ICYS Administrative Office

International Center for Young Scientists
National Institute for Materials Science

Sengen 1-2-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan

Career path after ICYS

Young researchers who have achieved outstanding research results at ICYS are active worldwide as high-level research personnel. Many of them have obtained posts as faculty members at leading universities, research institutes, and companies around the world, as well as in NIMS.

ICYS Research Fellows are given advantage when applying for NIMS permanent research positions, and approximately 50% of them are selected for the positions.

Fiscal Year Number of successful candidates
2017 6
2018 3
2019 1
2020 2
2021 6
2022 2

Research Institute

  • • National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
  • • National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
  • • High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)
  • • Japan Atomic Energy Agency
  • • Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute
  • • Empa
  • • Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • • CNRS
  • • Max Planck Institute
  • • BAM

etc.

University

  • • The University of Tokyo
  • • Tohoku University
  • • Yamagata University
  • • Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology
  • • Rikkyo University
  • • Kumamoto University
  • • University of Tsukuba
  • • Osaka University
  • • Hokkaido University
  • • Kyoto University
  • • Shibaura Institute of Technology
  • • University of Oxford
  • • University of York
  • • University College London
  • • University of Bristol
  • • Peking University
  • • Pusan National University
  • • EPFL

etc.

Company

  • • TDK
  • • KOBELCO
  • • Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
  • • Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
  • • FUJIFILM

etc.

ICYS Alumni appointed as permanent researchers in NIMS

ICYS Alumni at NIMS

ICYS is a career-building foundation

We interviewed two researchers, who are now permanent researchers at NIMS after their experience at ICYS.

Ryo MATSUMOTO

Researcher,
Frontier Superconducting Materials Group, Quantum Materials Field, Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), NIMS

Dr. Matsumoto joined the Nano Frontier Materials Group as a master’s student in Master's Program in Applied Physics, Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba in 2015 as well as a NIMS Junior Researcher. After completing his master's degree, he went on to Doctoral Program in Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba as a NIMS Junior Researcher, where he worked on the search for new superconducting materials. In 2022, after completing his research activities in ICYS, he took a position as a permanent researcher in the superconducting materials group where the group leader was his academic advisor, Prof. Takano. He is currently working on the exploration and application of superconductors, creating temperature- and pressure-controlled environments, and synthesizing new functional materials.

01

What kind of research are you currently doing?

I am studying superconducting materials that have zero electrical resistance when cooled. Currently available superconductors need to be cooled by expensive refrigerants such as liquid helium, which poses problems in terms of operational cost and safety. Therefore, my research aims to develop superconducting materials that do not need to be cooled by changing the crystal structure that governs the properties of materials, by an external field such as pressure.

02

After receiving your Ph.D., why did you decide to continue your research at NIMS when you had the option of joining another research institute or university?

I originally wanted to be involved in materials-related research in the future and entered University of Tsukuba as a NIMS Junior Researcher. When I actually began conducting research at NIMS, I was surprised at the quality of the shared facilities, such as the Microfabrication Facility and Analysis Station, and the large number of researchers who are active at the forefront of their respective fields of expertise. I decided to apply for NIMS because I wanted to continue working on materials research in such an environment.

03

What attracted you to ICYS and made you decide to do research at ICYS? Give us three reasons why you chose applied for ICYS.

First of all, I was attracted to the environment where I received sufficient support for becoming independent as one researcher even though I was at a fixed term position. I thought that having the opportunity to advance my research theme at my own discretion and using my own research funds would be a very good experience for me in the future when I would become independent as a researcher. Next, I was attracted to ICYS because it was an environment where young researchers of the same generation in various fields belonged, and they could grow while engaging in friendly competition. One more attractive point for young researchers was the fact that if they achieved results at ICYS, they would receive preferential treatment when applying for the NIMS permanent position.

04

Please tell us about an episode in which you think your experience at ICYS has been helpful to your research activities.

In ICYS, I was able to conduct research consultations and collaborations at my own discretion, use various shared facilities, and interact with people inside and outside of NIMS with ease. The people I met at that time are still helping me in various ways. For example, I am currently conducting joint research with a researcher who joined ICYS at the same time as I did and also became a permanent employee at the same time, combining the research results we both have accumulated at ICYS. I feel that the opportunity to conduct joint research with researchers in different fields that I would not normally encounter is unique to ICYS.

05

Could you please give a message to those who are considering a career similar to yours?

In ICYS, I had the most rewarding research experience in my life. I would like to encourage enthusiastic young researchers who are serious about realizing their research to challenge ICYS.

Jan LABUTA

Senior Researcher,
Functional Chromophores Group, Nanomaterials Field, Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) ,NIMS

As a Ph.D. student at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, I studied phase-separation phenomena in temperature-sensitive polymers. I used mainly nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques to acquire data about the sample behavior. During my first one-year stay at NIMS under the ICGP program for doctoral students, I learned basics of porphyrin and supramolecular chemistry and various experimental techniques. This first NIMS stay, back in 2006, certainly shaped my next scientific career. After Ph.D. graduation in 2008, I joined NIMS as a JSPS postdoctoral fellow. I started studying chirality detection by symmetric porphyrin molecules, a topic we are still working on today. Soon we established a new concept called pro-chiral sensing mechanism. Since then, we have made whole series of porphyrin compounds with interesting properties. We also started to combine these with temperature-sensitive polymers. That was the moment when all my knowledge from doctoral studies came in handy. Since then, I have been developing a theoretical description of these systems in terms of chemical equilibria and host-guest complexation. I am currently studying these systems for various sensing and imaging applications, such as enantiomeric excess detection (ideally spatially resolved), selective detection of anions or impurities, or colorimetric detection of pH or temperature.

