100 Million Won Awarded to Professors Jongseung Kim and Hyungjun Cha
Five Emerging Scientists Selected as Fellows, Each to Receive Research Funding
Foundation Leads Talent Development with 6.5 Billion Won in Support Since Establishment
The Korea Toray Science Promotion Foundation has highlighted seven researchers who will lead the future of science and technology in Korea. Professor Jongseung Kim of the Department of Chemistry at Korea University and Professor Hyungjun Cha of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) have been selected as the recipients of the 8th Korea Toray Science and Technology Award, while five emerging scientists have been named Korea Toray Fellows.
The Korea Toray Science Promotion Foundation announced on September 4 that Professor Kim was selected as the recipient in the basic field and Professor Cha in the applied field for the Science and Technology Award. Each professor will receive a prize of 100 million won.
Professor Jongseung Kim of the Department of Chemistry at Korea University (left), the recipient of the 8th Korea Toray Science and Technology Award in the basic field, and Professor Hyungjun Cha of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), the recipient in the applied field. Korea Toray Science Promotion Foundation
Professor Kim pioneered the field of theranostics, which enables the selective diagnosis and treatment of tumors, leading advancements in related pharmaceutical technologies. He has also elevated the status of Korean science by being named one of the world's most influential researchers for eleven consecutive years since 2014.
Professor Cha has led the field of biomaterials based on his research into the world's only mussel-derived adhesive proteins. His achievements have been highly regarded, particularly for expanding his research into the medical field and contributing to the development of marine biotechnology materials through the development of foundational materials and technology transfer.
In addition, the foundation selected five emerging scientists as recipients of the Korea Toray Fellowship. In the basic field, Professor Yoonsu Park of the Department of Chemistry at KAIST and Professor Changyun Son of the Department of Chemistry at Seoul National University were chosen. In the applied field, Professor Mingyu Kim of the Department of Chemistry at Inha University, Professor Sooyeon Cho of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, and Professor Himchan Cho of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST were selected. Each of these recipients will receive a total of 150 million won in research funding over the next three years.
The recipients of the Korea Toray Science and Technology Award and Fellowship were determined through a nomination and review process held from April to June. The award ceremony will take place on October 31.
Established in 2018, the Korea Toray Science Promotion Foundation has provided a total of 6.5 billion won in support to 14 recipients of the Science and Technology Award, 30 fellows, and 245 undergraduate science and engineering scholarship students. The foundation is also committed to fostering the next generation of talent by awarding scholarships to 30 science and engineering undergraduates every year.
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