The FY 2026 call for applications for the RIKEN Early Career Leaders Program (ECL Program) is scheduled to start in late April 2026.

The RIKEN ECL Program was established in 2023 under RIKEN's "Measures for fostering and supporting young researchers" as an expansion of the RIKEN Hakubi Fellows Program for the development of junior PIs. This program recruits promising young researchers from research institutes in Japan and around the world who aim to become international scientific leaders as they advance their original research.

Substantial support is offered to female researchers hired as ECL Team/Unit Leaders, such as additional research funding of up to 10 million yen per year through the Sechi Kato Program. This program is just one of RIKEN's initiatives to achieve a comfortable research environment for researchers of all backgrounds. Despite our efforts, increasing the rate of women in PI positions has proven to be an ongoing issue not only at RIKEN but throughout Japan. This pressing challenge requires action on a national scale. In the hopes of spurring change through a ripple effect, the FY 2024 RIKEN ECL Program held a call for applications though the Sechi Kato Program. The call saw a high number of applications from female researchers in a wide range of scientific fields. Following a rigorous selection process, several outstanding researchers took up posts as ECL Team/Unit Leaders.

This year's call will be open to all genders, and we will continue to accelerate measures to promote diversity. For example, female researchers in the ECL Program will automatically be eligible for the Sechi Kato Program. The mission of the RIKEN ECL Program remains to develop of the next generation of international scientific leaders who will pioneer new fields of research, regardless of gender. We greatly look forward to receiving your applications.

FY 2026 ECL Program data at a glance (as of April 2026)

• Number of ECL Team/Unit Leaders: 17
• Percentage of women: 58.8％
• Location of ECL Team/Unit Leaders' previous posts:
  Japan (including RIKEN), the US, the UK, and Germany

Details of call for applications (some details are subject to change)

Schedule:

Call is planned to start in late April 2026, and remain open for about 3 months

• *It is about a month earlier than last year.

Start of post:

Between July 1, 2027, and December 1, 2027

• *If you wish to start earlier, please consult us when applying.

Eligibility:

All genders

• *Female researchers hired through this program will be eligible for support from the Sechi Kato Program.

Position names:

RIKEN ECL Team Leader or RIKEN ECL Unit Leader

Research fields:

• Mathematical Sciences (pure mathematics, applied mathematics, computer science, information science, artificial intelligence, etc.)
• Physics I (particle, nuclear, astrophysics, etc.)
• Physics II (condensed matter, etc.)
• Chemistry
• Life Sciences
• Engineering
• Humanities and Social Sciences (those which border/blend elements of the above fields)

Employment type:

The position is offered on a fixed-term basis. During this fixed term, there will be an opportunity to apply for screening for promotion to an indefinite-term position.

Screening criteria:

The screening criteria include the academic and social importance, uniqueness, innovation, and feasibility (i.e., validity of the research methods and plan, as well as the candidate's past achievements and research results) of the applicant's research proposal, as well as the applicant's ambition and ability to manage laboratory staff and promote research activities as a PI.

Start-up expenses:

Please indicate projected initial expenses in your application. In addition to an annual budget, RIKEN will also provide financial support for lab start-up costs.

Mentors:

Two experienced mentors are assigned to each ECL Team/Unit Leader. These mentors provide guidance and advice for lab set-up, day-to-day lab management, and future career paths.

Support measures:

• Female researchers in the program will be eligible for the Sechi Kato Program and can receive up to 10 million yen in additional research funding each year.
• For ECL Team/Unit Leaders who take childbirth or childcare leave during their employment, the employment period may be extended by the length of time equal to the duration of leave.
• For all RIKEN employees, including ECL Team/Unit Leaders, a variety of programs are available for balancing work and personal life. These include on-campus childcare facilities (in Wako, Yokohama, and Kobe), support for returning to work after a break, and subsidies for hiring support staff for researchers with family commitments (i.e., pregnancy, childcare, and family nursing care).
• Please consult us if you are interested in spousal hiring or have any questions or concerns.