Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Professor Nam Chang-woo (College of Engineering, Department of Organic Materials and Textile Engineering) has been selected for the 2024 Outstanding Early‑Career Research program administered by the National Research Foundation of Korea.

The Outstanding Early‑Career Research support is a national basic research program that encourages early‑career researchers to pursue research of their choice. It targets full‑time university faculty in science and engineering who are 39 years old or younger, or within seven years of receiving their PhD, or within five years of appointment, as well as regular research staff at national (public), government‑funded, and private research institutes.

Professor Nam Chang-woo was selected for the project titled 'Synthesis of Polyolefin Vitrimer Materials with Dynamic Crosslinking Bonds and Their Application as Eco‑Friendly Materials'. He will receive research funding of approximately KRW 700 million over the next three years to carry out the research.

The study aims to convert polyolefin‑based polymers into vitrimers to impart properties suitable for applications in the mobility and marine environment sectors.

Professor Nam said, 'Being selected for the National Research Foundation of Korea's Outstanding Early‑Career Research program, I will devote myself to research for the advancement of sustainable materials. Through this project, I will make every effort to identify and address the root causes of plastic waste.'

Meanwhile, Professor Nam has published research papers in leading international journals such as Chemical Engineering Journal for his pioneering work on sustainable environmental materials. He has also been selected for projects commissioned by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Cultural Heritage Administration, and the LX MMA research service project, and is actively conducting research on the development of sustainable polymers and materials.