The Korea Basic Science Institute 1st Research Scientist(Full-time) Recruitment for 2026

The Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), a government-funded research institute, is leading advanced global convergence research across entire fields of basic science including biotechnology, environment science, material science and equipment development, based on the world's best large-scale research equipment.

We invite creative and dynamic candidates who will help us to achieve our goals.

1. Recruitment description and number of opening positions

○ Research Scientist(Full-time) (total of 4 areas, total of 4 people)

No.	Area of recruitment	Academic major	Academic background	Job Rank	No. of openings	Locations
1	ADC Synthesis and High-Efficiency Drug Delivery Technologies	Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacology, Biochemistry and related major	Ph.D	Senior	1	Ochang
2	Metabolomics Technologies for Biological and Disease Mechanism Studies and Biomarker Discovery	Chemistry, Biology, Pharmacy, and Biomedical sciences, and related major	Ph.D	Senior	1	Seoul
3	Biomedical AI & Multi-modal data analysis	Engineering, Natural sciences, Medicine, and related major	Ph.D	Senior	1	Seoul
4	Control / Beam Diganostics	Computer science, Control & Instrumentation, Accelerator engineering, and related major	Ph.D	Senior	1	Ochang, Pohang

※ Refer to the attached job descriptions for the main areas of research and details

2. How to apply

○ How to apply: Online application on the KBSI Recruitment website (https://kbsi.recruiter.co.kr)

※ In-person and postal applications are not accepted

○ Application period: December 4, 2025(Thu), to December 18, 2025(Thu), 3:00 PM KST (Applications will NOT be accepted after closing time)

3. Eligibility and Requirements

Detailed information
Require-ments	∘ Applicants must possess the academic degree required for each recruitment field. ※ However, only applicants who are under the age of 61, the retirement age for researchers, are eligible to apply. ∘ Applicants must have completed or been exempted from mandatory military service and must have no restrictions on overseas travel (for Korean nationals only). ∘ Applicants must have no disqualifying issues related to personal identification. ∘ Applicants must hold the required degree for the respective recruitment field (including those expected to graduate in February 2026).
Disqualifi-cations	∘ Applicants who fall under any of the subparagraphs of Article 19 of the KBSI HR Regulations (Grounds for Disqualification) are ineligible to apply. These include, but are not limited to: - Individuals who fall under any subparagraph of Article 33 (Grounds for Disqualification) of the State Public Officials Act - Individuals whose civil rights (e.g., suffrage) have been suspended or deprived by law - Individuals who have evaded mandatory military service in violation of the Military Service Act - Individuals who have been disqualified from employment as a result of a physical examination - Individuals whose employment has been revoked due to illegal recruitment by a public institution ∘ Individuals subject to employment restrictions under Article 82 of the Act on the Prevention of Corruption and the Establishment and Management of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission
Preferential treatments (Koreans only)	∘ The disabled persons eligible for employment support such as persons of distinguished service to the state, Female scientists* * In the case of female scientists and engineers, preference is given only in cases where the major and job are related - Veterans and persons eligible for employment assistance, as well as individuals with disabilities, will receive a 5% additional score based on the full marks for each selection stage in accordance with relevant laws. - However, individuals falling under Article 29(1)(1), (2), and (4) of the Act on the Honorable Treatment of and Support for Persons of Distinguished Service to the State will receive an additional 10% of the full score. - Female scientists and engineers will be granted an additional 3% of the full marks during the document screening stage. ※ If an applicant is eligible for multiple types of preferential treatment, only the highest applicable additional score will be applied (no cumulative benefit). ※ The number of applicants who are hired through veterans’ preferential points may not exceed 30% of the total number of selected candidates. However, if the number of applicants is equal to or fewer than the number of available positions, evaluation will be conducted based on the total score, including the additional points (in accordance with Article 31(3) of the same Act)

4. Recruitment Process

Stage

Detailed information

Eligibility Screening of

Applications

∘ Compliance with the 「Blind hiring rules」and eligibility review

* Applicants who fail to meet the eligibility requirements, submit incomplete or insincere applications, or violate the 「Blind hiring rules」 or the blind review guidelines for research achievements will be deemed ineligible and disqualified from the document screening stage.

[Eligibility Disqualification Criteria]

○ Individuals who do not meet the degree requirements for the position they are applying for

- For example, applicants who indicate “coursework completed,” “currently enrolled,” or “on leave of absence” as their highest level of education in the application form

※ Even if an applicant passes the document screening despite omitting or misrepresenting the above information—whether intentionally or negligently—if such discrepancies are later discovered through supporting documents, their selection or employment offer may be revoked.

