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Government to provide 10 billion won annually
Four National Research Labs (NRL) have been selected to nurture university-affiliated institutes aiming for world-first and world-leading research. The labs will study physical artificial intelligence (AI), solar cell-based energy solutions, small modular reactors (SMRs), and precision medicine, receiving up to 10 billion won per year for 10 years.
The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Education announced on the 29th the results of the 2026 basic research project National Research Lab selection, stating that the four selected labs will be funded from July 1.
Launched for the first time last year, National Research Lab (NRL) 2.0 is a comprehensive support program to foster hub laboratories for large-scale, convergent research. Its goal is to leverage excellent researchers and infrastructure in universities’ strong fields to lead innovative research.
Professor Kyu-Jin Cho of Seoul National University heads the “Human-Centered Physical AI Robotics Research Lab,” which aims to develop Human-centered Physical AI Robotics (H-PAIR) technologies that closely assist people by using AI that mimics human sensory and motor nervous systems. The lab is expected to contribute to ultra-personalized robot services, manufacturing innovation, and improving the quality of life for older adults.
Professor Nam-Gyu Park of Sungkyunkwan University, through the “Sungkyun Intelligent Energy Solutions National Research Lab,” will develop advanced energy technologies capable of stably supplying large-scale energy and responding to extreme load fluctuations, as well as industry-tailored intelligent integrated energy solutions. High-efficiency solar cells and energy storage technologies will be combined with AI and digital twins to support industrial electrification and power supply for AI data centers.
The “SMR2 Platform National Research Lab,” led by Professor Jae-Sun Lee of Changwon National University, aims to build an integrated platform for nuclear power plant–specialized core materials, structural integrity, energy conversion, system integration, and expansion technologies. Based on research on AI autonomous operation of nuclear power plants and verification of structural integrity in extreme environments, as well as defect removal, the lab is expected to accelerate the development of core SMR materials, system integration and expansion technologies, and hardware virtual verification technologies.
The “Theranostics Convergence National Research Lab,” headed by Professor Hak-Soo Choi of Chungnam National University, aims to elucidate the pathological mechanisms of intractable tumors, infectious diseases, and degenerative brain disorders at the molecular, cellular, and microenvironmental scales, and to reduce them to design parameters to establish fundamental technologies. Theranostics is a precision medicine concept that combines diagnosis and therapy to accurately detect diseases while simultaneously linking them to targeted treatment.
This year, the program was divided into Type 1, targeting institutions nationwide, and Type 2, targeting regional institutions, to expand participation opportunities for local universities. The government stated, “In the first year, 5 billion won, equivalent to six months of funding, will be provided,” adding, “The scale of support may change depending on the budget situation.”
Following the announcement of the selection results on the 29th, the government will finalize the selected institutions after a period for objections and will fully launch the project through agreements with the implementing organizations.
Lee Hae-sook, Director-General for Higher and Lifelong Education Policy at the Ministry of Education, said, “We expect National Research Labs to play a pivotal role in dramatically transforming universities’ R&D ecosystems and contributing to regional development, while simultaneously producing world-class research outcomes.”
For the 2025 National Research Labs, four institutes were selected and have been operating since last September: Korea University’s “Convergence Degradative Biology National Research Lab (Professor Song Hyun-kyu),” Yonsei University’s “Bio Centennial Convergence Research Lab (Professor Song Jae-hwan),” Ewha Womans University’s “Multiscale Materials and Systems Research Lab (Professor Moon Hoe-ri),” and POSTECH’s “Global Healthcare Biomedical Engineering Research Lab (Professor Lee Pyung-se).
