Category: News (EN)

ERAN Organized a Panel Discussion at the 63rd Annual Meeting on Radioisotopes and Radiation Research

The 63rd Annual Meeting on Radioisotopes and Radiation Research was held at Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan) from July 8 to 10, 2026.

Panel Discussion: “Fifteen Years After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: Environmental Dynamics Research and Future Perspectives through the ERAN Network”

On July 9, ERAN organized the panel discussion “Fifteen Years After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: Environmental Dynamics Research and Future Perspectives through the ERAN Network.” Researchers from ERAN member institutions and collaborating organizations presented their research achievements and discussed future directions for environmental dynamics research.

Panel discussion held at the Miraikan Hall, Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation

Panel Discussion Program

  • Research Achievements and Future Perspectives of ERAN and the University of Tsukuba
    Yuichi Onda (Center for Research in Isotopes and Environmental Dynamics, University of Tsukuba)
  • Research Achievements and Future Perspectives of Fukushima University
    Kenji Namba (Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University)
  • Research Achievements and Future Perspectives of Hirosaki University
    Tomotomo Miura (Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University)
  • Research Achievements and Future Perspectives of the Institute for Environmental Sciences
    Yoshiya Shimada (Institute for Environmental Sciences)
  • Research Achievements and Future Perspectives of the Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation (F-REI)
    Seiji Hayashi (Regional Environmental Co-creation Unit, Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation)

Chair

Kazuya Yoshimura (Japan Atomic Energy Agency)

Yuichi Onda
University of Tsukuba

Kenji Namba
Fukushima University
Tomisato Miura
Hirosaki University
Yoshiya Shimada
Institute for Environmental Sciences (IES)
Seiji Hayashi
Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation (F-REI)
Kazuya Yoshimura
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA)

The panel provided an opportunity to share research achievements accumulated over the 15 years since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident and to discuss future directions for environmental dynamics research through the ERAN network.

Related Links

2026 ERAN Kick-off Meeting Report

On Monday, May 18, 2026, the ERAN Kickoff Meeting for fiscal year 2026 was held in a hybrid format at the University Hall of the University of Tsukuba.
At the on-site venue, 117 flash talks and poster presentations were conducted, while 54 poster sessions were held online via REMO. A total of 91 participants attended in person, and lively discussions took place with the participation of both on-site and online presenters.
Although the day had a summer-like atmosphere, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all participants, both on-site and online, as well as to everyone who contributed to the organization of the event.

Opening Remarks – Prof. Onda, University of Tsukuba
Online Poster Session
On-site Poster Venue
Special Lecture – Project Manager Sugihara, Marine Ecology Research Institute
Overview of ERAN Collaborative Research Projects
Closing Remarks – Prof. Miura, Hirosaki University

ERAN Kick-Off Meeting FY2026 Event Overview & Program

Date Monday, May 18, 2026 (9:00 Registration / 17:00 Close)
Venue University Hall, University of Tsukuba (Oral: Int’l Conf. Room / Poster: Multipurpose Hall)

Flash talk (A&B)

Online poster session

Onsite poster session

Program

9:00 – 9:25
Registration 📍 Int’l Conf. Room
9:25 – 9:30
Opening remarks (Prof. Onda, Univ. Tsukuba) 📍 Teams & Int’l Conf. Room
9:30 – 10:00
Flash talk (A) (52 presentations) 📍 Teams & Int’l Conf. Room
10:00 – 11:00
Online Session (A) 📍 REMO(A)
11:00 – 12:00
On site Poster session (A) 📍 Multipurpose Hall
12:00 – 13:00
Lunch time
13:00 – 13:40
Special Lecture: Naoko Sugihara (MERI) 40 min (30min talk + 10min QA) 📍 Teams & Int’l Conf. Room
13:40 – 14:00
ERAN Project activities (Prof. Tsumune, Kato, Sakaguchi) 📍 Teams & Int’l Conf. Room
14:00 – 14:40
Flash talk (B) (65 presentations) 📍 Teams & Int’l Conf. Room
14:40 – 15:40
Online Session (B) 📍 REMO(B)
15:40 – 16:55
On site Poster session (B) 📍 Multipurpose Hall
16:55 – 17:00
Closing Remarks (Prof. Miura, Hirosaki Univ.) 📍 Teams & Int’l Conf. Room

Get-together!

Date Monday, May 18, 2026 (17:10 Registration / 19:30 Close)
Venue Soup Factory (Cafeteria), 2F, Building 1A, First Cluster
(5 min. walk from the meeting venue)
Reception fee Students: JPY 3,000, Others without alcohol: JPY 4,000, Others with alcohol: JPY 4,500.

Regarding FY2026 ERAN Kick off meeting

We are planning to hold the ERAN kick-off meeting on 18 May 2026 at the University of Tsukuba.

All selected projects are requested to present an overview of their research and plans.
Each project will be asked to give a brief flash talk (within 30 seconds) and a poster presentation.

For those participating online, the poster session will be conducted using Remo.
Further details, including the registration form and program, will be shared around mid-April.

