Tsuchisho) and a commuting allowance registration form (Tsukin Teate Nintei-bo) to the Office for Gender Equality at the ROIS Headquarters.

8. Reporting Hours Worked

Submit (a duplicate) of the report of hours worked by the academic assistant member each month to the Office for Gender Equality at the ROIS Headquarters by the 10th day of the following month.

This report may be submitted in the form used by each institute.

If the academic assistant member also engages in operations financed under a program other than this program, clearly state the number of hours worked under this program in the report.

9. Submission of Utilization Report

The researcher shall create and submit a Report on Utilization of the Academic assistant Program (Format 2) to the Office for Gender Equality at the ROIS Headquarters within 30 days of the end of the period of assignment of the academic assistant.

10. Contacts for Inquiries

11. Other Information

For the purpose of continuing and improving this program, we may request a person utilizing this program explain the status of utilization or provide opinions, etc. about this program. 

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