- Kim V. Narry, the Director of the IBS Center for RNA Research, receives the HFSP Nakasone Award in recognition of her pioneering achievements in RNA biology.
- Director Kim revealed new mechanisms regulating gene expression, laying the molecular foundation for the development of mRNA therapeutics and vaccines.
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A Korean researcher has once again demonstrated the global standing of South Korea’s life sciences research by winning a globally renowned life sciences award.
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister: Bae Kyung-hoon) announced that Kim V. Narry, the Director of the Center for RNA Research at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS, President: Chang Suk-bok), has been selected as the recipient of the 2027 Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP*) Nakasone Award.
* HFSP is a global research support program established in 1989 by a group of major advanced countries to support innovative and challenging international collaborative research in the life sciences. To date, it has supported more than 8,500 researchers from 73 countries, and 31 recipients have won the Nobel Prize.
The HFSP Nakasone Award is designed to recognize researchers who have achieved innovative scientific advance or breakthroughs in the life sciences. HFSP evaluates research achievements regardless of nationality or age and presents the award to pioneers leading life sciences research. In academic circles, the award is considered a “stepping stone to the Nobel Prize” as four of its 21 past recipients have received the Nobel Prize.
Unlike other scientific awards that honor a researcher’s lifetime achievements, the Nakasone Award focuses on groundbreaking discoveries made within the past 10 years that have expanded the frontiers of the life sciences. Eligible research spans the full spectrum of the life sciences from biological phenomena at the molecular and cellular levels to systems neuroscience including cognitive functions, and the interactions between living organisms and the environment.
This award marks a historic achievement, and a triumph for the Korean life sciences community, demonstrating its global competitiveness, as it is the first time a Korean researcher has received the HFSP Nakasone Award since its inception in 2010.
Since taking leadership of the IBS Center for RNA Research in 2012, Director Kim has revealed the regulatory principles governing RNA synthesis, function, and degradation, pioneering a new field in RNA biology. In particular, she uncovered new mechanisms regulating gene expression and unconventional RNA processing pathways, laying an important foundation for understanding the underlying mechanisms of disease and fundamental principles of life. She is recognized as a pioneer in advancing RNA biology by providing the molecular foundation for the development of long-lasting mRNA therapeutics and vaccines.
HFSP announced that Director Kim has been selected as the recipient of the 2027 Nakasone Award in recognition of these research achievements, particularly for “revealing a new regulatory mechanism of gene expression by discovering the unconventional RNA tailing* pathway.”
* Regulating RNA stability, degradation, and protein synthesis by adding tails to the ends of RNA
After competing against 45 globally renowned scientists, Director Kim was selected as a finalist by the HFSP Council of Scientists in April 2026. Following final approval by the HFSP Board of Trustees on July 6, she was officially announced as the 2027 Nakasone Award recipient.
The awardee will receive a commemorative medal, a certificate, and a research grant of US$15,000 and will deliver the HFSP Nakasone Lecture at the annual HFSP Awardees Meeting, where the award is presented. Director Kim will deliver the lecture at next year’s meeting.
So far, MSIT has continued to support outstanding Korean researchers to participate in HFSP programs through the Masterclass Workshop*, while focusing on identifying candidates for the Nakasone Award through its Talent Discovery Subcommittee.
* An educational program to encourage greater participation by researchers in HFSP programs, where the HFSP Secretariat and selected researchers share information on application procedures, evaluation criteria, strategies for writing research proposals, and best practices.
“A Korean researcher winning the HFSP Nakasone Award for the first time is a proud achievement as Korea’s research capabilities in the life sciences have been recognized globally,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bae said. “We will continue to provide full support so that researchers at the forefront of science and technology can continuously produce world-class innovations and gain recognition on the global stage.”
For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Please refer to the attached PDF.