The government is moving to foster world-class university research institutes. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Education announced on the 10th that they will promote the 'National Research Institute (NRL 2.0)' project to strengthen the research capabilities and support systems of domestic universities. Starting this year, a total of 12 university-affiliated research institutes will be selected over three years, with each institute receiving 10 billion won annually, for a maximum total of 100 billion won. Each university can apply for up to three institutes, with final selection limited to one research institute.
This project began out of concerns that the research systems of domestic universities are becoming less competitive. Government support has increased, but it has been dispersed across ministries and operated based on departments, making it difficult to conduct large-scale and interdisciplinary research. Furthermore, while individual researchers' competitiveness has improved, there has been a lack of adequate support for the research capacity at the university level.
In response, the government analyzed overseas cases to explore the direction of university research institute development. In Japan, the World Premier Initiative (WPI) project was launched with the aim of supporting research hubs, nurturing global research institutes like the Kavli Institute at the University of Tokyo. This institute has produced Nobel Prize winners in physics and has achieved global recognition for its work in mathematics and theoretical physics. At Stanford University's Bio-X Institute, the participant faculty alone numbers 1,000, and when including students and postdoctoral researchers, the total reaches 5,000. Similarly, the Penn State Energy and Environment Institute in the United States has around 1,000 researchers. There are currently no large university-affiliated research institutes in South Korea, which limits the ability to create major research achievements through interdisciplinary research.
One of the key features of the national research institute project is the introduction of a Block Funding method, unlike traditional research funding mechanisms. Block Funding is a system that supports research institutes in autonomously planning research personnel, facilities, and equipment operations in a package format. This enables the institutes to engage in long-term research projects and securely hire full-time research personnel and equipment management staff. The government is also pursuing amendments to relevant laws to enable stable hiring of full-time researchers within the institutes.
To be selected as a national research institute, a university research institute must be evaluated based on its research capabilities, development plans, and commitment to nurturing the institute. The government plans to focus its evaluations on the university's attitude towards system innovation, including regulatory improvements and personnel recruitment. The selected research institutes will operate as direct research institutes under the university's headquarters and must establish a systematic research support system that includes a director, full-time researchers, administrative staff, equipment engineers, and research support personnel.
In the first year of the project, four research institutes will be selected. The project announcement will be made this month, and applications will be accepted until April, with the final selection of the four institutes taking place in August. An additional four institutes will be selected next year and the year after, bringing the total to 12 research institutes to be developed as national research institutes.
The government plans to evaluate the initial plans of universities to ensure that the research institutes operate according to their objectives. To this end, the 10-year support period will be divided into three phases of 3, 4, and 3 years, assessing the research plans proposed by the universities and their commitment to building a research system. If they fail to achieve their goals or do not comply during the operational process, the sustainability of the research will be re-evaluated. A representative from the Ministry of Science and ICT noted, 'During the mid-evaluation, we will focus on whether the plans are being followed through, such as the university's willingness to support and the objectives.'
Minister Yoo Sang-im stated, 'Just as the previous National Designated Research Laboratory (NRL 1.0) project greatly contributed to the expansion of the inhospitable domestic university research ecosystem, I hope the newly launched national research institute project will serve as a catalyst for strengthening the research capabilities of domestic universities and establishing a leading research system.'