#1 'Research Companion' Chosen by 625 Grad Students is Sugary Snacks ── Acaric Begins Offering 'Research & Job Hunting Support Box' Packed with Support from Seniors

Acaric Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Ryo Yamada), which provides career support for graduate students and researchers, launched the 'Research & Job Hunting Support Box' on April 1, 2026, as part of the 'Acaric Grad Student Support Campaign'. The box includes an assortment of beverages, snacks, and light meals carefully selected based on a survey of 625 senior graduate students, along with a message card featuring words of encouragement from seniors to juniors. It will be delivered to master's and doctoral students planning to graduate or complete their studies in March 2028 who have entered the campaign and achieved an Acaric profile completion rate of 75% or higher. Shipping is scheduled to begin sequentially from mid-April.

## **Background: Graduate Students Challenged with Balancing Research and Job Hunting**

In an independent survey conducted by Acaric, it was found that master's students spend 20-30 hours a week on research, while doctoral students spend 40-50 hours. For doctoral students, this is equivalent to full-time employment, and some students even exceed 60 hours a week. Master's students, in particular, must attend lectures for credits in addition to their research, leaving them with very little free time when part-time jobs are factored in. Because they must also engage in job hunting under these conditions, balancing research and job hunting is a major challenge for graduate students.

As a career support service specialized for graduate students and researchers, Acaric goes beyond job hunting support. We provide services like 'Acaric Lounge' and 'CloudLaTeX' to support the research life itself. This campaign was planned as part of those efforts, aimed at graduate students striving to balance research and job hunting.

## **'Research Companions' Revealed in a Survey of 625 Seniors**

To determine the contents of the box, Acaric conducted a survey from February 5 to February 28, 2026, targeting 625 Acaric users who are master's or doctoral graduates from the classes of '26 and '27 (Respondents: Master's 77.9%, Doctoral 22.1%).

When asked, 'Which category of item is most necessary to support your research and job hunting?', the number one answer was 'Sugary snacks (such as Ramune and chocolate)' with 332 votes. This suggests that a quick sugar boost is essential for graduate students who continuously engage in the highly demanding intellectual work of research.