Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences
Tohoku University

Aiming to enable assistant professors employed in the FRIS Shoshi Program to concentrate on research during the tenure track period and to obtain higher positions within and outside of Tohoku University after the tenure track period, FRIS operates the "Tenure Track System of FRIS" to support the career development of its faculty members during and after the tenure track period.

Assistant professors employed in the FRIS Shoshi Program undergo a tenure review between the third and fifth years of their employment as tenure-track faculty members. Those who pass the tenure review become tenured assistant professors. In addition, those who pass the tenure review and the promotion review for a fixed-term associate professor position may become fixed-term associate professors if they so desire. If they are not appointed as tenured faculty members, they will be employed as assistant professors for up to an additional two years upon separate review.

After the tenure track period, tenured assistant professors are expected to obtain further higher positions within a certain period, and fixed-term associate professors and fixed-term assistant professors are expected to obtain further higher positions within and outside of the university within their fixed terms. The "Tenure Track System of FRIS" also provides support for obtaining higher positions within the university with the cooperation of the university as a whole.

Aiming to enable early-career faculty members of FRIS to promote world-class research in an independent research environment, FRIS operates the "Mentor System of FRIS" through cooperation between the departments of Tohoku University and FRIS.

The mentor will be appointed by the Director of FRIS based on the request of the faculty member of FRIS who has sought the approval of the professor or associate professor at Tohoku University.

Early-career faculty members of FRIS are expected to proactively promote international interdisciplinary research in all research fields as Principal Investigators (PIs), pioneer new academic fields, and actively promote collaborative research with researchers and research institutions in Japan and abroad. They will conduct regular interdisciplinary research exchanges and interdisciplinary collaborative research at FRIS, as well as conduct their own research in their mentors’ laboratories on a daily basis with the following support from the mentor.

• An independent research environment and research support
• Career-path-related support
• Support for health and safety, and research ethics, etc.
• Support for educational opportunities
• Any other support requested by the Director of FRIS, as necessary

While the concept of an independent research environment varies from department to department and laboratory to laboratory, at the very least, the early-career faculty members will be able to secure an environment and research space where they can conduct research and present results under their own responsibility as a PI, and an environment where they can execute their research expenses. From the perspective of the career paths of early-career faculty members, educational opportunities for relevant undergraduate and graduate students of the mentor department will be provided within a reasonable range. Students are not formally assigned to assistant professors, not only at FRIS. However, through consultation with the mentors, early-career faculty members can be involved in student research guidance in the mentor's laboratory.