NRF Centers of Research Excellence
Supports major research centers in Korea that drive strategic science leadership and multidisciplinary team excellence.
The National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Centers of Research Excellence program — known in Korean as 선도연구센터 — is one of NRF's largest group-research instruments, administered under the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT). The FY2026 first-tranche call was issued under MSIT Notice No. 2025-1005 on 2025-11-13 and covers six distinct center tracks: SRC (Science Research Center), ERC (Engineerin…
Funds large Korean university research centers in science and engineering across SRC, ERC, MRC, IRC, and NRL2.0 tracks, with awards ranging from 1.5 billion to 10 billion KRW per year for seven to ten years.
Sign up free to see the funding breakdown
Sign up free to see the industries in scope
Sign up free to see the full eligibility
Sign up free to see how to apply
Sign up free to see the timeline
Sign up free to see where teams trip up
Guides for this application
All guides →Grants for Biotech Startups: NIH, NSF, SBIR/STTR, and Non-Dilutive Funding
A practical guide to grants for biotech startups, including NIH SBIR/STTR, NSF, translational funding, evidence, regulatory readiness, and budgets.
Submit & reportGrant Reporting Requirements: Post-Award Reports and Compliance
Learn what grant reporting requirements cover, how financial and performance reports work, what to track after an award, and how to avoid post-award compliance mistakes.
DocumentsLetter of Support for Grant Applications: Template and Examples
Learn how to write and request a letter of support for a grant, with template structure, examples, reviewer logic, and common mistakes.
BudgetBudget Narrative Example for Grant Proposals
See how to write a grant budget narrative with line-item examples, a template structure, weak vs strong wording, and reviewer-facing cost logic.
More from NRF
All grants from this funder →NRF Basic Research Laboratory
🇰🇷NRF · South Korea
Provides laboratories in Korea with support for long-term basic research teams and sustained discovery pathways.
NRF Bilateral Exchange Program
🇰🇷NRF · South Korea
Supports Korean researchers in building structured exchanges with global counterparts across multiple disciplines.
NRF G-HUB — International R&D Center
🇰🇷NRF · South Korea
Offers frameworks for Korean and international institutions to establish strategic global research center partnerships.
NRF Global Leader Grants
🇰🇷NRF · South Korea
Funds world-class Korean researchers leading collaborative programs and building high-visibility scientific leadership.
NRF Sejong Science Fellowship
🇰🇷NRF · South Korea
Offers postdoctoral fellowship support for talented researchers in Korea to pursue independent long-term scientific careers.
Similar grants
Browse the directory →
Access to Research Infrastructure Services for EU Priorities and Emerging Challenges
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds €6M consortia that open Europe’s best research infrastructures to challenge-driven users and EU priorities.
Young Cancer Survivors Quality of Life Network
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds one €3M coordination action that helps cancer charities and funders improve quality of life for young survivors across Europe.
EIC Accelerator Challenges
🇪🇺EIC · European Union
Funds strategic deep-tech challenge projects in materials, energy, biotechnology, and climate innovation.
EIC Pathfinder Challenges
🇪🇺EIC · European Union
Funds European consortia developing breakthrough solutions across AI, climate, energy, materials, medical, and quantum fields.
Horizon Health: Climate-Resilient Healthcare Procurement
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds four €4–5M PCP projects that help healthcare systems and communities adapt to climate-related health risks.
Cancer Mission: First-in-Human Trials for Rare Cancers
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds €7–9M projects taking biomarker-guided rare-cancer treatments into first-in-human, multicentre phase 1 trials.