Support Information for Researchers and Students

This page provides information on various support systems and consultation services related to life events such as childbirth, childcare, and caregiving, as well as research and academic activities. The page is intended for new and current faculty members and students of the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology as part of our efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. Please refer to the linked pages for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

When you need support related to childbirth, childcare, or caregiving

Maternity, childcare, and caregiving leave

• Leave systems and support programs are available for pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare (Internal access: Information Portal).
• Leave systems and support programs are also available for caregiving (Internal access: Information Portal).

Extension of non-tenured appointment due to life events

• Fixed-term faculty and staff members of IST may apply for an extension of their appointment period if they have taken leave due to life events such as childbirth or childcare, in order to ensure sufficient time to achieve project objectives, including research. Those interested should contact the Gender Equality Committee.

Long-term completion program

• Students who are recognized as having difficulty completing the program within the standard period due to personal circumstances may apply for the Long-Term Completion Program, which allows them to plan their coursework beyond the standard duration (IST: Long-Term Completion System).
• If circumstances arise that make it difficult to concentrate on study or research for a long period, students may take a leave of absence instead of withdrawing from the university immediately.

Nursing room

• Rest and childcare support rooms are available for faculty, staff, and students affiliated with the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology (Internal access: Information Portal).
• The Graduate School of Information Science and Technology tries to provide private rooms for researchers with children under two years old, including assistant professors, project faculty, and project researchers, so that they can work comfortably and safely on campus (Internal access: Information Portal). These rooms are intended to be used for working with a child present, for breastfeeding, or for storing items such as diapers and clothing. Please note that depending on space availability, immediate use may not be possible, and the room provided may be located in a different building from your regular office.

Childcare support for use of babysitting services

• The University issues discount coupons for babysitting services, which provide a discount of up to 4,400 yen per child, equivalent to two coupons, from the regular daily fee. This program is available to both female and male faculty and staff members (UTokyo Office for Gender Equity: Childcare support for use of babysitting services).

Research Restart and Work-Life Balance Support Program

• This program supports researchers at the University of Tokyo in restarting their research after childcare leave, caregiving leave, or similar life events, and in balancing research with life events. Eligible researchers may receive research funding or personnel expense support of 1,000,000 yen or 500,000 yen (UTokyo Office for Gender Equity: Research Restart and Work-Life Balance Support Program).

Accompanying a child on business trips

• When researchers need to accompany their child, in principle up to the sixth grade of elementary school, on a business trip, travel expenses for the child, such as train, air, or ship fares, may be reimbursed if the eligibility requirements are met (Internal access: Information Portal).

Support related to life events

• Support programs are available for researchers and students who aim to advance their careers while maintaining a work-life balance (UTokyo Office for Gender Equity: Researcher Support).

When you need to balance life events such as childbirth, childcare, or caregiving with work or study

Nursery facilities around The University of Tokyo Hongo Campus

• Several nursery facilities are available on the Hongo Campus, where the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology is located (UTokyo Office for Gender Equity: UTokyo Day Nurseries).

• There are also various nursery facilities in Bunkyo City, where the Hongo Campus is located, as well as in other local municipalities. A list of facilities in Tokyo is provided below:

  • Authorized nursery schools (Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Authorized Nursery Schools).
  • Certified nursery schools (Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Certified Nursery Schools).
  • Certified Kodomo-en (Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Certified Kodomo-en).
  • Family-style childcare services, home-based childcare: A system in which certified home-based childcare providers care for up to three children aged 0 to 2 years in their own residence or another designated location. Certification by the local municipality is required. For reference, see Bunkyo City: Family-Style Childcare.
  • Non-registered day-care facilities (Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Non-registered Day-care Facilities and Home-Visit Childcare Services).
  • After-school childcare clubs (Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Accredited After-school Clubs).

Assistance for life events

• The Family Support Center program is a membership-based system in which those who need assistance with childcare, such as transporting children to and from nursery facilities or providing after-school care, are connected with those who wish to offer such assistance, enabling mutual support within the community (Bunkyo City Council of Social Welfare).
• The Silver Human Resources Center is a nationwide program that promotes the healthy development of local centers and the active use of the skills of retired and older adults. Depending on the center, it may be possible to request services such as childcare or household assistance (Japan Silver Human Resources Centers Association).

When your child becomes ill

Special leave for childcare

• At the University of Tokyo, faculty and staff may take up to five days of special leave per year for each child up to the third grade of elementary school, for purposes such as nursing care, disease prevention, or attending entrance and graduation ceremonies (Internal access: Information Portal).

Facilities for sick children

• Nursery facilities may not accept children when they have a fever. Facilities for sick children provide specialized childcare for children who are ill (National Association of Sick Child Care Facilities).

When you need consultation

Consultation on living, research, and study in Japan

• The International Student Support Room (ISSR) offers consultation for international researchers and students on matters related to living, conducting research, and studying in Japan.

Consultation on harassment

• The Harassment Counseling Center (HCC) provides consultation regarding harassment issues.

Consultation on health

• The Health Service Center provides consultation on health-related matters.

Consultation on student life

• The Student Counseling Center offers support for concerns related to student life.

General consultation

• The Center for Research on Counseling and Support Services provides general consultation, including cases in which you are unsure where to seek advice.

Links

• UTokyo Office for Gender Equality
• Graduate School of Medicine: Committee for Gender Equality
• Graduate School of Engineering: Diversity
• Graduate School of Frontier Sciences: Diversity and Inclusion
• School of Science: Office for Gender Equality
• Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences: Diversity Promotion Office