Associate Professor UDAGAWA Taro Selected as Principal Investigator for a Planned Research Project in a JSPS Transformative Research Area (A)

Associate Professor UDAGAWA Taro of the Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University has been selected as a Principal Investigator for a Planned Research Project within the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Transformative Research Areas (A).

Associate Professor Udagawa has been appointed as the Principal Investigator of the research program entitled "Deuterium Science 2.0" (Research Area Leader: Associate Professor NAKA Hiroshi, Kyoto University). This marks the first new selection under this project at Gifu University in six years. The research program will be carried out over a five-year period.

The Transformative Research Areas (A) Project is a large-scale research initiative funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Through the collaborative integration of diverse researchers, the project aims to initiate major transformations and paradigm shifts in existing academic systems and directions, while also fostering the creation of new research areas that contribute to strengthening Japan's academic foundation and nurturing young researchers. The present project is positioned as a core initiative for the advancement of the research area.

Associate Professor Udagawa is a member of the Materials Chemistry Course within the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Science, the Faculty of Engineering and conducts research on quantum chemical calculations for the study of deuterium. By integrating information science, theoretical chemistry, and experimental chemistry in a cross-disciplinary manner, the project seeks to establish a new academic field known as Deuterium Science, aiming to develop new scientific principles and to create innovative substances and technologies.

Through this selection, significant progress is expected in research on the science of deuterium and tritium in the coming years.