Programs
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Individual Research
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Group Research
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Infrastructure Building
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Support for Academic Research Innovation
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Support for next-generation researchers
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Building of University Research Infrastructure
Through the PM (Program Manager) system, research programs are managed by an expert from the specified sector, thereby enhancing the efficiency and fairness of project management. This in turn increases the effectiveness of research support programs and helps to foster a research environment where creativity can flourish.
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- Program
Leader Grants
- Program Objectives and Descriptions
- 1. Type B(Top-Tier)
- Provide long-term research support to enable world-class researchers to continuously produce outstanding research outcomes
- 2. Type A
- Intensive support for in-depth research by world-class researchers to develop future independent scientific technologies and new technologies
- Eligible Individuals
- Faculty members(Tenure track, non-tenure track also known as full-time/ non-full-time) in the fields of science and engineering at colleges or universities, and researchers at National (public), government-funded or private research institutes.
※ For Type B (Top-Tier), researchers currently conducting leader-level research and eligible for the 2026 stage evaluation (entry into Stage 3) may apply
- Research period (maximum)
- 9 years(5+4)
- Annual research fund budget
- 1. Type B(Top-Tier)
- appx. 1,600 million won(direct cost within 1,280 million won)
- 2. Type A
- appx. 800 million won(direct cost within 640 million won)
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- Program
Core Research Grants
- Program Objectives and Descriptions
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- 1. Type C, B, A
- Support highly creative individual research to cultivate outstanding basic research capabilities and lay the foundation for growth as a leader researcher
- 2. Merit Research Program(type 2, 1)
- Extended supports for the outstanding researchers with excellent outcomes to advance the research outcomes in the previous programs and to produce innovative research outcomes from this program
- Eligible Individuals
- 1. Type C, B, A
- Faculty members(Tenure track, non-tenure track also known as full-time/ non-full-time) in the fields of science and engineering at colleges or universities, and researchers at National (public), government-funded or private research institutes.
- 2. Merit Research Program(type 2, 1)
- Basic Individual Research Grants(Consolidator Grant Type 1 or 2, or Outstanding Young Scientist Grants) Researcher scheduled to complete in 2026.
- Research period (maximum)
- 1. Type C, B, A
- 1~5 years
- 2. Merit Research Program(type 2, 1)
- 3 years
- Annual research fund budget
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- 1. Type C
- appx. 300 million won(direct cost within 240 million won)
- 2. Type B
- appx. 200 million won(direct cost within 160 million won)
- 3. Type A
- appx. 100 million won(direct cost within 80 million won)
- 4. Merit Research Program(type 2)
- 350 million won(direct cost within 280 million won)
- 5. Merit Research Program(type 1)
- 200 million won(direct cost within 160 million won)
Hanwoomul-Phagi Basic Research
- To support outstanding young researchers to continuously conduct challenging research in one area for a long period of time to create world-class research outcomes.
- Faculty members within 15 years after obtaining a final doctoral degree,(Tenure track, non-tenure track also known as full-time/ non-full-time) in the fields of science and engineering at colleges or universities, and researchers at National (public), government-funded or private research institutes.
- 10 years(5+5)
- appx. 200 million won(direct cost within 160 million won)
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- Program
Young Scientist Grants
- Program Objectives and Descriptions
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- 1. Type B, A
- To support creative research by young scientists for establishing their research infrastructure and cultivating their excellence in research
- 2. Infrastructure Supporting Grants for Young Scientist
- To support young scientists to establish their laboratories for core infrastructures, enabling the researchers to focus on the challenging projects from the early stage of their careers
- Eligible Individuals
- 1. Type B, A
- Tenure track faculty members in the field of science and engineering at the college or university or full-time tenured researchers at National (public), government-funded or private research Institutes. Applicants should be within 7 years after obtaining a final doctoral degree or less than 39 years old.
※ The applicants whose first appointment as an assistant professor or above ranking at the Korean college or university is within 5 years, can apply this grant, even if he/she is over 7 years after obtaining a final doctoral degree or over 39 years old.
