The Ministry of Science and ICT (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon) held a roundtable on September 29, meeting with researchers from regional universities to explain the 2027 national R&D budget plan and the direction for basic research R&D budget allocation, and to hear opinions from the research field. The gathering was arranged to discuss directions for basic research support that universities and young researchers can tangibly feel.
 [코리안투데이] Deputy Minister Park In-kyu of the Office of Science, Technology and Innovation at the roundtable on the basic research R&D budget plan © 장형임 기자 |
The roundtable, presided over by Park In-kyu, Deputy Minister of the Office of Science, Technology and Innovation, was held to brief the research community on the key contents of the 2027 government R&D budget plan approved at the Cabinet meeting on September 1, and in particular to discuss together the direction of basic research support for universities and young researchers.
The roundtable was attended by researchers at various stages of their research careers, including master’s and doctoral graduate students, postdoctoral researchers (postdocs), and early-career and mid-career faculty from regional universities, as well as private-sector experts. With a broad range of participants from graduate students just beginning their research to mid-career faculty leading their own laboratories, discussions covered how the budget would actually function in the research field.
On this day, the Ministry of Science and ICT introduced the main features of the 2027 basic research budget, which take into account the research environment and stages of growth. First, it will expand research incentives for master’s and doctoral students to support the growth of future research talent. It will also newly introduce ‘university block funding,’ which allows universities to use research funds autonomously for research personnel, facilities, and equipment, thereby broadening opportunities for doctoral-level researchers such as postdocs to continue their research stably. In addition, it will strengthen the research foundation for young researchers by establishing a 10-year regional long-term track so that early-career researchers at regional universities can conduct research stably over an extended period.
This direction of support is meaningful in that it secures time for young researchers—who have struggled to sustain their work amid unstable funding and pressure for short-term results—to keep researching without interruption and to develop their capabilities. In particular, the regional long-term track and block funding are expected to provide a stable research foundation for regional universities, which have faced weaker research conditions than those in the greater Seoul area.
Deputy Minister Park In-kyu said, ‘More than anything, it is important to provide stable research opportunities so that the young researchers who will lead the future of our science and technology can take on challenges and grow,’ adding, ‘We will continue to make stable investments in basic research so that universities and regions can nurture outstanding talent and researchers can fully demonstrate their capabilities.’
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화코리안브랜드대상 신청 최고경영인대상 신청 소비자만족도대상 신청
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