The Ministry of Science and ICT decided to listen to the voices of researchers in the field and develop a plan to implement the ‘Research Life Support Fund (Korean-style Stipend)’ provided to graduate students in science and engineering fields each month. On the 23rd, the Ministry organized a meeting at Seoul National University to discuss the specific direction of the fund with graduate students, undergraduates, professors, and university officials. The aim of the fund is to establish an economic safety net for graduate students in science and engineering fields and create an environment conducive to research immersion. It involves the government and universities sharing the responsibility of securing and providing student stipends, aiming to build a more stable system for payment and management of student stipends.
Through this initiative, the government will provide financial support to universities, guaranteeing a basic monthly stipend of 800,000 won for master’s students and 1.1 million won for doctoral students in science and engineering fields. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to manage the payment status of each university to induce an overall increase in student stipend levels. They mentioned that the improvement in benefits will not only apply to students receiving less than the basic amount but also to those receiving more than the basic amount.
In particular, the Ministry anticipated that this system would help secure an economic safety net for researchers facing temporary financial difficulties, junior researchers, and researchers in protected academic fields. Universities are expected to find it easier to secure research manpower through an institution-centered system for student stipend payment and management.
Director Hwang emphasized the importance of continuous and stable national support for science and engineering talents to secure the next generation of global research talent. He stated that universities should have autonomy in operating the Research Life Support Fund in a manner tailored to their conditions in order to establish policies with high acceptance in the field.