- 2. Infrastructure Supporting Grants for Young Scientist
- Within 7 years after conferment of a final doctoral degree or under the age of 39. Working at university in the fields of science and engineering full-time)
※ The applicants whose first appointment as an assistant professor or above ranking at the Korean college or university is within 5 years, can apply this grant, even if he/she is over 7 years after obtaining a final doctoral degree or over 39 years old.
※ Previous beneficiaries of this program are ineligible to apply
- Research period (maximum)
- 1. Type B
- 1~5 years
- 2. Type A
- - 1~3 years
- 3. Infrastructure Supporting Grants for Young Scientist
- - 1 years
- Annual research fund budget
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- 1. Type B
- appx. 150 million won(direct cost within 120 million won)
- 2. Type A
- - appx. 100 million won(direct cost within 80 million won)
- 3. Infrastructure Supporting Grants for Young Scientist
- - 100-500 million won/year
Challenge-based research
To support pioneering research for the new paradigm shifts, or discovery and establishment of new concepts, rather than the traditional research areas that have been being heavily investigated.
Faculty members(Tenure track, non-tenure track also known as full-time/ non-full-time) in the fields of science and engineering at colleges or universities, and researchers at National (public), government-funded or private research institutes.
1 to 3 years
appx. 100 million won(direct cost within 80 million won)
Strategic research
To support strategic basic research for the 12 national strategic technologies, promising future research areas and others to prepare national and social needs
Faculty members(Tenure track, non-tenure track also known as full-time/ non-full-time) in the fields of science and engineering at colleges or universities, and researchers at National (public), government-funded or private research institutes.
1~3 years
appx. 200 million won(direct cost within 160 million won)
General Grants
1~5 years
1. General Research B
- appx. 70 million won(direct cost within 56 million won)
2. General Research A
- appx. 50 million won(direct cost within 40 million won)
- 1. Program
Global Matching (Joint Research Program)
2. Program objective
- Secure global research capabilities and generate innovative basic research outcomes by fostering collaboration with world-leading researchers.
- Support international joint research projects through bilateral funding with leading basic research countries that share core values
3. Program Details (2026 Korea-Germany Program)
- Research Period : 3 Years
- Number of Projects : 25 projects
- Annual Budget : Up to KRW 150 million/year per project (for Korean research team)
* DFG will provide German researchers with funding in accordance with the program's "Individual Research Grants" requirements.
- Eligibility : Full-time faculty members in the fields of science and engineering at domestic universities and full-time researchers at national or public research institutes and government-funded research organizations.
Sejong Science Fellow-ship
1. Domestic Track
- To promote young scientists including post-doctoral fellows to conduct their own research that they want to focus through this fellowship, thereby developing and establishing themselves as capable researchers in the core science and engineering fields.
2. Overseas training Track
- To support overseas training for outstanding postdoctoral researchers to develop into key players in the fields of national strategic technology* and therefore to serve as a foundation securing national competitiveness.
