WRH Program – FY 2024-FY 2025 Overseas Researcher Invitation
Application Guidelines
1. AimOur Institute aims to serve as a top World
Research Hub (WRH) and drive scientific andtechnological progress in various fields. To
achieve this, exchanges backed by a strong
network of international researchers areessential.
The WRH program provides funding andadministrative assistance for inviting worldclass researchers to the Institute. As an
initiative under the fourth period of the InstituteMid-term Goals and Plans, the program isoffered to encourage new international
collaborations or deepening and expansion ofexisting collaborations, as well as to provide
opportunities for early-career researchers andstudents to interact with prominent overseas
researchers.

2. Invitation Categories
Application materials:
https://tokyotech.app.box.com/folder/2753456533
38【Type 0】(Initiating collaborations)
Outline: Type 0 is designed to provide
support through a short-term, trial
invitation for initiating collaborations withworld-class researchers with whom
applicants are “interested in starting
discussions about research.”
Support period: In principle, a single
approximately 1-week stay in FY 2025.
Conditions for inviting: Invited researcher
must be a researcher from abroad who is nota previous collaborator.
Note: Host faculty may later apply for Type I
or Type II based on the results of a Type 0invitation.

【Type I】(New research collaborations /expanding existing collaborations)
Outline: Type I is designed to provide
support for inviting world-class researchers
for multiple short periods over multipleyears, under objective (i) to create newcollaboration opportunities with Institutefaculty, or (ii) to take steps to extend
collaboration outcomes for deeper and larger
research projects.
Support period: In principle, two fiscal years(from FY 2025 to FY 2026 (February 2027)).
Conditions for inviting: Must visit theInstitute at least once per fiscal year;
combined length of stay must be from one
month to a maximum of six months, insofar
as budget permits.

【Type II】(Long-term stays)
Outline: Type II is designed to support longterm stays by world-class researchers,
taking sabbaticals, etc., to contribute to theInstitute research and education. The
objective is to provide opportunities forearly-career researchers and students tointeract with world-class researchers anddirectly observe advanced research methods.
Type II also supports long-term stays by
early-career researchers who demonstratestrong potential to become top-classresearchers in their fields, allowing forassessment of whether they could play anactive role at the Institute.
Support period: Single stay between two and
12 months; may span fiscal years.
Conditions for inviting: Stay must end by
February 2027.

【Invitations starting in FY 2024】
Type 0, Type I, or Type II invitations
starting in FY 2024 may be considered if
the proposed schedule is feasible. Please
consult with the WRH Program Office
before applying.
Support periods and conditions for inviting
are as described above, but with years
adjusted for a FY 2024 start. For Type I
invitations starting in FY 2024, the support
period will be until FY 2025.

responsibilities expected as host facultymembers.
③ Only one application is permitted perapplicant (up to one invited researcher
per applicant). Group applications (agroup of host faculty members applying
to invite multiple researchers) areaccepted, but in this case as well, each
invited researcher must be assigned
one host faculty member.
④ Applicants must obtain consent fromtheir school/institute before applying.

3) Eligibility for invited researchers

3. Application Requirements
1) Target cases
This program is intended to support
opportunities to newly establish
international research collaborations oraccelerate deepening and expansion ofexisting ones, or cases that would not berealized with commonly available researchfunding (when inviting a researcher for along term, when an early-career researcher
serves as a host, etc.). As such, cases toinvite researchers for international
research collaborations that could berealized with commonly available researchfunding are not applicable.
2) Eligibility for applicants (host facultymembers)① Applicants must be Tokyo Institute ofTechnology faculty members whose
employment is secured during thesupport period. Assistant professors
and specially appointed faculty are also
eligible to apply. However, in suchcases, due to the need to secure work
space, etc., the applicant must apply
jointly with a regular faculty memberin the position of lecturer or above. For
joint hosts, their joint applications will
not count towards the application limit
described in ③ below.
② Applicants must be able to provide theinvited researcher with an adequate
research environment, such as researchfunds and office, and fulfil other① Invited researchers should be employed
by a research institution outside ofJapan at the time of application andduring the support period. However,persons who have not yet been awardedor only recently been awarded a degree
are excluded from this requirement.
There is no restriction on nationality.
② For Type I and Type II, applicants may
choose for the invited researcher to a)be employed as a specially appointed
professor/associate professor/assistantprofessor, or b) be entrusted the work
as a (non-hire) visiting
professor/associate professor/assistantprofessor. For Type 0, no Institute title
will be provided.
③ Invitations for the purpose of extending
the tenure of persons already affiliatedwith the Institute are generally notaccepted.
4) Invitation plan requirements① If you wish to apply for a Type I or TypeII invitation for a researcher you
previously invited under Type 0,
explain the relationship between theprevious invitation and proposed
invitation.
In principle, invitations for researchers
you previously invited under Type I or
Type II will not be accepted.
② If applying as a group, include in theinvitation plan the composition of thegroup and relation, roles, etc. of itsmembers. (The same Invitation Plan

can be used for multiple invitedresearchers.)③ If planning any business trips during
the stay, details including funds tocover the trips should be noted.
④ For the final fiscal year of theinvitation, in principle, the invitedresearcher must return to their homecountry by February of that fiscal year.

