South Korea to introduce national science and technology researcher program, offering top scientists up to 500 million won

South Korea plans to give its top researchers annual support of 100 million won for up to five years under a new national science and technology researcher program.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced the plan on the 31st. It will select 20 senior researchers each year for five years, creating a group of 100 national science and technology researchers. Candidates will come from industry, universities and research institutes and must be 55 or younger.

The ministry also plans to select 200 next-generation national science and technology researchers each year from next year, for a total of 1,000 people. Each will receive 50 million won annually for up to five years.

The ministry said previous support programs had provided excessive benefits to a small number of people. It said the new system was designed instead to improve the broader research environment. The change in the program’s name, from “national scientist” to “national science and technology researcher,” was intended to avoid limiting the idea of a scientist to professors or basic science, according to the ministry.