Call for Applications: Project Faculty/Researcher Positions

Call for Applications: Project Faculty/Researcher Positions

Keio University Graduate School of Media Design (a.k.a. KMD) is directing the project “Cybernetic Avatar Technology and Social System Design for Harmonious Co-experience and Collective Ability” (Project Manager: Prof. Kouta Minamizawa; a.k.a. “Project Cybernetic Being”) under the JST Moonshot R&D Program Goal 1: “Realization of a society in which human beings can be free from limitations of body, brain, space, and time by 2050”. This project aims to develop cybernetic avatar technologies that enable people to empower their abilities, share diverse skills and experiences, and actively engage in various activities and challenges.

Project website: https://cybernetic-being.org/en/

KMD is seeking project faculty or researchers to promote research, development, and social implementation in this project, as outlined below.

1. Available positions:
   – Project Faculty (Associate Professor, Senior Assistant Professor or Assistant Professor)
   – Project Researcher
2. Research Areas:
   – Haptics
   – Telexistence / Robotics / Robotic Avatars
   – Human Augmentation / Cognitive Augmentation
   – Sensory Sharing / Experience Sharing / Skill Sharing
   – Participatory Design of Advanced Technologies and Ethnographic Studies
3. Job Responsibilities:
   – Conduct research and development within the Project Cybernetic Being
   – Assist in the operation and management of the Project Cybernetic Being
   – Promote collaborative research with other institutions and industry partners
   – Lead co-creation projects with stakeholders and users for social implementation of research outcomes
   – Supervise graduate students within the KMD Embodied Media Lab.
   – Participate in graduate school education and university administrative operations at KMD
4. Qualifications:
   – Ph.D. or doctoral degree (or expected to obtain one)
   – Proven track record in one or more of the listed research areas and ability to fulfill the above responsibilities
   – Proficiency in Japanese to write research proposals/reports
   – Proficiency in English to engage in research discussions and supervise students (more than half of the lab members, including researchers, Ph.D. candidates, and master’s students, are non-Japanese English speakers.)
   – Strong motivation to engage in collaborative projects both inside and outside KMD
5. Affiliation & Research Lab:
   – Keio University Graduate School of Media Design (KMD) 　https://www.kmd.keio.ac.jp
   – KMD Embodied Media Project https://www.embodiedmedia.org
6. Start Date:
   – September 1, 2025, or October 1, 2025 (earlier or later start dates may be negotiable)
7. Contract Period:
   – One-year renewable contract (up to 5 years)
8. Work Locations:
   – Project Research Lab – Tokyo Port City Takeshiba (1-7-1 Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
   – Keio University Hiyoshi Campus (4-1-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa)
9. Work Arrangement:
   – Full-time
10. Compensation & Benefits:
    – Based on Keio University’s regulations
11. Application Deadline:
    – Must arrive by 23:59 (Japan Time) on May 12, 2025
12. Required Application Documents (No specific format required):
    (1) Curriculum Vitae (including education, research, and professional experience. Must include information from high school onward, attach a photo, and provide phone number/email address)
    (2) Statement of Aspirations (approx. 2 pages) regarding research and educational activities in the Cybernetic Being Project and KMD Embodied Media Project
    (3) Portfolio or summary of major research activities
    (4) List of Research Achievements (categorized as appropriate: peer-reviewed full-papers, international conference presentations, books, patents, projects, awards etc.)
    (5) Teaching Experience (including lectures, Ph.D. supervision, and student supervision)
    (6) Names, affiliations, and contact details of 2–3 references
13. Application Submission:
    – Combine documents (1)–(6) into a single PDF and send it via email to:
    moonshot-search@kmd.keio.ac.jp
    – If the file exceeds 10MB, use a file transfer service.
14. Selection Process:
    – First-round screening: Document review
    – Second-round screening: Online interview via Zoom for shortlisted candidates.
    – Presentation must be conducted in English
    – Document screening results notification: End of May 2025
    – Interview date: Afternoon of June 19, 2025 (Zoom-based online interview)
15. Contact for Project-Related Inquiries:
    – Professor Kouta Minamizawa, Keio University Graduate School of Media Design
    Email: koutasec@kmd.keio.ac.jp
16. Additional Notes:
    – Application documents will not be returned.
    – Personal information provided in the application will be appropriately managed in accordance with Keio University regulations and used only for this selection process.
    – Interviews will be conducted online. No travel expenses will be provided.