* ① Semiconduct·display, ② Secondary battery, ③ State-of-the-art mobility¸ ④ Next-generation nuclear power ⑤ Advanced biology, ⑥ Aerospace·Marine, ⑦ Hydrogen, ⑧ Cyber security, ⑨ Artificial intelligence, ⑩ Next-generation communication, ⑪ State-of-the-art robot·manufacturing, ⑫ quantum
3. Return and Recruitment Track
- Encourage the return of young Korean researchers who have obtained their degrees abroad and promote the recruitment and settlement of qualified foreign PhD-level research personnel in Korea
1. Domestic Track, Overseas training Track
- Among those who obtained a doctoral degree from a university in the Republic of Korea, ①within 7 years of obtaining a doctoral degree or ②less than 39 years old., Faculty members(non-tenure track also known as non-full-time) in the fields of science and engineering at colleges or universities, and researchers at National (public), government-funded or private research institutes(non-full-time)
※ Only Korean nationals may apply
2. Return and Recruitment Track
- Among individuals who obtained a doctoral degree from a university abroad, ① within 7 years of obtaining a doctoral degree or ② less than 39 years old., Faculty members(non-tenure track also known as non-full-time) in the fields of science and engineering at colleges or universities, and researchers at National (public), government-funded or private research institutes)
※ Foreign nationals meeting the above conditions who hold a doctoral degree from a may also apply
1. Domestic Track
- 5 years
2. Overseas training Track
- 1 years
3. Return and Recruitment Track
- 5 years
1. Domestic Track
- appx. 130 million won(direct cost within 100 million won)
2. Overseas training Track
- appx. 70 million won(The support is limited to the exact amounts of personnel expenses, with 5% of the additional indirect cost)
3. Return and Recruitment Track
- appx. 130 million won(direct cost within 100 million won)
- National Research Lab (NRL2.0)
- Eligible Individuals: University- or college affiliated institute
- Research Period: 10 years(3+4+3)
- Annual research budget (including overhead): Within 10 billion won per year (including budgets from the Department of Education)
Global Centers of Research Excellence
SRC : To foster outstanding research groups in the field of science, strengthening national basic research capacity including the development of new theories, solution of scientific challenges and others.
ERC : To produce basic research outcomes that enable to transfer basic research to the applied research, and to serve as a founding base for the industry-academia cooperation within universities by fostering outstanding research groups in the field of engineering.
MRC : To strengthen national bio and health research capabilities by fostering research groups in the fields of medical science, dental science, traditional Korean medical science and pharmacology, and then by promoting investigation of human life phenomena and disease mechanisms, and others.
CRC : To produce novel creative results and new world-class knowledge including various social issues, public demands, and others by fostering interdisciplinary convergence research groups.
RLRC : To provide supports for sustainable and self-sustaining innovative growth foundations,and to strengthen regional research capabilities by fostering research groups in the area of regional innovation.
IRC : To build up sustainable research capacity through fostering research groups of the field of outstanding strategic technology, to play a role in a hub for a cooperation among industry/university/research institute within the university, and to produce world-class research outcomes.
* SRC:
Eligible Individuals: Group of the researchers (8 or more researchers) from the university with graduate school in the science and engineering fields
Research Period: 7 years(4+3)
Annual research budget (including overhead): Within 1.65 billion won per year
* ERC:
Eligible Individuals: Group of the researchers (8 or more researchers) from the university with graduate school in the science and engineering fields
Research Period: Within 7 years (Autonomous setting)
Annual research budget (including overhead): Within 2 billion won per year
* MRC:
Eligible Individuals: Group of the researchers (8 or more) from the university with graduate school in basic medical science (medical science, dental science, traditional Korean medical science and pharmacology)
Research Period: 7 years(4+3)
Annual research budget (including overhead): Within 1.5 billion won per year
* CRC:
Eligible Individuals: Group of the researchers (around 10 researchers) from the university with Science and Engineering, and Humanities/Social Science/ArtGraduate school
Research Period: 7 years(2+2+3)
Annual research budget (including overhead): Within 1.5 billion won per year
* RLRC:
Eligible Individuals: Group of the researchers (within 8 researchers) from the university with graduate school in the science and engineering fields
Research Period: 7 years(4+3)
Annual research budget (including overhead): Within 1.5 billion won per year
* IRC:
ligible Individuals: Group of the researchers (around 13 researchers from the same university) from the university with graduate school in the science and engineering fields
Research Period: 10 years(3+4+3)
Annual research budget (including overhead): Within 5 billion won per year
Global Basic Research Laboratory
Advanced Track : To support various types of research that serve to deepen existing research by systematically fostering small-scale research groups.
Pioneer Track : To support the growth of competent young researchers by supporting creative and challenging research in new fields that are rarely attempted in Korea.
