New OIST fellowship to boost researchers toward tenure-track positions launched
The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) is announcing the creation of a new fellowship designed to boost outstanding researchers toward tenure-track positions. Meaning ‘cluster of stars’ in the Okinawan language Uchinaaguchi, the Buribushi fellowship is an independent principal investigator position that comes with the funding to create and maintain a new research group.
The fellowship is partially supported by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s (MEXT) Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS).
“We hope that the Buribushi fellowship will come to be recognized as one of the most prestigious positions for pre-faculty researchers in Japan,” says Adjunct Professor Evan Economo, OIST’s previous Dean of Faculty Affairs, who has been instrumental to the establishment of the fellowship. The fellowship program will be led by the Faculty Affairs Office and the Center for Professional Development and Inclusive Excellence (C-Hub), which will provide leadership training for the fellows.
The fellowship is now accepting applications from researchers residing within Japan, which can be submitted here.
The first three researchers to be awarded the fiscal year 2024 Buribushi fellowships are Dr. Satoshi Takebayashi, Dr. Midori Ohta, and Dr. Saacnicteh Toledo-Patiño. Their profiles will follow below.
Dr. Satoshi Takebayashi’s work centers on the molecular-level study of metal-metal and metal-organic bonds and their uses to tackle challenges in catalysis and materials science. Under the fellowship, “we aim to discover unknown organometallic principles and make game-changing catalysts and materials based on these, to contribute to a sustainable society,” as he explains. He hopes that the Buribushi fellowship will attract talented and ambitious researchers to OIST and help them to realize their bold ideas.
Centrioles are ancient cell organelles essential for chromosome segregation during cell division and for the formation of cilia and flagella in differentiated cells. How centrioles have evolved to control such divergent functions and how they are inherited during sexual reproduction are exciting key questions. Abnormalities in centrioles can lead to conditions like microcephaly, infertility, and cancer. Dr. Ohta has long studied the molecular function of centriole formation. Through the Buribushi fellowship, she hopes to deepen our understanding of these processes and contribute to elucidating the mechanisms behind infertility, genetic diseases, and cancer. To her, the Buribushi fellowship is an important initiative that “provides pre-faculty researchers opportunities to establish independent projects, mentor lab members, and contribute to a more diverse and dynamic academic environment.”
“The study of protein evolution has always inspired innovation,” says Dr. Toledo-Patiño. Her research is focused on evolving proteins with electron transfer capabilities that can be incorporated into bacteria or microalgae to harvest solar energy and biosynthesize fuel and valuable chemicals from industrial feedstocks or even directly from carbon dioxide. As she explains, “modern proteins contain billions of years of trial-and-error information, offering a detailed guide for creating new functions.” Using this genetic information together with advanced AI tools, she and the new research group aim to engineer better molecular machines, which can help address fundamental societal problems. As she sees it, the fellowship is great way to empower early-career scientists: “I am glad to see opportunities like the Buribushi fellowship aligning with international efforts to empower young researchers and support them in realizing and gaining recognition for their independent ideas.”
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