The Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) is now accepting applications for fixed-term employment of young researchers.

To facilitate further advancement in research activities addressing global challenges, JIRCAS offers fixed-term employment aimed at nurturing excellent and highly motivated young researchers to conduct research in the fields of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Available positions and job descriptions are as follows.

• Biological Resources and Post-Harvest Division
  • Low-Environmental-Impact Agricultural Bioprocesses Using Microbial Functional Synergy
  • Development of Post-Harvest Technologies Contributing to Sustainable Food Value Chains and Food Loss Reduction
• Crop, Livestock, and Environment Division
  • Development of Environmentally Sustainable Livestock Farming
• Tropical Agriculture Research Front
  • Establishment of Innovative Plant Disease Control Systems through Exploratory Research in Plant Disease and Development of Advanced Plant Protection Technologies
• Division is to be decided upon hiring based on the specialization of the candidate
  • International Studies on Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries

Low-Environmental-Impact Agricultural Bioprocesses Using Microbial Functional Synergy

Detailed requirements and application documents (jREC-IN Portal)

Research Division

Biological Resources and Post-Harvest Division (1 person)

Research description

Climate change and resource limitations are driving the need for integrated solutions in agriculture, energy, and the environment. This research builds on the expertise of JIRCAS in cellulose-degrading microbes and microbial genomics to explore microbes and plants that utilize saccharified biomass and fermentation by-products.

The goal is to develop co-culture systems that not only combine cellulose-degrading microbes with other functional microbes or plants but also enable direct production of biofuels and value-added compounds such as organic acids and alcohols.
Furthermore, the project investigates metabolic and ecological interactions, including symbiosis and mutualism, with a view to designing stable and efficient microbial communities. It also evaluates both the plant-growth-promoting and the disease-suppressing effects of these microbes and their culture supernatants, aiming to apply them as bio-stimulants or biological control agents in sustainable, low-input farming.

This work supports the development of innovative bio-based technologies that hold potential for international application and on-farm implementation.

Examples of research topics

• Molecular design and functional evaluation of co-culture systems based on metabolic coupling between cellulose-degrading microbes and product-synthesizing microorganisms
• Compound screening and mechanistic analysis of plant physiological responses induced by metabolites derived from cellulose-degrading microbes
• Development of integrated saccharification-fermentation systems using underutilized tropical biomass and evaluation of plant nutritional and disease-suppressing effects

Keywords

Fields of Expertise: Microbial functions, plant–microbe interactions, microbial metabolic engineering, bio-stimulants, low-environmental-impact agricultur
International Qualifications: Proficiency in Japanese sufficient for daily work, Proficiency in English sufficient to conduct international collaborative research, and a global outlook to promote international collaborative research.

Development of Post-Harvest Technologies Contributing to Sustainable Food Value Chains and Food Loss Reduction

Detailed requirements and application documents (jREC-IN Portal)

Research Division

Biological Resources and Post-Harvest Division (1 person)

Research description

Inadequate postharvest handling and market price crashes due to overproduction pose serious threats to the livelihoods of farmers in many developing regions.
To mitigate these risks, it is essential that locally adopted distribution, storage and processing technologies be established.
A key approach involves evaluating and improving traditional postharvest practices in a way that respectfully integrates modern technologies tailored to local contexts.

Expected Responsibilities
- Conduct R&D on food preservation and storage technologies
- Provide technical guidance and share the information with local stakeholders
- Engage in practical, application-oriented research with real-world impact
- Collaborate effectively with both domestic and international research partners
 

Examples of research topics

• Development and improvement of locally adopted food storage technologies
• Enhancement of food distribution systems in environmentally challenging regions
• Development of proper utilization technologies aimed at food loss reduction

Keywords

Fields of Expertise: Post-Harvest Technology, Food Science, Food Distribution Science

International Qualifications: Proficiency in Japanese sufficient for daily work, Proficiency in English sufficient to conduct international collaborative research, and a global outlook to promote international collaborative research.

Development of Environmentally Sustainable Livestock Farming

Detailed requirements and application documents (jREC-IN Portal)

Research Division

Crop, Livestock, and Environment Division (1 person)

Research description

Livestock farming is a technology that converts grass, inedible crop residues or low-quality grain into meat, milk, and other products. As incomes rise in developing countries in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, the demand for livestock products is also growing such that there is the need to improve livestock productivity by increasing feed efficiency to achieve self-sufficiency within the said regions. However, since climate change the world over is getting worse recently, it becomes imperative to roll back greenhouse gas emission from livestock farming as much as from other sources.
Over the years, JIRCAS has been developing technologies for more productive livestock and more efficient feeds utilizing local resources and silage feed in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has also produced methodologies to cut down greenhouse gas emissions from livestock by using feeds fortified with cashew nuts shell liquid and by adequate treatment of livestock’s excreta in Southeast Asia. Without limiting itself to and being limited by past research, it will continue to conduct research into environmentally sustainable livestock farming in developing regions with the goal of reducing the environmental load associated with it. 
In this regard, the current project is engaged in the development of technologies that contribute to the enhancement of feed efficiency by means of the effective utilization of feed resources and to the improvement of reproduction by way of better nutrition, while taking into account environmentally hazardous substances derived from livestock in developing countries in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. It likewise aims to disseminate these technologies in cooperation with local government units in the mid-term.   
In view of the above, JIRCAS is looking for a research-scientist who: (1) possesses the necessary expertise on animal nutrition and feed science as well as a desirable knowledge of breath-measurement tests; (2) can cooperate with researchers both in Japan and abroad with a keen global outlook to undertake joint research; and (3) is bold enough to take on new challenging research fields such as evaluating the impact of the livestock industry on the local environment.
 