Eligible Individuals: Research group of 3~4 people including full-time faculty from the university of the Science and Engineering fields
Research Period: Within 3 years
Annual research budget (including overhead): Within 500 million won per year
Global - Learning & Academic research institution for Master's · PhD students, and Postdocs(G-LAMP)
To establish and operate a system that strengthens the management and support of university-affiliated research labs and facilitates collaborative research centered on early-career researchers, by designating and nurturing innovative theme-focused laboratories as university-wide key research hubs
Supported Fields: 12 key areas of basic research
Eligible Institutions: Universities under Article 2 of the Higher Education Act (excluding the four national institutes of science and technology)
Details: Strengthening university research management systems and supporting innovative collaborative research
- Improving research lab structures through comprehensive university-level coordination and restructuring
- Facilitating interdisciplinary and collaborative research focused on early-career researchers while supporting cross-institutional collaborative research programs
Duration: 5 years (3+2)
Scale: About KRW 5 billion per year (50% in the first year, for 6 months)
< Tasks for Participating Universities in G-Lamp Program>
Global Hub Program for Research Data
Support for a sharing and analysis environment and computing infrastructure for large-scale experimental data generated from cutting-edge research equipment, large-scale observation equipment, and simulation experim
Research Period: 3 years (continued)
Annual research budget (including overhead): Around 3.8 billion won
CERN Collaboration Program
Securing domestic basic science capabilities through international cooperation, such as participating in detector experiments and theoretical physics research at the CERN laboratory and jointly developing key devices in large detectors (CMS, ALICE)
Research Period: 3 years (continued)
Annual research budget (including overhead): CMS approximately 5.7 billion won / ALICE approximately 2.7 billion won / Theoretical physics approximately 600 million won
Research Grants to Promote Creativity / Taking on Challenges
Research funding support for independent and stable research at research-dedicated levels within universities
Eligible Individuals: University researchers (Part-time faculty, postdoctoral researcher)
Support period: 1 to 3 years
Annual research budget: Within 70 million won
Research Grants for Overlooked Areas
Support for the research areas that need to be protected and nurtured to ensure diversity and balance in the basic sciences
Eligible Individuals: University researchers (Full-time, Part-time faculty, postdoctoral researcher)
Support period: Ongoing Projects (Selected through 2025), 5 years (3+2)
Newly Selected Projects in 2026, 5 years
Annual research budget: Ongoing Projects (Selected through 2025) (Joint) less than 300 million won / (Single) less than 100 million won
Newly Selected Projects in 2026 (Joint) 280 million won/ (Single) 100 million won
* May vary depending on the year of selection.
Regional University Distinguished Scientist Grants
Support for excellent researchers at local universities to continually produce research results
Eligible Individuals: Local university researchers (Full-time, Part-time faculty, postdoctoral researcher)
Support period: 3 to 10 years (6 years or more : Less than 3+3+4)
Annual research budget: Within 50 million won
Interdisciplinary Convergence Research Grants
Support for future-leading research and future convergence talents through convergence research
Eligible Individuals: Full-time university faculty (The principal investigator is in science and engineering)
Support period: 3 years
Annual research budget: Within 300 million won
Future Challenge Research
Support for collaborative, multidisciplinary research that is challenging, has great potential, and can bring about paradigm shifts that can open up new areas
Eligible Individuals: University researchers (Full-time/part-time faculty, postdoctoral researcher)
Support period: Ongoing Projects (Selected through 2025), 5 years (3+2)
Newly Selected Projects in 2026, 5 years
Annual research budget: Ongoing Projects (Selected through 2025), Within 200 million won
Newly Selected Projects in 2026, 160 million won
* May vary depending on the year of selection.
