Editage, the flagship brand of Cactus Communications (CACTUS), successfully hosted the second edition of 2025 Editage Grant Award Ceremony in South Korea on December 5. The event brought together ten grant recipients, members of the review committee, and representatives from Editage to recognise the determination, originality, and research potential of early-career researchers selected through a rigorous and highly competitive evaluation process.
The strong in-person participation underscored the significance of the event, which extended beyond a formal awards presentation to become a meaningful platform for sharing the passion, purpose, and value of academic research.
Makoto Yuasa, Chief Growth Officer, Research Solutions at Cactus Communications, attended the ceremony to personally congratulate the recipients. In his remarks, he commended the awardees for their perseverance, intellectual curiosity, and experimental spirit, highlighting how these qualities enabled them to excel in a competitive selection process.
A Rigorous Five-Month Selection Process
Following the success of last year’s initiative, the 2nd 2025 Editage Grant program was once again designed to support emerging researchers at a critical stage of their academic journey. The selection process spanned approximately five months, comprising a first-round document and essay review, followed by second-round video interviews. Applicants demonstrated exceptional originality, research maturity, and commitment to addressing real-world challenges, while also showcasing the diversity and depth of their respective fields.
Introduction of 2025 Grant Recipients
This year’s ten recipients proposed research projects across areas such as artificial intelligence, digital healthcare, industrial safety, materials science, and food research. Their work was recognised for its scalability and potential social impact. A total grant amount of 27 million won was awarded to ten recipients this year.
Third Prize Recipients
- Park Ye-in: Industrial Safety AI Agent
- Hashimi Shervin: Sustainable Hygiene Pre-Implementation Tool
- Kim Tae-wi: Multimodal AI Agent for Medical Applications
- Ji Seong-hwan: Digital Frailty Monitoring System
- Lee Ji-eun: Research on Regional Specialty Bakery Products
Second Prize Recipients
- Lee Na-eun: Overcoming Technical Barriers for Urine-Based STI Diagnosis
- Park Sang-yoon: Digital Therapeutics for Temporomandibular Disorders
- Jeong Deok-jong: System Resilience Research Through Financial AI Convergence
- Park Ji-soo: Digital Healthcare Applications in Neurorehabilitation
First Prize Recipient
- Kwon Oh-hyun: Design of Electrolytes Responsive to Localized Stress
Supporting Researchers at the Start of Their Journey
The award ceremony also highlighted the challenges faced by researchers at the beginning of their careers. Recognising that the early stage of a research journey is often the most demanding, Editage remains committed to providing practical support to emerging researchers and help them conduct early experiments, grow within their fields, and connect with peers and mentors.
The Editage Grant program intends to serve not only as financial support but also as a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and long-term academic development.
All ten winners are contributing innovative knowledge in their respective disciplines, addressing pressing social and scientific challenges that will shape the future, in line with Editage’s mission to empower researchers drive meaningful change.
