The laboratory of Professor Dong-jun Park at Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) (College of Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering) is participating in the 2026 R&D Career Lab Fellowship – Future Physician-Scientist Challenge Track, organized by the Korea Institute for the Development of Scientific and Technological Human Resources (KIRD), and will offer research participation opportunities to medical school students.

The R&D Career Lab Fellowship matches undergraduate students from medical, dental, and Korean medicine schools with science and engineering university laboratories and government-funded research institutes to provide hands-on research experience. The program is designed to help students concretize a career as a physician-scientist and strengthen their research capabilities early through laboratory training and expert mentoring.

The Future Physician-Scientist Challenge Track focuses on providing experience in defining and solving problems within an actual research environment, beyond classroom-centered education. Students directly acquire researchers' ways of thinking and research culture, building a foundation to grow as interdisciplinary professionals who connect clinical practice and research.

Professor Dong-jun Park's laboratory at JBNU will operate a Career Lab based on a convergence research platform in bio- and biomedical engineering. The initiative is significant in that it gives medical students nationwide the opportunity to gain high-level research experience in a university laboratory.

The program will run from July to October. Among its components, the 'Lab-Dive' research practicum will operate full-time for four weeks between July and September. Participating students will take part in on-site laboratory practicum as well as an R&D boot camp, round lectures, career planning mentoring, and research capacity-building training.

Participants will receive research incentives and practicum expenses. Outstanding participants will receive awards and opportunities for overseas study visits. An official certificate of completion will be issued upon program completion.

Eligible applicants are undergraduate students at Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, and Korean Medicine nationwide. Approximately 46 students will be selected. Applications can be submitted online (https://careerlab.alpha-campus.kr/) until May 26.

Professor Dong-jun Park of JBNU said, "This program is a practical opportunity for medical school students to explore new career paths based on research, and I hope many students will use JBNU's excellent research infrastructure as a stepping stone to grow into physician-scientists."

Meanwhile, the R&D Career Lab Fellowship is a national talent-development program that supports students in gaining research experience outside the classroom through laboratory-based projects and mentoring. It has been recognized as a representative practical education model for training future physician-scientists.