01

What kind of research are you currently doing?

I focus on the organic physical chemistry of porphyrins and temperature-sensitive polymers. These molecules are responsive to many external stimuli, such as pH, temperature, chirality, and various small molecules or anions. The response can be observed in many channels (e.g. NMR, UV-vis, photoluminescence or sometimes naked eye). It makes these molecular systems good candidates for various sensing applications.

02

After receiving your Ph.D., why did you decide to continue your research at NIMS when you had the option of joining another research institute or university?

During my time at ICYS, I did not think much about changing the institute. At the time, applying for a permanent position at NIMS was a natural continuation of my research career.

03

What attracted you to ICYS and made you decide to do research at ICYS? Give us three reasons why you applied for ICYS.

a) In 2014, when I applied for the position, ICYS already had an outstanding reputation. Those ICYS members/alumni I knew personally gave me a positive feeling about the program.
 b) Extensive freedom in the research, management of my own budget and administrative support.
 c) I also considered that ICYS fellowship is a kind of tenure-track position and may be advantageous when applying for NIMS permanent researcher position.

04

Please tell us about an episode in which you think your experience at ICYS has been helpful to your research activities.

I cannot really say that any episode is of particular significance. There are many small ones. Now that I think about it, it was the whole environment at ICYS that helped me. Through the ICYS seminars and informal meetings, I learned a lot from other branches of chemistry. I have also improved my ability to present scientific research in an engaging way. Now I often use these knowledge/skills when preparing manuscripts or presentations.

05

Could you please give a message to those who are considering a career similar to yours?

I think that ICYS, with all its support, is probably the best postdoctoral position in Japan in terms of salary, research budget and freedom. In addition, it is backed by outstanding NIMS reputation, so I recommend this fellowship to anyone who wants to conduct cutting-edge research in Japan.

ICYS Alumni in overseas research institutes and universities

César Moreno

Ramón y Cajal Senior Research Fellow,
University of Cantabria, Spain

Wonderful experiences with ICYS

I am immensely proud to belong the ICYS family. Young scientists are well aware that to survive the jump into the void to make research independently under their own themes and make progress they must face, the sooner the better, to explore new ideas under their own risk. For that purpose, ICYS as tenure-track position allowed to me to put in practice divergent thinking with funding and easy-going administrative support. ICYS, as a scientific soup of different countries, cultures and thinking approaches, acted like a breeding ground to boost my career path. Still nowadays I am collaborating with NIMS researchers. Two years ago, we signed a memory of understanding between ICN2, my former institution, and MANA-NIMS. During the last years I had the opportunity to enjoy several business trips to NIMS, and last year a Ph.D. candidate under my supervision was awarded with a NIMS Internship program fellowship for to perform research during few months. She really enjoyed her NIMS experience! Beyond science, I really enjoyed Japanese hospitality, gastronomic culture including Ibarakian natto and Umami flavor, and of course, Onsen in winter times!

Ajayan Vinu

Global Innovation Chair Professor and Director of the Global Innovative Center for Advanced Nanomaterials,
University of Newcastle , Australia

Wonderful experiences of ICYS

I became an ICYS Fellow at NIMS in January 2004 and was among the initial members of the ICYS center. The extensive research support and the proactive administrative system, staffed with English speakers, significantly influenced my research experience in Japan. Under the outstanding leadership of Prof. Yoshio Bando and the guidance of Prof. Katsuhiko Ariga, coupled with advanced research infrastructure and a collaborative environment, I flourished as an independent researcher at an early stage. The ICYS program left a lasting impact on my career, offering a clear path to continue at NIMS after completing my two-year fellowship.

The freedom to conduct research and mentorship from international academics, including Nobel Laureates, fostered an environment that allowed me to establish an independent research group at NIMS. Japan's unique and humble culture, marked by kindness and a welcoming attitude toward foreigners, has always been a draw for me. I remained in Japan until September 2011, when I accepted a position as a full professor at the University of Queensland. My two sons, born during my time in Japan, consider themselves Japanese, highlighting the inclusive nature of Japanese culture. My family and I cherished our time in Japan and truly miss the country. I often tell my wife that given the opportunity, I would always choose to return to Japan for high-level research, as it holds a special place in our hearts.

Currently serving as a Global Innovation Chair Professor and Director of the Global Innovative Center for Advanced Nanomaterials, leading a team of over 65 researchers, I attribute my current role to the guidance and support received from ICYS and NIMS. I am deeply grateful to Japan for transforming my academic career. The connections established in Japan have created a robust collaborative platform, facilitating my team members' visits and collaborations with NIMS researchers. Beyond science, I formed lasting friendships in Japan and enjoyed its rich culture, diverse cuisine, and breathtaking scenery. My sentiments remain that I truly miss Japan.