Overview

The Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) AI Convergence Technology R&D Grant is South Korea's premier funding program for cutting-edge artificial intelligence research and development. With grants reaching up to ₩800 million over 3-5 years and subsidy rates of 50-75%, this program supports ambitious projects that advance the state-of-the-art in AI and create convergence innovations by integrating AI with biotechnology, materials science, robotics, telecommunications, and other emerging fields.

What the Program Covers

Eligible AI Convergence R&D Areas

1. AI + Biotechnology & Healthcare

   • Drug discovery and molecular design AI
   • Personalized medicine and genomics AI
   • Medical imaging diagnostics and treatment planning
   • Protein folding and bioinformatics
   • Brain-computer interfaces

2. AI + Robotics & Automation

   • Autonomous systems (drones, vehicles, robots)
   • Human-robot collaboration and safety
   • Manipulation and dexterous robotics
   • Swarm robotics and multi-agent systems
   • Soft robotics with AI control

3. AI + Telecommunications & Networks

   • 6G network optimization with AI
   • Intelligent edge computing
   • Network security and anomaly detection
   • Software-defined networking (SDN) with ML
   • Spectrum management and interference mitigation

4. AI + Advanced Materials & Chemistry

   • Materials discovery and property prediction
   • Chemical reaction optimization
   • Battery and energy storage AI
   • Semiconductor design automation
   • Quantum computing + AI hybrid systems

5. AI + Social Good & Sustainability

   • Climate modeling and environmental monitoring
   • Agricultural AI (crop yield, disease detection)
   • Disaster prediction and response systems
   • Energy grid optimization
   • Smart city infrastructure

6. Foundational AI Technologies

   • Large language models and multimodal AI
   • Efficient AI (model compression, edge deployment)
   • Explainable AI and trustworthiness
   • Federated learning and privacy-preserving AI
   • AI safety and alignment research

Funding Structure

Grant Amounts

• Small Projects (3 years): ₩300-500 million total
• Medium Projects (4 years): ₩500-650 million total
• Large Projects (5 years): ₩650-800 million total

Subsidy Rate

• Universities and Public Research Institutes: Up to 75% of costs
• Industry-Academia Collaboration: Up to 70% of costs
• Large Companies (solo): Up to 50% of costs
• SMEs and Startups: Up to 70% of costs

Eligible Costs

• Research personnel salaries (professors, researchers, PhD students)
• AI/ML compute infrastructure (GPUs, clusters, cloud credits)
• Research materials and consumables
• Equipment and instrumentation
• Travel to conferences and collaborations
• IP protection (patents, licensing)
• Subcontracts to specialized vendors
• Overhead and administrative costs

Application Requirements

Organization Eligibility

Qualified Lead Applicants:

• Korean universities (public and private)
• Government research institutes (KIST, KAIST, ETRI, etc.)
• Corporate R&D centers (Korean companies)
• Research-focused startups

Consortium Requirements:

• Projects often require 2-4 partner organizations
• Must include at least one academic institution for large grants
• Industry partners strongly encouraged for commercialization pathway

Principal Investigator Requirements:

• PhD degree in relevant field
• Track record of peer-reviewed publications or patents
• For large projects: proven experience leading research teams

Technical Proposal Components

1. Research Vision & Objectives

   • Scientific or technological challenge being addressed
   • Novelty and advancement beyond state-of-the-art
   • Specific measurable objectives for the project
   • Alignment with Korea's national AI strategy

2. Technical Approach & Methodology

   • Detailed research plan with algorithms, experiments, datasets
   • Convergence strategy (how AI integrates with other fields)
   • Risk analysis and contingency plans
   • Computational requirements and infrastructure plan

3. Project Timeline & Milestones

   • Year-by-year breakdown of research activities
   • Key deliverables and success criteria
   • Go/no-go decision points for multi-year projects
   • Publication and patent targets

4. Team & Collaborations

   • Principal investigator CV and qualifications
   • Key personnel and their roles
   • Collaborative partnerships (domestic and international)
   • Letters of support from partners

5. Commercialization & Impact Plan

   • Potential applications and markets
   • Technology transfer strategy
   • Societal benefits and broader impacts
   • Contribution to Korea's AI ecosystem

Application Process

Timeline (Annual Cycle)

Preliminary Proposal:

• March: Call for preliminary proposals (5-10 pages)
• April: Preliminary review and shortlisting

Full Proposal (for shortlisted applicants):

• May-June: Full proposal preparation period
• July: Full proposal submission (40-60 pages)
• August-September: Technical review and site visits
• October: Funding decisions announced
• November-December: Contract negotiation
• January (next year): Project start

Required Documents

Preliminary Stage:

1. Research vision statement (5-10 pages)
2. PI and key personnel CVs (abbreviated)
3. Budget estimate

Full Proposal Stage:

1. Comprehensive Technical Proposal (40-60 pages)
2. Detailed Budget Breakdown (5-year plan)
3. Letters of Support from Consortium Partners
4. Facilities and Equipment Description
5. Prior Research Accomplishments
6. Data Management Plan (for AI projects using datasets)
7. Human Subjects/Animal Ethics Approval (if applicable)
8. Commercialization Strategy

Review Criteria

Scientific Excellence (40%)

• Novelty and potential for breakthrough
• Rigor of technical approach
• Quality of preliminary results
• PI and team qualifications

