Call for Short-term overseas visit for early-career scientists

News: 2nd report of “Away business trip” at the bottom of this page (Apr. 5, 2025)

From OKA Eitarou (PI of Habitable Japan), Sep. 17, 2024

We are now accepting applications for “Short-term overseas visit for early-career scientists” using the budget of the Administrative Group. We encourage all early-career members to apply. We also ask that supervisors and bosses of early-career members, as well as elderly members of ECHOES, support the applications of early-career members by helping them think of possible overseas assignment destinations.

Eligible applicants: In principle, doctoral students and postdoctoral-level researchers (While we originally assumed Japanese members who tend to ｌack overseas experience, we will not exclude foreign members.)
Recruitment number: A few each year
Conditions for selection: The trip should be as “away” as possible (see the purpose below). Plans such as simply attending an international conference will not be accepted. However, plans such as “I want to extend my stay by one week while attending an international conference, and experience the away feeling, so I will apply for the extended stay allowance” will be subject to review.
Application period: Anytime. Due to budgetary constraints, please apply well in advance of the business trip you wish to take. As a preliminary step to applying, you can casually consult with Oka about the content of application you are thinking of making, and it would be very helpful if you could do so (the earlier you consult, the more appreciated). If you feel it is too difficult to consult with Oka, please consult with the ECHOES organizers (Okajima, Kido, Nishikawa, Hayashida).
How to apply: After consulting with your supervisor or boss, create a business trip plan (schedule, destinations, content, necessary expenses, expected degree of awayness, enthusiasm for participation, etc.) and submit it to Oka via email. There is no restriction on the format. The plan may or may not include round-trip airfare.
Judging method: The Administrative Group will discuss and select the one that seems to be the most “away”. In particular, if it is the first “too away business trip” for the person, we will give priority to selecting it.
Contact: If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Oka.

Purpose:
At a social gathering after the Administrative Group meeting held at AORI, The University of Tokyo on June 1, 2024, about six mid-career to senior people were drunk and talking when they all agreed that they had experienced a “painful overseas business trip with no way out” and that it had been very helpful in their growth. In other words, it was an “highly away overseas business trip” The intention of this project is to let early-career members have this experience and grow into the talent that will lead Japan’s atmospheric and oceanic sciences in the future.
There are probably many young members who don’t understand what “a highly away business travel” means, but the most common pattern is as follows:

  • Working groups and summer schools for international projects
  • An isolated environment with no or a very few other Japanese
  • Not only meetings, but even meals were always with the same people. Unnecessarily long breaks. English all the time
  • Often asked to speak. Just “listening” was not allowed

Previous reports of “Away business trips”