36 Projects Selected in H1 2026, Securing KRW 3.8 Billion in Research Funding

Clear Upward Trend Following Last Year’s Rebound, Entering a Strong Growth Phase in H1

Enhanced Research Support System—Planning, Administration, and Performance Management—Strengthens Competitiveness

[March 20, 2026]

Yeungnam University (President CHOI Oe-chool) has demonstrated a clear upward trajectory for three consecutive years in securing projects under the National Research Foundation of Korea Basic Research Program, once again confirming its strong research competitiveness.

 According to the recently announced results of the NRF Basic Research Program, YU secured a total of 36 projects in the first half of 2026 alone, obtaining approximately KRW 3.8 billion in research funding. With the addition of the second-half results, the university’s total annual funding volume is expected to increase significantly. 

 YU recorded 8 projects worth KRW 1.3 billion in 2024, followed by a rebound in 2025 with 28 projects totaling KRW 3.7 billion. Building on this recovery, the university has entered a distinctly strong growth phase in the first half of 2026.

 This performance reflects not only changes in the government’s R&D budget environment but also YU’s well-balanced research competitiveness across various academic disciplines. The government’s R&D budget for 2026 is expected to increase by 19.3% compared to the previous year, and with additional calls for proposals from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT scheduled for the second half, the total research funding secured by YU in 2026 is projected to expand substantially year-on-year.

<YU, NRF Basic Research Program Performance>

(Unit: KRW thousand)

 KIM Jae-hong, Head of the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation at YU, stated, “The Basic Research Program supports creative and challenging fundamental research conducted by individual researchers and serves as a key indicator of a university’s foundational research capacity. YU’s continued growth over the past three years reflects not only the expansion of its pool of outstanding researchers but also external recognition of the advancement of its institutional support system across the entire process—from research planning and administrative support to performance management.” He added, “The university will continue to provide comprehensive support, including the creation of an environment conducive to research immersion, systematic administrative assistance, and the dissemination and expansion of research outcomes, so that faculty research achievements can develop into globally competitive results.”