South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT said on Saturday that 7 South Korean researchers have been selected for the 2026 Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP).

HFSP is a research support programme set up in 1989 by major advanced countries to support innovative and challenging international joint research in life sciences. It has supported more than 8,500 researchers in 73 countries to date. Of its beneficiaries, 31 have won Nobel Prizes.

The latest selections include 3 research grants, 2 accelerators and 2 fellowships. The ministry said South Korean researchers are being recognised for their research capabilities in the world's top-level life sciences research support programme.

A total of 1,180 research proposals were submitted for this year's research grant programme, the largest in HFSP history. In the grant category, 3 South Korean researchers were included among 34 teams selected. They will conduct international joint research with annual research funding of about $300,000 to $400,000 for the next 3 years.

Jin-hyeon Kim (김진현), a principal researcher at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), was selected for research to develop next-generation neural circuit control technology that selectively inhibits active synapses. Researchers from Japan's RIKEN and Stanford University in the United States will take part in the study.

Tae-won Seo (서태원), a professor at Hanyang University, will conduct research with researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel to identify the underground ecosystem of mole-rats using robotics technology. Gil-ju Lee (이길주), a professor at Pusan National University, will conduct research with researchers at the University of Oxford in Britain to identify the optical principles of trilobite eye structures.

The accelerator category is a programme that expands research scope by adding new researchers to existing HFSP research teams. Two South Korean researchers were included among 10 finalists. They will receive about $100,000 a year for the next 2 years.

Jae-kyung Kim (김재경), a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), will conduct mathematical model research with researchers from South Africa, Turkey and other countries to analyse the ecology of tick and virus transmission in a climate-change environment. Hye-jin Yoon (윤혜진), a professor at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), will conduct research with researchers from Britain, Germany and Canada to identify metabolomics-based biochemical pathways for generating fear signals.

In the fellowships category, 2 South Korean researchers were included among 55 selected. They will receive about $60,000 a year for the next 3 years.

Hyun-hyeok Tae (태현혁), a doctor, will study the molecular mechanism of vesicle heterogeneity that determines cellular secretory plasticity at Yale University in the United States. Dae-hee Han (한대희), a doctor, is set to study the synaptic signalling mechanism in the motor learning process at the University of California San Diego in the United States.

Hyeok-chae Koo (구혁채), first vice minister at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "The selection of 7 South Korean researchers this year is a remarkable achievement for our scientific community." He added, "We will continue to actively support more domestic researchers so they can participate in global research cooperation."