AIMEC Researcher or AIMEC Postdoctoral Researcher
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
JAMSTEC is engaged in activities to contribute broadly to the improvement of science and technology, the development of academic research, and the understanding of the Earth and life through ocean research in Japan, a nation of oceans.
JAMSTEC promotes research and studies on the understanding of the global environment, the utilization of ocean resources, and seismic and volcanic activities. In addition, we create new value from the data obtained through our research activities to contribute to the needs of society and the economy.
Homepage: https://www.jamstec.go.jp/e/
Advanced Institute for Marine Ecosystem Change (WPI-AIMEC), an alliance-type WPI research center jointly established by Tohoku University and JAMSTEC, aims to elucidate the response and adaptation mechanisms of marine ecosystems to environmental changes, and to realize their predictions through interdisciplinary and international collaborative research.
Through these efforts, WPI-AIMEC contributes to planetary stewardship aimed at regenerating and restoring oceans and ecosystems toward the realization of a sustainable global environment and human society.
WPI-AIMEC has formulated five Grand Challenges (GCs) as an overarching research agenda to realize the elucidation and prediction of marine ecosystem changes.
GC1:Elucidating adaptability and vulnerability of marine ecosystems to physiochemical divers
GC2:Decoding climate-ocean-ecosystem connectivity and spatiotemporal variability
GC3:Coupling of surface and twilight zone ecosystems and the impact on biogeochemical cycles
GC4:Resolving complexities in coastal marine ecosystems and the impact of human activities
GC5:Promoting planetary stewardship through projection of marine ecosystem change
For details of these GCs, please refer below.
https://eartharxiv.org/repository/view/9810/
WPI-AIMEC has established three research clusters to promote cross-disciplinary and international collaborative research aimed at addressing AIMEC's five Grand Challenges (GCs).
These clusters are not fixed organizational structures but flexible and cross-cutting research platforms that foster open participation, interaction, collaboration, and integration among researchers from diverse fields.
We are currently seeking 6–7 AIMEC Researchers or AIMEC Postdoctoral Researchers who will actively contribute to research activities across these three clusters.
[Research Startup Funds]
In the first year of appointment, AIMEC Researchers will receive 3 million yen and AIMEC Postdoctoral Researchers will receive 2 million yen as research startup funds.
(No additional funds will be provided in subsequent years.)
[Double Mentor System]
We have a "Double Mentor System*" to provide comprehensive support for research and life in Japan.
*Double Mentor System: AIMEC Researchers and AIMEC Postdoctoral Researchers are assigned, as needed, two mentors from different research fields among AIMEC-affiliated PIs or researchers, who provide support for interdisciplinary collaborative research.
[Research Description]
(Immediately upon employment)
Below are the three research clusters, their corresponding GCs, and related fields of expertise.
https://wpi-aimec.jp/en/research/cluster.html
Cluster 1: Climate-Ocean-Ecosystem Interactions
Cluster 1 aims to elucidate the interactions among climate variability, ocean physicochemical environments, biogeochemical processes, and marine ecosystems through an integrated cross-disciplinary approach combining observations, experiments, and modeling.
Working closely with the University of Hawai'i WPI-AIMEC's international satellite institute, the cluster will focus on large-scale oceanic variability and ecosystem responses in the Northwest Pacific, surface-to-mesopelagic coupling, and biogeochemical cycling, thereby advancing mechanistic understanding of climate-ocean- ecosystem dynamics essential for ecosystem prediction.
Related GCs: GC1, GC2, GC3
[Related Fields of Expertise]
Physical oceanography, meteorology, remote sensing, ecology, paleoceanography/paleontology, biogeochemistry or isotope geochemistry, microbiology/microbial ecology, marine data science (including observational informatics), mathematical and statistical sciences (including AI, machine learning, model development, and predictive simulation), and related fields.
Cluster 2: Coastal Marine Ecosystem Change
Cluster 2 aims to advance mechanistic understanding of coastal ocean-ecosystem dynamics through cross-disciplinary research and international collaborations with Onagawa Bay serving as a core observational and testing field.
Building on this foundation, cluster 2 will extend its research scope from Japanese coastal waters to subtropical and subarctic regions.
By addressing emerging coastal ecosystem risks such as marine heatwaves, deoxygenation, harmful algal blooms, and abrupt oceanographic changes, cluster 2 seeks to establish a scientific basis for assessing and predicting coastal ecosystem responses, adaptability vulnerabilities, recovery processes, and resilience.
Related GC: GC4
[Related Fields of Expertise]
Marine biology, ecology, developmental biology, molecular biology, fisheries science, biogeochemistry or isotope geochemistry, microbiology/microbial ecology, environmental impact assessment, mathematical and statistical sciences (including bioinformatics, AI, machine learning, model development, and predictive simulation), and related fields.
Cluster 3: Projection and Planetary Stewardship
Cluster 3 aims to advance the assessment and prediction of marine ecosystem change including changes associated with human activities through an integrated cross-/trans-disciplinary approach combining artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, data science, mathematical modeling, oceanographic observations, biodiversity data including eDNA, and citizen science.
By building a scientific knowledge base that supports stewardship from regional to global scales, cluster 3 will contribute the ocean economy, ocean policy international collaboration, and the formation of strategic partnerships and alliances.
Related GC: GC5
[Related Fields of Expertise]
Marine economics, marine policy, environmental impact assessment (including ecosystem service valuation), theoretical ecology, disaster science, mathematical and statistical sciences (including AI, machine learning, data assimilation, model development, digital twin, and predictive simulation), Earth system science, and related fields.
Please apply from the link provided in the application guidelines page.