The academic research of KMU was begun from topics such as tropical medicine, Chinese herbalism, and snake venom. Since the
establishment of the university, we have undertaken an enormous responsibility to offer medical services and augmentation of public
hygiene to the people in southern Taiwan. As a center of medical institutes in southern Taiwan, KMU has solid and experienced
research groups. Besides 21 departments, there are four independent graduate institutions and five degree courses.
As for research, in addition to doing personal research, KMU encourages researchers from different fields to do interdisciplinary
studies together. The research center was set up by the Office of Research and Development in 2014, including the main Research
Centers for Environmental Medicine, Center for Infections Disease and Cancer Research , Research Center for Natural Products and
Drug Development , Othopaedic Research Center , Center for Lipid and Glyecomedicine Research , Center for Stem Cell Research,
Research Center for Nonlinear Analysis and Optimization , along with Center for Biomarkers and Biotech Drugs . KMU encourages
future studies and keeps on improving research quality.

KMU regulates various research project grants and rewards, for
example, the “Teachers’ thematic research project subsidy,”
“Newly recruited teacher’s development program subsidy,”
“Teachers studying abroad and returning to serve thematic project
subsidy,” “Pretrial system of new researchers,” “Thematic research
project reward,” “Teacher research paper reward,” and “Teacher’s
participation in international conferences”. KMU has invested
more than NTD 50 million in sum total as research grants and
reward expenses.
Besides, in order to promote academic research, KMU has
academic exchanges with Academia Sinica, National Health
Research Institutes, National Sun Yat-sen University, Harvard
University, the National Cancer Institute, University of North
Carolina, Fukuoka Prefectural Institute of Environmental Health
Care, Chi Mei Medical Center, and Changhua Christian Hospital.
With the efforts of its colleagues, KMU obtained 251 grants from
the Ministry of Science Technology in 2013. The total grants came
to more than NT 290 million. In addition, there were 102 grants
subsidized by other institutes (the Ministry of Health and Welfare,
the Ministry of Economic Affairs, National Health Research
Institutes, and the Ministry of Education, etc.) and these grants
amounted to about NT 110 million. The other grants were provided
by KMU itself; 66 research project grants that amounted to NT 33
million. There were 1100 papers published in refereed journals.
KMU has collaborated with National Sun Yat-sen University,
National Pingtung University of Science and Technology,
Academia Sinica, National Health Research Institutes, National
Applied Research Laboratories, Changhua Christian Hospital,
Chi Mei Medical Center, and Puli Christian Hospital. From 2008 to
2013, cooperating with National Sun Yat-Sen University in a form
of a research group, the Multicampus Research Group invited the scholars of the two universities to participate in various research
fields. This year 46 research projects were proposed through a
mode of collaboration of the principle investigators of KMU and
National Sun Yat-sen University.
The fields of research include natural products, biotechnology,
neuroscience, cancer mechanisms, environmental medicine and
others. KMU offers NT 8 million as research funds to KMU’s
scholars in the projects. Through academic collaboration of the
two universities, more than 100 papers have been published. The
foreign academic cooperation includes Waseda University, Harvard
University, the University of North Carolina, the Environmental
Health and Toxicology Sciences Laboratory, and the National
Center for Toxicological Research, etc.
Waseda University has currently signed a collaboration agreement
with KMU to work on research that is more specific. The two
sides agreed to set up labs and promote mutual exchanges and
cooperation between researchers. Initially the two sides will
decide on two priority themes of mutual interest for promotion
and investment: “Nanotechnology and Health”; and “Exercise
Science and Health Promotion.”
KMU and the University of Arkansas have signed an agreement
as sister schools for 30 years. The two universities focus on the
training of professionals and exchange plans. The two schools
have adopted a double-degree and presently engage in dealing
with nanotechnology, multiple myeloma and other cancers. By
focusing on nanomedicine research with the US National Center
for Toxicological Research Institute, the three parties have formed
a triangular coalition.
KMU passed all the Department (Institute) evaluations in 2008 and
University affairs evaluations in 2011. KMU is the only medical
university in Taiwan to completely pass all such evaluations.
KMU accepted “Department (Institute) Evaluation” by three
echelons from December 8~16, 2008. All departments and
institutes (27 departments/institutes and 44 classes) of KMU have
passed these evaluations. KMU is the only medical university to
win such an honor. Originally, KMU was scheduled to accept the
second periodical department (institute) evaluation and general
education executed by the Foundation for Higher Education
Evaluation and Accreditation, which was ratified by the Ministry
of Education. Because the Ministry of Education has promoted
the university self-evaluation since 2012, KMU won the Excellent
Teaching Project Award and the development of world-class
universities and leading research centers plan grants; therefore KMU
was listed as a priority pilot project to apply for self-evaluation.
KMU has conducted university affairs evaluations since 2011 and
passed all five evaluations, including “the university self-position,”
“university affairs management and operating,” “teaching and
learning resources,” “achievements and social responsibilities,”
and “continuing improving and quality guaranteeing mechanism.”
Passing all university affairs evaluations and department/institute
evaluations in 2008 contributed to KMU’s becoming a “university
of excellent achievements”, which is defined by the ninth article
of the “university evaluation approach.” Feng Chia University
and KMU are the only two universities to meet this standard. This
is a glorious event following the establishment of KMU.