The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 1st that it has prepared a budget of 2.74 trillion won for the basic research project in 2026, which is an increase of about 17.2% compared to 2025 (2.34 trillion won).
The Ministry of Science and ICT aims to restore and reboot the basic research ecosystem with the goal of "pursuing excellence based on diversity", expanding the number of projects in 2026 by about 28.5% compared to the previous year, supporting a total of over 15,800 projects. Among these, about 7,000 will be new projects, an increase of approximately 98.2% from 2025.
Additionally, the basic research project, which was abolished in 2024, will be revived in 2026. This decision reflects concerns about the research instability of early-career and local university faculty following the conclusion of lifecourse basic research. The government plans to invest about 115 billion won to support around 2,000 projects, restoring the safety net for researchers.
Also, to assist the return of Korean postdoctoral researchers from overseas, a new "return track" will be created within the Sejong Science Fellowship program. An investment of about 26 billion won will support around 130 talented individuals in 2026, thereby enhancing the connectivity of support throughout the entire cycle of "domestic - overseas - return".
Under the awareness that there is a mismatch between researchers' age and experience and their research capabilities, starting from 2026, the existing term "mid-career research" will be changed to "core research", with differentiated support for research funds and duration based on growth stages. Additionally, the complex structure of projects such as creative research and seed research will be simplified to help researchers choose tracks that fit their types of research.
Along with the expansion of individual basic research, collective research will also be strengthened. The number of new projects in the Basic Research Laboratory (BRL) promoting small-scale convergence research will increase from 111 in 2025 to 132 in 2026. The National Research Laboratory 2.0 project, which fosters university-affiliated research institutes to a world-class level, will also continue, selecting four new laboratories in 2026.
In line with the trend where artificial intelligence (AI) is triggering innovation in basic research, support will also be given for the advancement of university research infrastructure and the nurturing of basic science-AI convergence talent. For this, a new project called "AI-Digital-Based University Research Innovation" will be established within the basic research infrastructure development project.
Koo Hyuk-chae, the first vice minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, noted that "the budget for basic research in 2026 is a starting point for not just restoring the basic research ecosystem but also for its reboot" and stated, "We will effectively operate the allocated budget to create an environment where young researchers can conduct research without worries, and support excellent researchers to continue their growth."