Document screening

∘ Evaluation of the applicants’ professional competencies required for the position, based on the submitted application form

- Evaluation criteria: Fit with the applied field (40), Expertise relevant to job responsibilities (40), Growth potential (20)

- Pass Criteria: Applicants who score an average of 80 points or higher (based on the total scores averaged across all evaluators) will be ranked, and the top scorers will be selected.

- Number of accepted applicants: Up to five-fold of the number of people to be recruited

※  Information such as the name of the degree-granting institution, corresponding and co-authors of publications, originating laboratory and supervising professor, and names of previous employers may be collected and reviewed to verify applicants’ job suitability and work capability in the relevant recruitment field, in accordance with the “Guidelines for Blind Hiring in Public Institutions” issued by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

[Blind Hiring Violation Criteria for Document Screening]

1) If an applicant directly or indirectly discloses their gender, age, or family relationships in their personal statement, competency statement, or file names.

- Example: phrases such as “born as the eldest daughter,” or “raised under strict parents working in the public sector,” etc.

2) Any other cases where members of the screening committee determine that the applicant has intentionally disclosed personal information.

Online personality tests

∘ Personality Test for Applicants Who Pass the Document Screening (Approximately 30 Minutes)

※ The test will be conducted online. Applicants who do not take the test will be disqualified. The test results will be used as supplementary materials during the interview stage.

Interview screening

∘ Presentation: Job competency evaluation through a seminar presentation

- Interview process: Presentation of research achievements and research plans as a senior researcher and Q&A

* Applicants who violate the blind hiring rules during presentation (including presentation materials) and personality interviews, will be disqualified

- Duration: 15 minutes for individual presentations, 15 minutes for Q&A

- Evaluation criteria: knowledge(50), thinking ability(30), presentation ability(20)

∘ Personality interview : To evaluate applicants’ suitability with regard to organizational culture, personality, etc

- Interview process: Individual interview

- Duration: 10-15 minutes per applicant

- Evaluation criteria: attitude(20), thinking ability(20), presentation ability(20), future potential(20), knowledge(20)

∘ Acceptance criteria: Applicants with the highest average score among those with an average score of 80 points or higher given by the screening committee

※ The average score of the presentation interview and the personality interview will be taken into account at the same ratio (50:50)

∘ Number of accepted applicants: Up to one-fold of the number of people to be recruited

<Compliance with the Government Blind Hiring Guidelines>

- In accordance with the “Blind Hiring Guidelines for Public Institutions” (Ministry of Employment and Labor, November 3, 2022), the recruitment process is designed to ensure equal opportunities and fair competition based solely on merit and ability.

- Discriminatory factors that may cause bias in application forms or interviews—such as gender, age, place of origin, family relationships, physical conditions, academic background, and property status—are excluded from consideration.

(However, physical conditions or academic background may be considered if they are deemed essential for performing job duties.)

- Research institutes dedicated to research and development may separately define the scope of information required for job performance. In such cases, information recognized by the competent ministry may be requested in the application form, asked during interviews, or provided to interviewers.

5. Recruitment schedule (draft)

Recruitment process	Period
Recruitment Announcement & Application Submission	December 4, 2025 (Thu) to December 18, 2025 (Thu), 3:00 PM KST
Eligibility Screening of Applications	December 19, 2025 (Fri) to December 22, 2025 (Mon)
Document screening	January 5, 2026 (Mon) to January 9, 2026 (Fri)
Announcement of Document Screening Results	January 14, 2026 (Wed)
Interview screening	January 26, 2026 (Mon) ~ January 30, 2026 (Fri)
Announcement of applicants who passed the interview	February, 2026
Expected date of hiring	April 1, 2026 (Wed)

※ The above schedule is subject to change according to the KBSI circumstances

6. Required Documents

Stage	Detailed information
Document screening	∘ Application form (job application form, personal statement, description of career and experience history)
Interview screening	∘ Presentation materials of research achievements and plans (Detailed guidance will be provided for the applicants who passed the document screening) ∘ Letter of recommendation※ (optional, free form, recommender’s signature and affiliation required) ※ How to submit a letter of recommendation: The recommender scans the letter of recommendation and submits it as a PDF file to the recruitment manager by email (lsh1005@kbsi.re.kr) (only accepts recommendation letters received by e-mail within the deadline to be notified separately are accepted), submission by other means (submission by the applicant or postal submission, etc.) will not be accepted.
After the interview screening (on the day of the interview)	∘ Graduation certificates and transcripts for all undergraduate/ graduate programs ※ For foreign degree, submit a copy of the degree registration certificate of the National Research Foundation ∘ Certificate of Employment/Career ∘ Transcript of military register (including persons exempted from military service, not applicable to women and foreigner) ∘ Copies of other qualifications (only for the qualifications listed in the application form) ∘ Certificate of employment support recipients, certificate of disability (only for those who are eligible)
Before hiring	∘ Employment contract, resident register ∘ New employee pledge for security ∘ Medical checkup report for public official recruitment (submit after the physical examination at a university hospital or general hospital) ∘ Other documents required for hiring will be informed

