KEK-TRIUMF Exchange Program for Early Career Researchers (EPECR)

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The next application deadline is April 1, 2024 at 5:00 PM PT. 

KEK (Japan’s High-Energy Accelerator Research Organization) and TRIUMF are pleased to announce the joint establishment of the KEK-TRIUMF Exchange Program for Early Career Researchers (EPECR). The EPECR is a researcher and student exchange program that promotes the development of up-and-comers, who will play a key role in accelerator science and its related fields. An important aim of the program is to help foster new collaborations between KEK and TRIUMF. EPECR provides early career researchers affiliated with either of the two institutes with the opportunity to perform research activities at the other institute, enriching both the Japanese and Canadian science and innovation landscapes. 

Benefits of Participating in an Exchange

• Continue to advance your research horizons while collaborating with foreign colleagues and gaining international experience at another world-leading centre
• Play a role in facilitating collaboration and partnership between KEK and TRIUMF
• Enrich your continuous learning with opportunities to understand an array of different cultural and community perspectives

 Research Areas

With an aim to strengthen the mutual cooperation between KEK and TRIUMF and a particular emphasis on fostering new collaboration between the labs, the EPECR is focused on the research areas outlined below:

• Physics programs including T2K (Tokai to Kamioka), Hyper-Kamiokande, Belle II, ATLAS, and other experiments using neutrons, muons, and kaons
• Materials and molecular sciences
• Accelerator R&D, accelerator physics
• Other research activities including theoretical research under the ongoing collaboration or toward a new collaboration between the two institutes

Program Details for TRIUMF to KEK EXCHANGE

(See KEK for exchange information in the KEK to TRIUMF direction)

Work Places

All awardees dispatched by TRIUMF will go to KEK in Japan. In special cases, awardees dispatched by TRIUMF may be allowed to be posted at an alternate Japanese work location if it is imperative for the completion of their proposed research plan.

Exchange Length

Each exchange will be a minimum of 2 weeks and a maximum of 3 months, with the exchange period beginning and ending in the same fiscal year (April to next March). Due to the restrictions related to COVID, it is proposed that the applicant plan for visits of at least one month in order to account for any time that might be lost due to self-isolation requirements. 

For the 2024/25 intake, all applicants must plan to complete their exchange by the end of March 2025.

Eligible Applicants

The EPECR is open to early-career researchers who meet the following:

• Postdoctoral researchers affiliated with TRIUMF
• Graduate students affiliated with TRIUMF

Affiliation to TRIUMF means that the graduate student or postdoc is working under the supervision or co-supervision of a TRIUMF BAE or Faculty of any TRIUMF member university.

Number of Awardees

There will be opportunities for two awardees in each direction per fiscal year (April to next March).

Program Coverage

This program will support the travel costs for the awardees, as well as provide funding for subsistence (i.e. meals and accommodation) while abroad.

While the funding available within the EPECR program is limited, all applicants are encouraged to make use of any other research funding available to them to support international travel expenses.

NOTE: In order to monitor the performance of this program, successful applicants will be asked to maintain an up-to-date record of their EPECR-derived research results (papers, dissertations, presentations, published presentations at academic events, etc.) on ORCID. Only the quantity of research results will be recorded; no personal information or research content will be collected or disclosed.

Application Deadline: April 1, 2024 at 5:00 PM PT 

Required Documents for Applicants

• EPECR application form
• Curriculum Vitae
• Publication list
• One letter of support from either the Canadian supervisor or the hosting researcher at KEK making the scientific case for the exchange
• Evidence (such as email communication) that the applicant has obtained approval to apply for the EPECR from their supervisor
• Evidence (such as email communication) that the research group at KEK expresses their intention of acceptance that the applicant, should they be awarded an EPECR opportunity, would perform his/her research activities with them under the EPECR requirements

NOTE: All materials must be submitted together by email to the Program Contact (seanlee@triumf.ca) with the application form before the application deadline.

Get started with your EPECR application form here.