Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI). [Herald DB]
Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI). [Herald DB]

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) announced Tuesday that it will hold the "2026 DATA·AI Analysis Competition," using the national research data platform DataON to identify problems in social and scientific fields and develop AI-based solutions.

Now in its seventh year, the competition aims to promote the sharing and use of research data and to spread a culture of data- and AI-driven problem-solving.

The competition is divided into two main categories: problem identification and problem solving. In the problem identification category, participants propose issues that need to be addressed in research, industry or local communities. In the problem-solving category, participants develop AI models to address the selected problems and present concrete solutions.

Registration for the problem identification category opens Tuesday. Any individual or organization seeking data- and AI-based solutions to a problem is eligible to participate. Applicants must submit a description of the problem's background and objectives, resolution goals and evaluation methods, and the type, scale and sample of relevant data through the DataON competition website.

The 2026 DATA·AI Analysis Competition. [Provided by KISTI]
The 2026 DATA·AI Analysis Competition. [Provided by KISTI]

This year, bonus points will be awarded for proposals that combine data from different fields. Participants who integrate research data published on DataON with data or analytical methods from other disciplines to propose new problems will receive additional credit.

Through this initiative, KISTI plans to go beyond simple data analysis by combining cross-disciplinary data with AI technology to uncover new problems and expand creative research and development cases.

The total purse is 13 million won ($9,190). The grand prize winner will receive the National Assembly Speaker's Award along with 3 million won, while the top excellence award winner will receive the Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology's Award along with 2 million won. Outstanding winners will also have opportunities to present at academic conferences and participate in follow-up joint research.

"We will actively support the discovery of new problems and the development of innovative solutions through cross-disciplinary data integration," a KISTI official said.


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com