Korean-Style Stipends for STEM Students

In March, the Ministry of Science and ICT implemented the Science and Engineering Research Living Allowance project that would benefit approximately 50,000 students. The plan provides various forms of stipends for research activities, including student grants and research fellowships specifically for graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) that are participating in national research and development (R&D) projects. In a survey conducted by the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning in 2024, about 48.7% of graduate students in the field cited financial burden as the most significant difficulty during graduate school due to the lack of sufficient compensation. The fund will guarantee a minimum living expense of ₩800,000 per month for master’s students and ₩1.1 million for doctoral students, starting in May this year. To participate in the subsidy project, universities must register as institutions that can integrally manage student personnel costs and are equipped with the necessary computing systems. So far this year, 29 universities nationwide have applied to participate. If the university meets the requirements, they will be paid the subsidy as early as the second half of this year. This Korean style stipend is expected to improve the research environment for graduate students in STEM fields.