NEWS

Outline

This support program provides assistance to researchers affiliated with Hokkaido University, enabling them to balance life events such as childbirth and childcare with their research activities and administrative duties, and to smoothly carry out their work. The support is provided to individuals who assist these individuals or to faculty members around them.

Main changes from the previous term

• Pilot program to introduce support for men raising children
• To address the "first-grade wall" in elementary school, the scope of support has been expanded to include childcare for children in first grade and below.
• Expanding support for single parents raising children.
• Assistants will be allowed to provide conditional assistance with the work of teachers other than those designated as the target.
  Expansion of the scope of assistant duties when dispatching assistants

Eligibility Requirements for Support

Faculty members (including specially appointed faculty) and postdoctoral researchers of this university^{On September 1, XNUMX,} Of these, those who fall under any of the following categories will be considered eligible for support (hereinafter referred to as "eligible persons").

Work-life balance plan

A. Subsidies for the employment expenses of research assistants (up to 60 yen)

• Women who take maternity leave or childcare leave during the support period and are expected to be absent for at least one month within the six-month period covered by the application.

B. Subsidies for employment expenses of research assistants (up to 40 yen)

• Women raising children in first grade or younger.
• Those who are raising children in the third grade or younger on a daily basis while living alone.
• Those who take caregiving leave during the support period, or those who are on a daily basis caring for or nursing family members and have significant time constraints.
• (Trial) A man who is raising a child in first grade or younger, whose partner works full-time, and who has no one else in the household besides himself and his partner who is responsible for childcare.
• (Trial) Men who plan to take childcare leave for three months or more during the support period.

C. Dispatch of business assistants

• Management^{On September 2, XNUMX,} Female teachers who are engaged in childcare for preschool children, raising minors with special care needs, or providing care for elderly parents, and who have significant time constraints and require administrative assistance.
• Among those eligible for Work-Life Balance Plan B, those who do not have a period of absence due to maternity leave, childcare leave, etc.

*¹Postdoctoral Researcher: Refers to a person hired in accordance with the "Guidelines for Postdoctoral Researchers of Hokkaido University, a National University Corporation." If the applicant is a postdoctoral researcher or a researcher belonging to JSPS, etc., and conducting research activities based at this university, whether or not they are eligible for support will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
*² Management and administration... positions such as department heads and deputy department heads/assistant department heads, positions such as division heads/department heads, and assistant to the president.

For more information,Application Guidelines (PDF)Please read

Application procedure

Please fill out the application form below and submit it by the deadline set by your department. Each department should collect the application forms (Form 1) and submit them together.August 28, 30 (Tuesday), 8:15 PMPlease send it to the Office for Supporting Female Researchers by [date].

• If both partners work within the same organization, one application is required for both.

Submission deadline/submission destination

Please submit your application to the relevant department. Submission deadlines and departments vary by department. Please check accordingly.

Decision to accept or reject

We are planning for late January.

Other Information

• Please read the application guidelines carefully before filling out the application form.
• The applicant should be the person receiving the support, not the head of the research lab. However, the confirmation seal of the head of the research lab is required.

materials

Application Guidelines (PDF)
Application form (Word docx)

FAQ

Q: How should I apply if my partner is employed full-time within the same organization?

If both partners are employed full-time within the same institution and both meet the support requirements, they can apply jointly. In this case, the support amount will still be for one assistant, but the assistant can perform support work under either researcher. However, in this case, the work location and hours will be divided by order. Daily work reports and reports will also be submitted separately.

Q: If I apply alternately with my partner, can I receive support for a total of 12 terms?

A: No, that's not possible. The total support period is calculated based on the individual factors of the support (in the case of childcare, the child), not on the person receiving the support. For example, if you receive support for 6 periods after the birth of your first child, and then give birth to your second child, you can receive support for another 6 periods.

Q: Can we hire students as Research Assistants (RAs) or short-term support staff?

While employment as a short-term support staff member is not impossible, employment as an administrative assistant or technical assistant (through public recruitment) is the primary option. Furthermore, when employing students, it is essential to clearly explain that their academic and research activities are distinct from their support duties, and that their work does not exceed the scope of "duties that research assistants can perform" as described in the application guidelines.