  • Date: Monday, May 18, 2026
  • Format: Hybrid (On-site and Online)
  • Place: International Conference Room and Gallery, University of Tsukuba

ERAN’s 2025 Annual Report Meeting held

On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, the 2025 ERAN Annual Report Meeting was held in a hybrid format at the multipurpose hall on the 4th floor of “Corasse Fukushima” in Fukushima City.
114 participants attended in person, and the event included flash talks and poster presentations (76) at the venue, as well as online poster presentations (25), concluding successfully.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to travel to the venue, those who participated online from overseas, and all those involved who cooperated in the operation of the event.

Opening Remarks: Professor Onda, University of Tsukuba
The venue
Flash Talk
Special Lecture Dr. Olivier Evrard
Special Lecture: Prof. Andy Cundy
Special Lecture: Assoc. Prof. Tony Hooker
Online Poster Session
On-site poster venue
Closing Remarks: Professor Namba, Fukushima University

Workshop on AI-Powered Academic Writing

Workshop on AI-Powered Academic Writing
-Supporting Researchers’ Creativity and Accelerating Scholarly Communication-

The Center for Research in Radiation, Isotopes, and Earth System Sciences (CRiES) and the Institute for Environmental Sciences (IES), in collaboration through the Environmental Radioactivity Research Network (ERAN), hosted a workshop titled “Effective Academic Writing with AI” on December 5, 2025, at IES.
The session began with an introduction by Professor Onda on the fundamental workflow of AI utilization, followed by a hands-on workshop where participants used pre-prepared materials to assemble research papers with generative AI tools. The event emphasized idea-sharing and peer learning, fostering an environment where participants explored better writing strategies together.
A large number of researchers and students attended, actively engaging with multiple AI tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Nature Research Assistant. Participants experienced the entire academic writing process—from structuring manuscripts and refining English expressions to data analysis and responding to peer-review comments—while operating these tools in real time.

Voices from Participants

Many participants expressed that AI is a powerful tool to support researchers’ creative work:

  • “I never imagined generating a manuscript from PPT slides or posters. This will help me resume work on papers I had put aside.”
  • “Combining ChatGPT and Nature Research Assistant allows me to improve paper structure and search related literature seamlessly.”
  • “I was amazed that Copilot integrates with Word and Excel to finalize figures and tables. It seems useful for data analysis too.”
  • “Brainstorming with AI helped organize my thoughts. Writing no longer feels like a solitary task—it became a positive, interactive process.”
  • “AI-assisted debugging for data analysis code is extremely practical. Getting multiple solutions from error messages is a game-changer.”
  • “It was my first time using generative AI, and the content was beginner-friendly. I even upgraded to ChatGPT Plus during the session.”
  • “I gained a deeper understanding of security and data handling, which is essential for safe and confident AI use.”

Across disciplines, participants shared positive feedback such as “The barriers to academic writing have been lowered” and “I now see AI as a collaborative partner in research.”

Significance and Future Outlook

This workshop aimed to provide researchers with a foundation for “proactively mastering AI tools” and to experience the transformative potential of generative AI in research environments. AI applications extend beyond manuscript writing to:

  • Generating research project ideas
  • Data analysis and figure preparation
  • Optimizing English for international journals
  • Supporting communication during peer review

ERAN will continue to offer workshops like this to help researchers leverage AI tools safely and effectively, enhancing the global impact of their scholarly work.

Contact

Environmental Radioactivity Research Network (ERAN) Secretariat
Center for Research in Radiation, Isotopes, and Earth System Sciences (CRiES), University of Tsukuba

Professor Onda
Participants

Regarding the FY2025 ERAN Annual Report Meeting

Date and Time：Tuesday, March 10, 2026 9:10-17:10
Format：Hybrid (In-person & Online)
In-Person Venue：CORASSE Fukushima（1-20, Mikawa-minami-machi, Fukushima-shi, Fukushima, Japan）

Online Platforms :

  • Flash Talk Session: Microsoft Teams
  • Poster Session: Remo

The program for the ERAN Annual Report Meeting is available on the special website for the 12th Annual Results Presentation of the Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University. Please refer to the link below.

program

Added on February 3, 2026.

FY2025 ERAN Kick-off Meeting Report


The 2025 ERAN Kick off Meeting was held on Tuesday, May 20th at University of Tsukuba Hall. 57 flash talks and poster presentations were held at the venue, and 40 poster presentations were held online, resulting in a very successful event.　We would like to appreciate everyone who participated this meeting, and everyone who helped with the operation of the event on the day.

Flash Talks
Special Lecture by Prof. Kasey Clark
On-site Poster Session
Opening Remarks by Prof. Onda, University of Tsukuba
Online Poster Session
Venue
Participants Using Remo at the On-site Venue
Project Overview
Networking Reception

FY2024 ERAN Annual Report Meeting Highlights

The 2024 ERAN Annual Report Meeting was held on Monday, March 3rd at Tsukuba University Building 2A. 80 flash talks and poster presentations were held at the venue, and 58 poster presentations were held online, resulting in a very successful event. Despite the rainy weather with snow, we would like to appreciate everyone who came from far away, everyone who participated online from overseas, and everyone who helped with the operation of the event on the day.

Opening Remarks by Prof. Onda, University of Tsukuba
Flash Talks
On-site Poster Session
Online Poster Session
Special Lecture by Prof. Kenneth Williams
Networking Reception

Maintenance Notification

On Monday, August 12th, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, we will be performing a core network system replacement. During this time, intermittent access disruptions may occur. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding and cooperation.