The Korean Heritage Research Grants for Early-Career Scholars programme offers a unique funding opportunity designed to promote innovative and collaborative research in the field of transnational heritage studies. This programme aims to support early-career scholars and researchers who address critical global challenges through the lens of Korean heritage.
The 2026 grants programme will select one research team through an open call.
The programme encourages projects that take Korean heritage as a subject of comparative study or incorporate it into the research content, focusing on one of the thematic areas listed below:
- Politics of Heritage: Examine how heritage practices and narratives reinforce or challenge national identity, political ideologies, and power dynamics.
- Heritage and Memory: Explore the role of heritage in shaping collective memory, with particular attention to contexts marked by conflict, colonial legacies, and systemic racism.
- Inclusion and Exclusion in Heritage: Investigate issues of representation and marginalization within heritage narratives and practices, addressing questions of equity and diversity.
- Heritage for Sustainable Futures: Assess the potential of heritage to contribute to global sustainability, particularly in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The selected team will be awarded up to KRW 10,000,000 in funding to conduct its research during the first year. Based on the evaluation of the team’s first-year performance, additional funding of up to KRW 12,000,000 may be awarded to support the continuation of the research in 2027.
- The final payment amount is subject to change depending on exchange rate fluctuations and in accordance with applicable financial regulations.
Please find out more detailed information about the Grant Programme.
How to Apply
Applicants for the 2026 Korean Heritage Research Grants for Early-Career Scholars must submit a complete application online via the official website of Transnational Heritage Joint Research Grants before the submission deadline of February 22, 2026 (Seoul local time).
The application must contain:
- A completed application form (see the attached application form)
- CVs of the Principal Investigator and co-researchers (in PDF format)
- Copies of the doctoral degree certificate or certificate of enrollment for the Principal Investigator and co-researchers
- A preliminary budget plan (either in a separate form or included in the application form)
- Optional scientific document
The shortlisted applicants will be notified individually and may be required to participate in interviews, which will be conducted online during early of March 2026. Successful applicants will be notified and contacted by mid-March 2026.
Contact Information:
Korea UNESCO Research Institute
Korean National Commission for UNESCO
Tel: +82 (0)2 6958 4278
E-mail: research@unesco.or.kr