What is the Support Office for Female Researchers?
What is the "support model activities for female researchers" conducted under the Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology provided by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)?
Since FY2006, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has been providing the Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology for the new research theme of the "support model activities for female researchers" in order to effectively develop a model that enables female researchers to coordinate their research with childbirth and nursing while employed at universities and public research organizations as well as continue these research activities.
We have developed a variety of model activities at our existing schools to assist in the lives and careers of female researchers.
The Support Office for Female Researchers
Background
Since its establishment in 1946, Tokyo Medical and Dental University has served as a university and graduate school for medical and dental students.
Tokyo Medical and Dental University has a unique organizational structure among Japan’s medical and dental universities, with: four graduate schools (Graduate School of Medical and Dental Studies, Graduate School of Care Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Biomedical Science Ph.D Program), four faculties and departments (Graduate School of Medicine and Graduate School of Health Care Sciences within the Faculty of Medicine, and School of Dentistry and School of Oral Health Care Sciences within the Faculty of Dentistry), a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in charge of liberal arts education, and two research institutes (the Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering and the Medical Research Institute).
At Tokyo Medical and Dental University, we are experiencing an increase both in the rate of female students enrolling in the Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences and the rate of female researchers entering the field of biomedical science. Stemming from the university’s desire to protect and enrich human life, we believe that it is of great social significance that women take up careers as health care providers and as researchers able to compete at an international level.
Based on this, we applied for the Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology provided by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) (the support model plan for female researchers) in FY2008, and were selected under the heading "innovative support for female researchers."
Purpose
Tokyo Medical and Dental University provides a rich environment for building both careers and lives, whereby our biomedical science researchers, medical staff and dental staff are fairly evaluated based on their abilities at each stage of their career and receive sufficient support, enabling them to coordinate their duties with life events such as childbirth, child rearing and care-giving.
We provide a gender-equality campus culture that enables a harmonious lifestyle and working environment for both men and women, and concentrate on strengthening the vitality of the entire university through the combined efforts of various talented staff.
We positively promote research that takes into account gender differences, and are involved in transmitting information that benefits research and clinical practices as well as society in general.
Activity Goals
Tokyo Medical and Dental University uses the Support Office for Female Researchers to promote "environmental improvement" and "awareness," and is not only dedicated to raising the ratio of female professors at the university’s Research Office to 20% by 2020, but also to bettering the appointments of female staff.
There are 112 women working at Tokyo Medical and Dental University as full-time researchers in positions equivalent to or higher than assistant professor (16.2% of all staff), while there are 42 women working in part-time positions (29% of all staff) (as of October 1, 2008). Out of the 111 researchers employed by the Graduate School of Biomedical Science, the Medical Research Institute and the Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, 17 of these are women (15.3%).
There are 16 female professors in positions of full-time employment (11.3%), 16 female associate professors (13.7%), 18 female lecturers (19.1%) and 62 female assistant professors (19.8%).
In an attempt to increase QOL, we provide career and life support for undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers and health care staff.
There are great differences between the health issues affecting men and women owing to biological differences such as chromosomes and hormones as well as socio-cultural differences. We provide gender-specific medical information that is not only useful for basic and clinical studies, but which is also useful in a social context.
