IBS was set up in November 2011 as Korea’s first dedicated basic science research institute. Affiliated with the Ministry of Science and ICT, IBS plans to establish 50 research centers.
There are currently 28 research centers located at IBS HQ in Daejeon and relevant universities situated in Seoul, Suwon, Daegu, Ulsan, Pohang, Busan and Gwangju.
So-called campus research centers are located in science & technology specialized universities, and extramural research centers are located in non-specialized universities. IBS is undertaking research in every field of basic science, such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Life Sciences, Earth Science and Interdisciplinary Science.
The IBS designs and constructs a heavy-ion acclerator (named RAON) as a key research infrastructure under the so-called Rare Isotope Science Project (RISP). The operation of the heavy-ion accelerator together with the use of research results shall enable Korea to join the club of nations advanced in basic research, such as the U.S, the EU, and Japan.