Glocal R&D
Support for basic research conducted by researchers from non-metropolitan universities that can support regional development and drive innovation
Eligible Individuals: Regional* university researcher (Full-time/part-time faculty, postdoctoral researcher)
* Except universities located in the metropolitan area (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon), 4 major science and technology institutions, excluding POSTEC
Support period: 3 years
Annual research budget: Within 150 million won
Research Subsidies for Ph.D. Candidates
Research grant support for fulltime students enrolled in doctoral programs at domestic graduate schools to conduct
dissertation research
Eligible Individuals: Doctoral students (including combined master’s and doctoral students)
※ Citizens of the Republic of Korea
Support period: 1 to years
Annual research budget: 25 million won
Research Subsidies for Master’s Students
Research grant support for fulltime students enrolled in master’s programs at domestic graduate schools to conduct
dissertation research
Eligible Individuals: Master’s degree students (including combined bachelor’s and master’s/master’s and doctorate )
※ Citizens of the Republic of Korea
Support period: 1 year
Annual research budget: 12 million won
Post-Doc. Domestic and Overseas Training
Research funding support for postdoctoral researchers to conduct research projects at domestic or overseas universities and research institutes
Eligible Individuals: Those who have obtained a doctorate degree from a domestic or foreign university within the past 5 years
※ Those who are citizens of the Republic of Korea
Support period: [Domestic] 1 to 3 years / [Overseas] 1 year
Annual research budget: 60 million won
Post-Doc. Research for Growth
Support for postdoctoral researchers and others to improve their research capabilities and grow in various ways while proactively conducting innovative research
Eligible Individuals: (Joint / Single) Postdoctoral researcher (university-affiliated, excluding full-time faculty)
※ As of the date of commencement of research, the applicant must have obtained a doctoral degree within 7 years or be 39 years of age or younger, and the principal investigator must be a citizen of the Republic of Korea. (Part-time) Part-time faculty (university-affiliated)
※ Retirees are excluded from the application, Korean nationals only
Support period: 3 year
Annual research budget: (Joint) 300 million won / (Single) 60 million won / (Part-time) 100 million won
Priority Research Institute Program
(Priority Research Institute Program) Provides research funds for up to 9 years to selected science and engineering university research institutes at university to provide a continuous research environment for new researchers
(Glocal lab) Focused support for university research centers to become regional
(including metropolitan) hubs of basic research and lead regional development
Eligible Individuals: KCI-registered university affiliated research centers
Support period: 9 years (3+3+3)
Annual research budget(Priority Research Institute Program): [General] Within 700 million won / [Voluntary] Within 1.1 billion won
Annual research budget(Glocal lab): [Base] Around 1.5 billion won / [Consortium] Within 2.4 billion won
Research Facility Establishment Program
(Core research support center & Enable
collaborative research) ①Establishng of a core research support center that can integrate and jointly utilize research equipment scattered throughout the university, ②Continued promotion of support for activating joint research
((Demonstration) Building a base network) Promoting a pilot project to designate excellent core
research support centers and infrastructure-enhanced facilities as research bases and establish and operate a cooperative network based on R&D facilities and equipment
(infrastructure advancement) Support for cutting-edge R&D equipment and support the training and operation of
dedicated operating personnel, in order for universities to perform innovative
research at a global level as research hubs
Eligible Individuals:
(Core research support center):
[New] University-affiliated research institute/joint laboratory practice center
※ Excluding the four major science and technology institutes
[Successor] Core research support center (2 years or less after the end of the assignment)
(Enable collaborative research)
Core research support center
(2 years or more of selection)
((Demonstration) Building a base network)
Core research support center, Infrastructure enhancement facility
(infrastructure advancement)
Core research support center, University research institution,
University joint laboratory practice center
※ Excluding the four major science and technology institutes
Support period:
(Core research support center):
[New] 6 years (3+3)
[Subsequent] 3 years
(Enable collaborative research)
3 years
((Demonstration) Building a base network)
5 years (3+2)
(infrastructure advancement)
5 years (3+2)
Annual research budget:
(Core research support center):
[New] Around 450 million won
[Followup] Around 300 million won
(Enable collaborative research)
Within 90 million won
((Demonstration) Building a base network)
around 150 million won
(infrastructure advancement)
[Equipment]
Around 5 billion
[Operations]
Around 500 million won