South Korea Expands Brain Pool Funding Program

South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT unveiled the 2026 Brain Pool (BP/BP+) Program, selecting five institutions to receive up to 3 billion won annually for up to five years to recruit overseas researchers. The program raises funding to 54.6 billion won (about 40% more than 2025), creates a BP+ institution-led track and keeps an individual-led track for about 80 projects with up to 350 million won per researcher; applications close April 10 and April 16 via the NRF.