Gifu University signed the Agreement for Joint Execution of the 'Initiative for the Implementation of the Diversity Research Environment (Collaboration Type)' with Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu Women's University and a honey manufacturing company, API Co. Ltd. at Gifu University on August 5, 2015.

'The Initiative for the Implementation of the Diversity Research Environment' is subsidized by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) whose major objective is to support universities committed to achieving the following goals of cross-sectional collaboration:

• to improve research environment for female researchers by giving due considerations to their life events and work-life balance, and raise people's awareness about this goal within each organization
• to increase number of female researchers and enhance their research skills
• to appoint female researchers to higher positions

Under the Agreement, Gifu University and the three organizations are going to execute the 'Support Program for Cultivation of Community-based Female Researchers' and its main purposes include:

• to create a company internship system
• employment support for female researchers and engineers in local industries through a shared use of human resource agency
• to create an ideal environment for female researchers to be promoted and for degree seeking
• continued support for female researchers during their period of absence, support for skill improvement and securing employment
• to create and implement programs to foster community-based female researchers, which may provide them an opportunity to exchange with other researchers in the same research fields or advance into different fields

The ultimate goal of the 'Support Program for Cultivation of Community-based Female Researchers' lies in forming local communities where female researchers can play an active role as a 'regional revitalization leader' of Gifu Prefecture. This goal can be achieved through the development of human resources needed by local enterprises and assisting female researchers in their pursuit of professional career paths.
In addition, the four organizations will jointly implement the 'Collaboration Type Joint Research Project Support,' which can become one of the pillars of female researcher support system. Under the system, the four organizations aim to promote collaboration among education, research and business bodies in communities, reinforce research capabilities in collaborative research projects, and secure places for work while boosting 'mobility' of female researchers within the communities.
At the press conference held after the signing ceremony, President Hisataka Moriwaki of Gifu University remarked on his resolve to reach the final goal of the Agreement, namely, female researchers' active roles in society and their contribution to local revitalization.