Development of Ecology-based Aquaculture Technologies for Value-Added Bivalves, Fixed-term Researcher in Nurturing Young Researcher Category

Due to population growth and rising incomes, global demand for fish and aquatic products continues to rise, while production of capture fisheries has largely stagnated worldwide, a trend that highlights the growing importance of aquaculture as a sustainable source of seafood. In Southeast Asia, although aquaculture production has expanded rapidly, the sector faces the significant challenges of unstable seed supply, rising feed and input costs, vulnerability to disease outbreaks and market fluctuations, and limited influence over pricing by producers. As a result, increased production does not always lead to higher incomes.
Addressing these challenges requires not only technologies but also solutions that can be adopted by farmers and implemented in collaboration with researchers, government agencies, private-sector partners, and local communities.
JIRCAS seeks a researcher who can contribute to the development and application of aquaculture technologies. The successful candidate should have expertise in the ecology and physiology of cultured bivalves, marine environmental assessment, seed collection and production, and bivalve aquaculture technology. Working mainly in the Philippines, the researcher will address productivity and income-related challenges facing bivalve aquaculture in Southeast Asia. Strong communication, coordination, and international collaboration skills are essential to promote the effective implementation of research outcomes.

Work content and job description

■Examples of Research Topics：
1. Investigate the relationship between environmental conditions and the dynamics of growth and reproduction of cultured bivalves (oysters and mussels) in Batan Bay of Aklan Province, Philippines to provide an ecological basis for the development of productivity-enhancing aquaculture technologies.
2. Assess the constraints along the value chain of bivalve aquaculture in the Philippines through interviews with producers, market stakeholders and distributors, and examine technological interventions that can increase production efficiency and producer income.
3. Develop and improve aquaculture technologies for bivalves in the Philippines based on ecological and socioeconomic knowledge of target species and their production-marketing systems. This task entails developing efficient seed collection techniques, tailored to species-specific growth and reproductive characteristics, and culture methods, adapted to local environmental and feeding conditions. For oysters, emphasis is placed on the introduction and application of single-seed culture techniques to enhance product value and production efficiency.
■Keywords:

• Bivalve aquaculture technology, Marine environment and ecosystems, Seafood distribution
• Ability to communicate in English and to collaborate with researchers from diverse cultural backgrounds to advance international collaborative research

Work experience

• Possesses the knowledge and skills required for the position as a research staff member
• Possess international awareness and language proficiency (English) to promote international collaborative research
• Research experience overseas is desirable

Official qualification in specific field, etc.

• Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N2 or higher, or equivalent Japanese language proficiency

Description

• This center promotes gender equality in keeping with the Basic Law for a Gender-Equal Society and encourages applications from female researchers.
• We welcome applications from foreign researchers, provided that they have obtained the necessary residence status to work at this organization in Japan by the date of employment.

Insurance
Employees' Health Insurance :
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Mutual Aid Association

Measures for preventing passive smoking at the workplace
Smoking is prohibited on the premises except for designated smoking rooms.

Attached documents

Application Form :
Online Submission
JIRCAS Researcher Entry Sheets

• Please fill out the prescribed form (EXCEL, Application Form Sheet).
• Be sure to include your email address (for administrative communications).
• Submit the Application Form Sheet and Publications Sheet in the same file (file name: Application Number-Applicant's Name-1.xls, e.g., 1-Kokusai Tarou-1.xls) without converting it to PDF.

Selection

1. Document screening: November 2026
2. Interview: January 2027
※Venue: Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (1-1 Oowashi, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture)

Notification of result
All applicants will be notified by email.
Application documents will not be returned regardless of the outcome.