For students

We are welcoming graduate students to participate in our research projects in the Mizusawa VLBI Observatory, such as observational studies with VERA and other VLBI-related facilities, as well as instrumental developments for radio astronomy and VLBI. If you are interested in enrolling as a graduate student, please contact with the Mizusawa VLBI Observatory of NAOJ.

See the NAOJ website for more details.

1. The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Astronomical Science Program

he Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI) is a graduate school established to conduct education and research at the Inter-University Research Institute. SOKENDAI has two courses: a five-year doctoral program (for bachelor's degree holders) and a three-year doctoral program (for those who have completed a master's course). If you enroll in the Astronomical Science Program, you will be able to conduct research activities in NAOJ. Since SOKENDAI has an educational system with three supervisors, you can participate in the project by choosing a SOKENDAI faculty members affiliated with the Mizusawa VLBI Observatory as your main or secondary supervisor.

2. The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Science, Department of Astronomy

NAOJ was established through the reorganization of research institutes including Tokyo Astronomical Observatory of the University of Tokyo, and it still maintains strong ties with the University of Tokyo. Therefore, in the Department of Astronomy of the University of Tokyo, students can conduct research activities at NAOJ by selecting a faculty member from NAOJ as their supervisor. If students select a concurrent or affiliated faculty member from NAOJ Mizusawa VLBI Observatory as their supervisor, they can participate in research as a central member of projects being carried out at Mizusawa VLBI Observatory of NAOJ.

3. Kagoshima University Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Physics and Astronomy Program

The School of Science at Kagoshima University has signed an agreement with NAOJ and plays an important role in the VERA project through the operation of the VERA Iriki station, which was constructed within the Iriki Livestock Farm of Kagoshima University. Therefore, by choosing a faculty member from the Physics and Astronomy Program of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering at Kagoshima University who is participating in the VERA project as your supervisor, you can take part in the daily operation of the VERA Iriki station, single-dish observations with VERA, and VLBI observations by proposing observations to the VERA project.

4. Other graduate schools

Even if you are not a graduate student as mentioned above, you can come to NAOJ as a Special Inter-Institutional Research Fellows while remaining at your own university and participate in research activities at NAOJ Mizusawa VLBI Observatory. To date, graduate students from Tohoku University, University of Electro-Communications, Osaka Metropolitan University, Yamaguchi University, Kagoshima University, and University of the Ryukyus (to be checked) have conducted research at NAOJ Mizusawa VLBI Observatory as contracted graduate students and obtained master's or doctoral degrees from their affiliated universities. In addition, even if you are not a Special Inter-Institutional Research Fellows, you can stay at Mizusawa VLBI Observatory for a short or long period of time to conduct research as a collaborative project with your supervisor.