The non-profit organization S-OIL Science and Culture Foundation (Chairman Ungyu Paik) held an award ceremony and presented 30 physicists and chemists with a total of 378 million won to fund research.

On the 16th, S-OIL held an award ceremony for ‘the 10th Dissertation of the Year Award’ and ‘the 2nd Next-Generation Scientist Award at its headquarters in Gongdeok-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Since 2011, S-OIL has managed S-OIL Science and Culture Foundation, an independent organization for the support in fundamental sciences, a rare move for a private company.

This year, S-OIL promised 138 million won to 12 young scientists and 12 supervising professors from six fields of sciences including mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and chemical engineering or material science who were awarded the Dissertation of the Year Award. Six researchers who were conferred the Next-Generation Scientist Award in the six fields physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, chemical engineering or material science, energy, and IT will be supported with 240 million won.

The Dissertation of the Year Award (grand prize) were conferred to ▲mathematics: Dr. Jeong Min Jeon (SNU) who conducted research in Hilbertian responses ▲physics: Dr. Kangwon Kim (Sogang University) for research in Raman spectroscopy of 2D antiferromagnetic material ▲chemistry: Dr. Seung Youn Hong (KAIST) for research in transition metal catalysts ▲biology: Dr. Daseuli Yu (KAIST) for research in the functions of endogeneous proteins through the development of optogenetic activation methods ▲chemical engineering/material science: Dr. Sang Seok Lee (KAIST) for research in microfluidic encapsulation and application. Each received 1.5 million won worth of research funding.

The recipients of the Dissertation of the Year Award included Dr. Jong-ho Park (mathematical Sciences, KAIST), Dr. Sung Min Park (Physics, SNU), Dr. Sung-Heui Bae (inorganic chemistry Ewha Womans University)Dr. Yohan Kim (clinical medical sciences, Hanyang University), Dr. Sang Myeon Lee (energy engineering, UNIST), Dr. Girim Kwon (electrical engineering, KAIST). They were presented with 8 million won each.

The Next-Generation Scientist Award winners were ▲physics: Dr. Sung Wng Kim (Sung Kyun Kwan University) who developed a new concept of electronic cargo magnet material ▲chemistry: Dr. Mi Hee Lee (KAIST) who succeeded in the elimination of toxicity by finding the connective elements in the multiple risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease ▲ physiology/medicine: Dr. Ka Young Chung (SKKU) who published research results on G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCR) ▲chemical engineering/material science: Dr. Chong Min Koo (KIST) who contributed to solutions for environmental pollution issues with technology to recycle waste plastic ▲ IT: Dr. Sung Jae Kim who applied small desalination devices and applied this to mobile artificial kidneys. They were presented with a total of 40 million won.

Hussain A. Al-Qahtani, CEO of S-OIL, announced, “Korea’s future in science is bright thanks to those who conduct research in basic sciences with academic vigor and have achieved global recognition. We will continue our support so that Korean scientists may focus on their research in the future.”

Source: http://ee.snu.ac.kr/community/news?bm=v&bbsidx=50975