The Interdisciplinary ICT Research Center for Cyber and Real Spaces at the Research Institute of Electrical Communication (RIEC), Tohoku University, is recruiting for the following position.

Position

Job Description

We are seeking a motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work with psychologists, engineers, linguists, and HCI designers to understand and explore "Copresence (Togetherness) across time and space" at Tohoku University, Japan. This is a project funded by JSPS to investigate how feelings of "Copresence (togetherness)" are transformed in modern society, where reality is redefined by ICT.

Our ultimate goal is to:

• understand how copresence is presented in virtual and real spaces, and
• understand how to use non-verbal cues (e.g., haptic feedback, motion, etc.) to enhance copresence in future communication designs.

This research infrastructure is expected to contribute to alleviating loneliness, enhancing social welfare, and expanding human communication capabilities into new dimensions, thus having a profound impact on society as a whole. The candidate will work in an international team with collaborators from diverse backgrounds.

Specific responsibilities include planning and designing experiments, programming, developing experimental devices, conducting experiments, analyzing data, writing academic papers and reporting results at conferences, and supervising students on related research topics.

For further details, including how to apply, please see here.

Qualifications

1. A Ph.D. is required before the start of employment.
2. Candidates with one or more of the following training or work experiences are especially encouraged to apply:

• Past research in experimental psychology, haptics, VR/XR, human-computer interaction (HCI), or human well-being.
• Preferred: experience in perception research, psychophysical experiments, sensory information processing, or user studies.
• Skills in programming (e.g., Python, Unity, C, MATLAB) and statistical analysis.
• Ability to proactively and independently drive research projects.
• Experience in writing academic papers and disseminating research in English.

How to Apply

The following documents in PDF format should be sent in a ZIP file via email to: riec-somu@grp.tohoku.ac.jp

1. Curriculum vitae: including a photo and contact information (address, phone number, and email).
2. Research experiences and a summary of previous studies (no more than 400 words. Cite mentioned studies with the numbers listed in 3.)
3. List of research achievements (Academic papers, International conference papers, Domestic and international invited lectures, Commentary articles, Books, Patents, Awards, Activities in academic societies and communities, External funding (categorized into Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research and others, as PI or co-I))
4. Plans for future research (no more than 400 words)
5. Three references (name, affiliation, title, contact address, telephone number, and email address) for recommendation letters to be solicited at a later stage of the search process.

Application Deadline: September 1, 2026.

About the Research Center

In April 2023, the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University established a new Interdisciplinary ICT Research Center for Cyber and Real Spaces to accelerate research and development of "telecommunication with nonverbal information" through interdisciplinary collaboration. This center will synergize basic and applied AI research, networks and security, human sciences (psychology, brain sciences), human-computer interactions, and VR/AR/MR communication technologies, to impact society with the research results.

The Interdisciplinary ICT Research Center for Cyber and Real Spaces consists of about 20 full-time and adjunct researchers from the Research Institute of Electrical Communication (RIEC) and other departments within the university in six research groups and one office, and conducts joint research with domestic and international partners, including research institutions and companies, to realize rich remote communication using nonverbal information.