Examples of research topics

• Development of evaluation, preparation and preservation techniques for feed resources in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Development of technologies to improve productivity and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock industry by the utilization of unused feed resources in Southeast Asia
• Development of technologies for crop-livestock farming integration in South America

Keywords

Fields of Expertise: Mitigation of GHG emissions, Livestock feed nutrition, Improving livestock productivity, Environmental impact assessment

International Qualifications: Proficiency in Japanese sufficient for daily work, Proficiency in English sufficient to conduct international collaborative research, and a global outlook to promote international collaborative research.

Establishment of Innovative Plant Disease Control Systems through Exploratory Research in Plant Disease and Development of Advanced Plant Protection Technologies

Detailed requirements and application documents (jREC-IN Portal)

Research Division

Tropical Agriculture Research Front (1 person)

Research description

Every year about 25-30% of the world's crop production is lost due to diseases that occur between the growth stage and the post-harvest storage. Since control systems for infectious diseases are inadequate, such diseases lead to severe losses particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. In this regard, JIRCAS has been at the forefront of developing and disseminating technologies, namely, pathogenicity differential systems, virus-free seedling production methods, and the selection techniques for resistant genetic resources and genes, precisely with the goal of reducing them. At the same time, however, due to the escalation of climate change and the expansion of the global market, changes in areas where diseases occur and their rapid transmission to other places have become problematic. Likewise, with the increased focus on environmentally regenerative agriculture, biodiversity concerns, and environmental conservation, the global demand to lessen the use of pesticides and fertilizers is on the rise.  
In view of the above, we are looking for a researcher who is going to engage in research fields that show the genetic, physiological, biochemical, and molecular biological characteristics of plant pathogens and their interactions with plants, on the one hand; and the epidemiological factors, occurrence ecology, distribution, and transmission methods of diseases, on the other. The target crops include rice, sugarcane, cassava, tropical fruit trees, and horticultural ones which are cultivated for their commercial value in tropical and subtropical regions.
In addition to the knowledge and research achievements necessary for this particular field of research, the recruited staff member is to undertake research tasks related to plant protection -- e.g., disease diagnosis, occurrence prediction,  development of disease-resistant varieties through the artificial inoculation or newly established resistance evaluation methods, exploration of genetic resources with resistance, and identification of these resistance genes -- in collaboration with researchers responsible for each crop. The candidate is also tasked actively to collect and analyze data in the cited research areas as well as to cooperate with domestic and international joint researchers and research assistants. Finally, ever challenged by advanced research fields that integrate future-oriented technologies such as omics analysis and AI, the researcher is expected to play a central role in the development of comprehensive disease control technologies that contribute to the realization of an environmentally sustainable agricultural society.

Examples of research topics

• Global adaptation research of plant protection technologies aimed to decrease the use of pesticides worldwide
• Development of virus-resistant crops by genome editing in cassava
• Establishment of disease resistance evaluation methods and development of resistance breeding techniques in sugarcane
• Development and practical application of new diagnostic technologies to demonstrate the pathogenicity of rice blast fungus
• Development of new control systems with low environmental impact for anthracnose in mango, avocado, strawberry, etc.

Keywords

Fields of Expertise: Plant Pathology, Molecular Physiology, Disease Prediction, Disease Diagnosis

International Qualifications: Proficiency in Japanese sufficient for daily work, Proficiency in English sufficient to conduct international collaborative research, and a global outlook to promote international collaborative research.

International Studies on Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries

Detailed requirements and application documents (jREC-IN Portal)

Research Division

To be decided upon hiring based on the specialization of the candidate.

Research description

JIRCAS has been playing a core role as a center of Japan’s R&D for technological improvement of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in the tropical and sub-tropical regions, and in developing countries since its establishment as the Tropical Agriculture Research Center (TARC) in 1970.
In the 5th Medium to Long-term Plan (FY2021-2025), JIRCAS intensively and effectively carries out R&D to solve global food and environmental problems, as well as strengthen its function as an information center, such as collecting and disseminating information related to its R&D activities. In recent years, the environment surrounding agriculture, forestry and fisheries in developing regions has been changing very rapidly. Therefore, it is necessary to pursue innovations based on flexible and novel ideas, such as food system transformation and cross-disciplinary R&D that do
not necessarily fit within conventional frameworks.
In the past, JIRCAS has recruited staff to carry out specific research topics in specific areas. However, in order to encourage researchers with novel ideas, we invite applications in the Nurturing Young Researcher Category (Employment: 5 years, multiple positions) without limiting the field of specialization or research topics of the applicants.
Candidates who wish to apply for this position must submit a proposal on how they can contribute to the research projects and other activities of JIRCAS in order to achieve the goals of the 5th Medium to Long-term Plan (Please visit our website for details on research projects). The proposal should be consistent with the applicant’s academic and research experience. Although the proposal should primarily contribute to the goals of the 5th Medium to Long-term Plan, we also accept proposals that include innovative R&D and methodologies that go beyond the current goals.

Examples of research topics

No specific research topics

Keywords

Fields of Expertise: Developing regions, global issues, cross-cutting strategy, innovation

International Qualifications: Proficiency in Japanese sufficient for daily work, Proficiency in English sufficient to conduct international collaborative research, and a global outlook to promote international collaborative research.