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Purpose: For more than a century, ionizing radiation has been indispensable mainly in medicine and industry. Radiation research is a multidisciplinary field that investigates radiation effects. Radiation research was very active in the mid- to late 20th century, but has then faced challenges, during which time funding has fluctuated widely. Here we review historical changes in funding situations in the field of radiation research, particularly in Canada, European Union countries, Japan, South Korea, and the US. We also provide a brief overview of the current situations in education and training in this field. Conclusions: A better understanding of the biological consequences of radiation exposure is becoming more important with increasing public concerns on radiation risks and other radiation literacy. Continued funding for radiation research is needed, and education and training in this field are also important.

The aim of Task 2.7 of CONCERT was to unravel research and innovation needs that might help the implementation process of Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM of 5 December 2013 laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation and provide input to joint programming of integrative research actions. To achieve our aims we participated in meetings involving the European Commission and national authorities, regulators and Technical Support Organizations (TSOs). The Article 31 expert group of the European Commission was successfully contacted and the group identified six very important areas on the field of radiation protection where additional science and innovation are necessary. Further actions were the organisation of a teleconference and a workshop and the development of a questionnaire to unravel national needs for new research an innovation. Finally, we were able to come out with seven topics that should be included in new CONCERT and EURATOM research calls. These are  Individual justification and optimisation of medical exposures  New data on radiation-induced health effects  Low dose irradiation in utero  Organ doses  Dosimetry  Emergency situations  Communication about the effects of ionising radiation