The government is set to actively promote the Korean-style stipend program (Science and Engineering Research Living Allowance) as a financial support measure for science and engineering graduate students. Graduate students participating in national research and development (R&D) projects will be guaranteed a minimum living expense of 800,000 won (for master's degree) or 1.1 million won (for doctoral degree). The government expects that 20% of all science and engineering graduate students will benefit.
The Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea announced on the 11th that they have prepared the implementation plan for the Science and Engineering Research Living Allowance program for 2025. This year's budget is set at 60 billion won, and universities wishing to participate can apply from today until the 13th of next month. Through the program, approximately 50,000 science and engineering graduate students are expected to receive support from over 30 universities.
The Science and Engineering Research Living Allowance is designed to ensure a minimum standard of living for science and engineering graduate students so they can focus on their research and studies. Graduate students are in an unstable structure where their living expenses are determined by the labor costs of R&D projects won by their advisors. Due to the unstable source of income, many have been unable to be guaranteed even the minimum living expenses. According to a survey by the Ministry of Science and ICT, 20% of master's and doctoral students receive less than 800,000 won (for master's) or 1.1 million won (for doctoral) a month.
The government designed the support system in such a way that universities and professors share the research labor costs. It is structured to link the government R&D student labor costs previously paid to graduate students with the universities' own resources and government support for academic services or private R&D. For example, if a current doctoral student is receiving 700,000 won per month in labor costs and scholarships, they would receive an additional 400,000 won from the combined government support and university resources.
To participate in the research living allowance program, universities must operate an account to manage student labor costs in an integrated manner. The Ministry of Science and ICT noted that currently about 25 universities are operating institutional accounts, and by the end of this month, an additional nine universities are expected to receive approval after inspection and supplementation.
The government is reviewing a lending repayment system currently implemented by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) to ensure that universities operate their research labor cost management systems transparently. The lending repayment system supports a portion of labor costs through institutional accounts, with the understanding that research funding will be received 2-3 years later, at which point the previously paid student labor costs will be repaid into the institutional account. In addition, an insurance model that collects and reserves a portion of the student labor income for each department is also being reviewed.
The Ministry of Science and ICT added that they will initially launch the program targeting around 50,000 graduate students, but as the support structure expands gradually, it will develop into a program for all graduate students. The government stated that after operating the research living allowance program for more than 30 universities this year, it will gradually expand the program, focusing on universities that are actively engaged in research. Starting next year, additional incentives will be provided primarily to universities with excellent operational performance to gradually increase the level of payments to students.