The Ministry of Science and ICT will invest 2.91 trillion won in basic research projects next year, supporting a record 18,516 projects. Approximately 1,000 of the new projects will be prioritized for regional allocation, and over 30% of new individual basic research projects will be awarded to emerging and postdoctoral researchers.
The ministry announced on November 5 that the '2027 Basic Research Project Implementation Plan' was finalized by the Basic Research Project Promotion Committee on November 4. The first call for new individual basic research projects begins today.
According to the ministry, the budget for next year's basic research projects is set at 2.91 trillion won, an increase of 173.9 billion won from this year, based on the government budget proposal. The total number of supported projects is 18,516, marking the largest budget and project count in history.
The number of new individual basic research projects is 5,318, recovering to levels similar to those before the cuts in research and development (R&D) budgets in 2022.
In response, the ministry will enhance support for regional researchers and research teams. Of the total 5,460 new projects, approximately 1,000 will be allocated to regional areas. The proportion of basic research projects in regions A and B is set at 40%, with a minimum of 300 and 480 projects, respectively, dedicated to regional researchers.
A new 'Regional Long-Term Research' initiative will also be established to assist emerging researchers at regional universities. A total of 100 projects will be selected, with around 300 million won allocated for research equipment in the first year, followed by approximately 150 million won annually for the next nine years. This initiative aims to link research infrastructure development with long-term research support over a decade.
New collective research projects will include five regional innovation leading research centers and at least 26 basic research labs selected for regional areas.
Of the 5,318 new individual basic research projects, 1,600 will be allocated to emerging and postdoctoral researchers. Support will be provided through various initiatives, including types A and B of emerging research, infrastructure support for emerging researchers, regional long-term research, and the Sejong Science Fellowship for domestic and returning researchers.
The evaluation of research will shift to focus on qualitative aspects. The submission of quantitative performance metrics, such as the number of papers and patents in stage and final reports, will be abolished. Instead, evaluations will consider research challenge, integrity, contribution, and applicability.
Presentation evaluations will be introduced for the selection of basic research labs. The final evaluations for leading research and leading research centers will transition from discussion-based assessments to presentation evaluations. There are also plans to pilot the assessment of trends in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in research proposals.
Support will be extended to those who obtain degrees abroad and outstanding foreign researchers. To this end, the submission of English research proposals will be expanded, focusing on projects that require high levels of foreign participation and international evaluation.
Ministry of Science and ICT First Vice Minister Koo Hyuk-chae stated, "We will steadfastly pursue long-term and stable support to enable researchers to continue creative and challenging research, while also improving the research support system to enhance the outcomes of basic research."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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