Convergence & Innovation (25%)

• Effective integration of AI with other domains
• Interdisciplinary collaboration quality
• Potential for paradigm-shifting impact

Feasibility (20%)

• Realism of timeline and milestones
• Adequacy of resources and infrastructure
• Risk management and contingency planning

Impact & Commercialization (15%)

• Market potential and economic impact
• Path to technology transfer
• Contribution to Korea's competitiveness
• Broader societal benefits

Post-Award Requirements

Reporting Obligations

• Annual Progress Reports: Comprehensive technical and financial reporting
• Annual Review Meetings: Presentation to IITP evaluation committee
• Mid-term Evaluation: In-depth review at project halfway point (can affect continuation)
• Final Report: Complete documentation of results, publications, patents, and impact

Performance Metrics

• Publications: Peer-reviewed papers in top-tier conferences/journals
• Patents: Filed and granted patents (domestic and international)
• Technology Transfer: Licensing agreements or spin-off companies
• Human Capital: PhD students trained, workforce development
• International Recognition: Awards, invited talks, collaborations

Success Stories

Case Study 1: AI-Powered Drug Discovery Platform

Lead: Seoul National University + Biotech Startup Consortium Funding: ₩720 million (5-year project, 75% subsidy) Research: Deep learning for molecular property prediction and drug candidate generation Outcome: Discovered 3 novel drug candidates now in clinical trials, published 12 papers including 2 in Nature journals, licensed technology to pharmaceutical company for ₩2.5 billion, trained 8 PhD students now working in Korean biotech industry.

Case Study 2: Autonomous Driving in Urban Environments

Lead: KAIST + Major Automotive Company Funding: ₩650 million (4-year project, 70% subsidy for consortium) Research: Multi-sensor fusion, real-time decision making, and safety validation for autonomous vehicles Outcome: Developed Level 4 autonomous system tested on 10,000+ km in Seoul, filed 15 patents, technology integrated into company's next-generation vehicles launching 2027, won Best Paper award at CVPR.

Case Study 3: AI for Climate Modeling and Prediction

Lead: Korean Institute of Atmospheric Science + University Partners Funding: ₩550 million (5-year project, 75% subsidy) Research: Machine learning for high-resolution climate simulation and extreme weather prediction Outcome: Achieved 40% improvement in typhoon track prediction accuracy, published 8 papers, model now used by Korea Meteorological Administration for operational forecasting, presented at UN Climate Summit.

Tips for Strong Applications

Do's

✅ Show preliminary results - Include proof-of-concept data demonstrating feasibility ✅ Build strong consortia - Combine academic excellence with industry commercialization expertise ✅ Target high-impact venues - Aim for top conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR) and journals (Nature, Science) ✅ Demonstrate convergence - Show genuine integration of AI with other fields, not superficial combination ✅ Include international collaborators - Partnerships with top global labs strengthen proposals ✅ Address national priorities - Align with Korea's strategic technology areas (semiconductors, bio, etc.)

Don'ts

❌ Don't propose incremental research - IITP funds breakthrough innovation, not marginal improvements ❌ Don't underestimate computational needs - AI research requires substantial compute; justify requirements ❌ Don't ignore commercialization - Even basic research should articulate potential applications ❌ Don't overlook data requirements - Explain how you'll obtain/create datasets for AI training ❌ Don't submit unfocused proposals - Scope should be ambitious but coherent, not scattered

Additional Resources

IITP Program Office

• Website: https://www.iitp.kr/en/ (English section)
• Email: ai-rd@iitp.kr
• Phone: +82-2-3153-3000 (weekdays 9:00-18:00 KST)
• Program Officers: Available for consultation before submission

Related Programs & Resources

• National Research Foundation (NRF): Broader basic research funding
• Ministry of Science & ICT: Additional AI research programs
• Korea AI Association: Research community networking
• ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute): Collaboration opportunities

Application Support

• University Research Offices: Grant writing support and budget help
• IITP Webinars: Application workshops (typically held in March)
• Past Awardee Examples: IITP shares anonymized successful proposals
• Consultancy Services: Professional grant writers familiar with IITP format

Why Choose This Program

Advantages

1. Generous multi-year funding: Up to ₩800 million over 5 years for ambitious research
2. High subsidy rates: 75% for universities, reducing institutional burden
3. Flexibility: Allows pivots and adjustments based on results during project
4. Ecosystem access: Connections to Korea's leading AI researchers and companies
5. International visibility: Funded projects showcase at government AI events globally

Strategic Context

IITP is South Korea's primary agency for AI research funding under the Ministry of Science & ICT's vision to make Korea an "AI powerhouse." The program has produced numerous breakthroughs contributing to Korea's world-leading position in areas like 5G/6G, semiconductors, and digital displays. Successful PIs often receive follow-on funding and faculty promotions.

Contact Pertama Partners

Pertama Partners has supported Korean researchers and companies in securing IITP AI Convergence Technology R&D grants. Our services include:

• Research proposal strategy and technical writing (Korean and English)
• Consortium building and partnership facilitation
• Prior art and competitive landscape analysis
• Budget optimization and cost justification
• Commercialization plan development
• Presentation preparation for site visits
• Post-award reporting and management support

Contact us to discuss your AI R&D funding needs and maximize your application success.