※ In accordance with Article 11, Paragraph 1 of the 「Fair Hiring Procedure Act」, if a job applicant files a request for the return of his or her hiring documents (except for hiring documents voluntarily submitted by email or on the recruitment site without a request of the job offerer), the job offerer shall return them after identifying the job applicant within 15 days from the date of confirmation of employment, if the period for filing a request for the return of hiring documents has passed and the hiring documents may be destroyed. (However, the applicant may bear the expenses incurred. For details on the procedure of returning hiring documents, check the notice on the recruitment site)

7. Employment conditions

Detailed information
Type of employment	∘ Full-time employment (to be officially appointed after a 3-month probationary period)
Salary level	∘ Follows the KBSI internal regulations (employment insurance will be offered)
Other Information	∘ Dormitory available for Daejeon/Ochang employees ∘ Commuting shuttle bus available between Daejeon and Ochang

8. Notes

○ Duplicate applications are not allowed across different recruitment fields (by serial number) or concurrent KBSI recruitment announcements.

○ Applicants are solely responsible for any disadvantages caused by errors or omissions in their applications. If there are significant discrepancies between the application and the submitted documents, or if any information is found to be false, the employment offer may be revoked. (Final candidates may be required to submit additional employment-related documents.)

○ Failure to comply with blind hiring requirements during the recruitment process will result in disqualification.

- Applicants must not directly or indirectly disclose personally identifiable information, such as their family relationships, etc., in the application form, during interviews, or in presentation materials.

○ Submitted documents will not be used for any purpose other than recruitment, and other recruitment-related matters will follow KBSI regulations.

※ In accordance with Article 11, Paragraph 1 of the 「Fair Hiring Procedure Act」, if an applicant requests the return of their application documents, the institution will return them after verifying the applicant’s identity. (For details, please refer to the notice on the recruitment website.)

○ In the event of a tie, the following measures will be taken in accordance with institutional regulations.

- If a tie results in exceeding the number of candidates to be selected in the document screening or written examination stage, all tied candidates will be accepted.

- In the case of a tie during the interview stage, the final selection will be determined based on the following priority order. (1. National merit recipients and eligible veterans, 2. Individuals with disabilities, 3. Women in science and technology, 4. Candidates with the highest total scores across all evaluation criteria)

○ If the final successful candidate is disqualified, declines the appointment, or resigns during the probationary period, the “applicant with the next highest score” may be employed. (Only applicable if the applicant with the next highest score is designated as the “next successful applicant.”)

○ If no qualified candidates are identified during the recruitment process for a given field, KBSI may decide not to make an appointment.

○ Failure to participate in any stage of the recruitment process or to arrive on time for the interview may result in disqualification.

○ Upon appointment, the job title will be assigned as announced in the recruitment notice. Career experience will be recognized in accordance with KBSI’s internal regulations.

※ Please note that any experience not listed in the application form will not be considered when calculating career experience.

○ Even after the announcement of successful candidates, if it is confirmed that an applicant does not meet the eligibility criteria or required selection scores, or if disqualifying issues arise from background checks or pre-employment physical examinations, the offer of employment may be revoked.

○ The employment may be canceled if the applicant has passed the recruitment process as a result of fraudulent acts such as improper solicitation, pressure on the employer, or provision of financial benefits by the applicant or a third person who has a close relationship with the applicant. Additionally, the applicant may be disqualified from applying for the next five years.

○ Successful applicants will be officially appointed after a 3-month probationary period and evaluation, and treatment of the applicants during the probationary period will be same as full-time employees.

○ The duties listed in the job description are the primary responsibilities upon employment. However, successful candidates may also be assigned additional tasks or have their work location changed, depending on organizational needs.

○ For other inquiries, please submit your questions via the Q&A section on the recruitment website or contact the Recruitment Manager at the Human Resources Development Division via email.

- E-mail: lsh1005@kbsi.re.kr (HR division, Recruitment Manager)