4. Funding Support
As per “Handling regarding World Research
Hub (WRH) Program Invited OverseasResearchers”.

5. Application Procedures
1) Application deadline: 2024/09/30 (Mon)8:30 JST① Researcher Invitation Application andInvited Researcher’s Achievements(form; one per invitee; applicationachievements.xls)
Requires information from SciVal. See
the application materials for details.
② Invitation Plan (free format, pdf file,up to two A4 pages; plan.pdf)
For Type 0, an explanation (one A4page) of your reason for the invitation
will be sufficient.
③ Invited Researcher’s CV (free format,pdf file, one per invitee; cv.pdf)④ Proof of Agreement to Invitation (emailcorrespondence, etc., pdf file, one perinvitee; agree.pdf)
Please name the files as described below:
・ For the zip file, use a filename that
include the applicant’s name, such as“apply_applicant’s_name.zip”.

Note: If you wish to request an urgent
screening due to your invitation plan, state
the request when submitting yourapplication.

・ For documents ① through ④, use thefilename indicated in blue.

Be aware that after an application isapproved, the necessary procedures forfaculty selection will take 2 months, andvisa application procedures will takefurther time. When inviting as speciallyappointed faculty, a Certificate ofEligibility is also necessary. Plan yourinvitation assuming that the procedures
will complete approximately five months
after selection.

6. Screening and Post-Selection2) How to apply
Submit the required documents in zip
format through the Box page below by thedeadline. Then go to Slack channel #t2-irfiwrh 招聘プログラム and use workflow “申請手続き / Application” to post anapplication notification.
Box submission page:https://tokyotech.app.box.com/f/6c762c22f2
9b4b21a006f522255a0bc6
3) Required documents

1) The WRH Program Steering Committee
will comprehensively screen applications
based on the following categories andfactors:<Categories>
・ Program types (0, I, or II)
・ Research areas (to be specified by theapplicant)a. Mathematical Sciences (including
Physics, Information,
Management, etc.)
b. Electrical and Electronic
Engineeringc. Mechanical/Control/Robot
Engineeringd. Chemistry and Materials(including Energy Sciences, etc.)
e. Life Sciencef. Social Infrastructure and Social
Issue Resolutions, Humanities andSocial Science＜Assessment Factors＞
・ The invitee’s research capabilities
and/or achievements in previous
collaborations with the Institute*(research publications, results ofcollaborative research)*Collaboration achievements will beused only for applications selecting
Type I, objective (ii).
・ Adequacy, necessity, and expected
ripple effect of the invitation:
Possibility to be extended tocollaborative research involving theInstitute faculty members ororganization-based international
collaborations, significance in applyingfor (international collaborative)
research funding programs, necessityof inviting in relation to faculty hiring
plans, etc.
2) During the screening process, the WRH
Program Steering Committee Chair may
contact applicants to inquire about theapplication contents.
3) Screening results are expected to be
notified to applicants in October 2024.
4) Application approvals may be conditional.
In such cases, applicants may be asked torevise their plan, etc.

7. General Notes
1) The aim of the WRH Program is to build
international collaboration. Activities withmainly educational aims are beyond thescope of this program.
2) Invitations for research projects supportedby KAKENHI or other competitive funds
are not eligible, as the supporting fundshould be used to cover such invitations.
3) If a selected application is subject toJapanese Security Export Control,
confirmation of completion of the necessary

procedures will be required as a conditionof the invitation.
https://www.titech.ac.jp/staff/world/export_
control/examination_researcher.html
4) A visa is not required for visiting faculty
members who are nationals of visa-exempt
countries and stay in Japan within thepermitted period. Ref: Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Japan “Exemption of Visa (ShortTerm Stay)”https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html

8. Inquiries
International Research Frontiers Initiative,
WRH Program Office
Send inquiries via Slack channel #t2-irfi-wrh
招聘プログラム. Inquiries can be posted
directly in the channel or using the workflow“申請に関する問合せ / Inquiry”.