Brain Pool Fellowship Program Korea 2026: BP & BP+ Call Closed

Brain Pool Korea 2026 Status

The 2026 call was announced on 12 February 2026 by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and administered by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) through the Integrated R&D Information System (IRIS). The programme was expanded substantially in 2026, including the introduction of the new BP+ institution-led recruitment route.

Brain Pool (BP) vs Brain Pool+ (BP+) in 2026

The two routes serve different recruitment models. BP Individual is built around a Korean principal investigator identifying and inviting an overseas scientist for a joint research project. BP+ is led by the Korean research institution itself and supports a broader strategic global-talent recruitment programme.

Eligibility for Overseas Researchers

The 2026 programme guidance centres on overseas scientific talent being recruited by an eligible Korean host. Core conditions include:

• a doctoral degree by the appointment / project-start requirements stated in the call;
• overseas residence satisfying the programme’s qualifying period before recruitment;
• scientific or technical expertise relevant to the proposed Korean host project; and
• ability to undertake the required research activity in Korea under the selected programme route.

Industry R&D Route

The official programme also provides an alternative qualification route for certain corporate / corporate-affiliated research-institute cases: overseas scientists with at least five years of on-site overseas R&D experience may qualify without a doctoral degree, subject to the exact host and call conditions.

Overseas Residence

NRF’s 2026 briefing explains that invited talent must satisfy the overseas-residence requirement before recruitment. For BP+ candidates, the briefing identifies researchers who have been residing overseas for at least one year as of the recruitment date, with the same basic invited-researcher qualification framework applying across the two 2026 routes.

Funding, Duration and Support

BP Individual

NRF’s 2026 programme briefing states that approximately 80 BP Individual projects were planned, with research funding of up to about KRW 350 million per year, depending on the invited scientist’s overseas remuneration and approved project budget, for a maximum period of three years.

BP+ Institution-led

The new 2026 BP+ route was designed as a large-scale institutional recruitment programme. MSIT planned to select about five institutions and provide up to approximately KRW 3 billion per year per selected institution for up to five years (2+3).

Research Fields and Strategic Technology Areas

Brain Pool supports all science and technology fields. The programme also gives policy attention to South Korea’s national strategic technology areas.

Applicants outside these priority areas are not automatically excluded: the 2026 programme is open across science and technology. A strong proposal should nevertheless explain how the collaboration adds scientific, technological or strategic value to the Korean host.

How Overseas Researchers Should Prepare a Korean Host

Brain Pool is not primarily a self-nominated fellowship. For the BP Individual route, the Korean PI identifies an overseas scientist and develops the collaboration with that researcher. Therefore, securing a credible host relationship is usually the most important preparation step.

1. Identify research fit: shortlist Korean universities, national laboratories, institutes or eligible R&D organisations working directly in your field.
2. Review the host’s recent research: examine current papers, projects, facilities and international collaborations.
3. Prepare a concise research package: academic CV, selected publications, research profile and a short host-specific concept note.
4. Contact a potential PI with a concrete idea: explain why your expertise complements the host group and what joint work could realistically produce.
5. Develop the formal plan jointly: once the Korean host is interested, follow the official call, institutional approvals and IRIS submission workflow for that cycle.

How the Application Process Works

BP+ 2026 Talent Conditions

NRF’s 2026 briefing states that applicant institutions were expected to present a candidate pool based on their recruitment strategy. After selection, institutions were required to recruit and retain at least two top global talents, and invited scientists were expected to spend at least 40% of each year in Korea while conducting collaborative research.

CareerAidHub Applicant Guidance

The points below are CareerAidHub preparation guidance, not additional MSIT / NRF eligibility rules.

• Do not wait for the next call to find a host. Host identification and proposal alignment can take substantially longer than the formal application window.
• Lead with technical fit. A potential Korean PI needs to see how your methods, datasets, facilities access, patents or publications complement the host group’s current programme.
• Prepare evidence of overseas status. Residence eligibility can be decisive, so keep employment, residence and research-location documentation organised.
• Separate project funding from salary expectations. Funding ceilings include multiple project-cost categories and should not be presented as personal compensation.
• Use the next official call, not an old summary. BP/BP+ rules have changed across cycles, especially the BP+ structure.

Preparation Checklist for a Future Call