Message
Okayama University regards all doctoral and postdoctoral students as members of the researcher community, not students, and has established a research environment that enables them to engage in challenging research. As a part of such efforts, this program was established with the aim of to fostering young researchers who will promote research in top priority research fields at Okayama University, and to produce researchers who will play a leading role in the creation of science, technology, and innovation in Japan. This program provides young researchers with a research encouragement funding (equivalent to living expenses) and research expenses to provide an environment in which they can devote themselves more fully to their research.
In addition, the program supports diverse career paths by providing seminars and educational materials on transferable skills and other career paths as well as research skills. Activities will also be conducted at the University’s Young Researchers Academy and OU-BRIDGE (OU-Spring Alumni Association), so please take advantage of the opportunity to interact with young researchers and alumni, etc., and consider your own career path.
As mentioned in the introduction, Okayama University considers doctoral and postdoctoral students to be members of the researcher community. In other words, you are expected to be aware of your responsibilities as researchers at this university and to act accordingly. As researchers, we hope that you will be able to respond to the times while always keeping in mind “what the future should be” for the region, society, and the world, and aim to realize this through your own research.
About us
In February 2021, Okayama University established the “Okayama University Fellowship for Science and Technology Innovation (OU Fellowship)”, which was adopted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for the “the establishment of university fellowships towards the creation of science technology innovation”. After that, in September 2021, Okayama University was selected by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) as a recipient of the “Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation” (SPRING) program and newly established the “OU Fellowship (Type B)”. From FY2024, the two programs are integrated and renamed as the “Okayama University Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation (OU-SPRING)”.
OU-SPRING aims to nurture and produce highly specialized human resources (knowledge workers) who can be catalysts for social change not only in academia but also in industry and local communities, by acquiring “high expertise” in knowledge, research and technology, and “human skills” in creativity, social skills, communication skills and leadership, and by utilizing the experience and knowledge gained at the University.
