Teams led by professors Jeon Gyeong-gyu and Lee Hyeon-jeong to conduct separate studies
Selection demonstrates strength in arts, sports science, linguistics and AI convergence research
University to pursue community problem-solving and broader dissemination of findings
Incheon National University has been selected for two research projects under the 2026 humanities and social sciences academic research support program's group research category, funded by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
The university announced Friday that the sports science team led by Professor Jeon Gyeong-gyu was selected for the 2026 Humanities and Social Sciences Research Institute Support Program's arts and sports specialization track, while the English education team led by Professor Lee Hyeon-jeong was chosen for the 2026 Global Humanities and Social Sciences Convergence Research domestic group support track.
Jeon's team will conduct research on building an integrated active-aging health management system to address the challenges of a super-aged society. The team will receive a total of 1.56 billion won ($1.13 million) over six years through 2032.
The team plans to develop a sports science-based health management framework to address physical decline and health problems among older adults as South Korea enters a super-aged society.
The goal is to create an integrated model linking physical function assessment, exercise and health management, and prevention of functional decline — one that can be applied to extending the healthy lifespan of older adults.
Jeon has previously researched human movement analysis and prevention of functional sarcopenia. The team also plans to explore ways to apply its findings to health management programs for older residents in Incheon and community-based prevention initiatives.
The arts and sports specialization track is a program the Ministry of Education introduced this year. Only about four new projects nationwide are expected to be selected in the inaugural year, making Incheon National University's selection notable.
Lee's team will study the speech and language-processing characteristics of people with autism spectrum disorder, combining linguistics, cognitive science and AI.
The project, titled "Research on the Perception-Production-Motor Connection Mechanism in Speech: Multimodal AI Modeling and Biomarker Development Based on Autism Spectrum Disorder," will receive a total of 450 million won over three years through 2029.
The team will analyze how perception, production and motor functions interact in the process by which people perceive speech sounds and convert them into spoken output.
The researchers will also develop a multimodal AI model that integrates diverse data centered on autism spectrum disorder, along with biomarkers capable of analyzing related characteristics.
The findings are expected to deepen understanding of the communication characteristics of people with autism spectrum disorder and to inform future research in assessment, education and rehabilitation.
Incheon National University said it plans to explore partnerships with institutions working on developmental disabilities as well as organizations in the education and welfare sectors. Going forward, the university intends to expand its research support framework through a "Group Research 2.0" initiative.
Rather than providing support only after projects are under way, the university will shift toward investing early in projects with high potential for meaningful outcomes, and will strengthen group and convergence research aligned with Incheon's strategic "ABC+E" industries and the university's own areas of specialization.
Through these efforts, the university aims to build a research ecosystem that drives greater group research activity, encourages pursuit of external grants, secures large-scale national projects and broadens the reach of research outcomes.
"This selection reflects the combination of our researchers' expertise and the university's group research support," an official from the university's research office said. "We will provide systematic support — from identifying and planning projects to securing funding and disseminating results — so that our research can contribute to solving problems facing both the local community and the nation."
gilbert@heraldcorp.com
