Ministry of Science and ICT, Organizational Restructuring to Enhance R&D Efficiency and Ethics

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] In line with the National Research and Development Innovation Act, which has been in effect since January, a government organizational restructuring has been carried out to enhance the efficiency of research and development while protecting researchers' rights and strengthening research ethics.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 1st that they will reorganize the Science and Technology Innovation Headquarters of the Ministry of Science and ICT, which is responsible for cross-ministerial coordination and oversight in the science and technology sector, by establishing a dedicated organization for preliminary feasibility studies (PFS) of research and development.

A Research Ethics and Rights Protection Division and a Research and Development Feasibility Review Team will be newly established under the Performance Evaluation Policy Bureau, while the existing Evaluation Review Division and Science and Technology Information Division will be renamed as the Research Evaluation Innovation Division and Science and Technology Information Analysis Division, respectively, to strengthen their functions. The Research Ethics and Rights Protection Division will strictly sanction research misconduct but will also operate a newly introduced "Review System for Sanction Reconsideration" under the National Research and Development Innovation Act to ensure that well-intentioned researchers do not suffer disadvantages. The Research and Development Feasibility Review Team will be exclusively responsible for preliminary feasibility study tasks to enhance expertise as well as speed and efficiency.

The Research Evaluation Innovation Division will strengthen researchers' autonomy and responsibility through research and development evaluations, and the Science and Technology Information Analysis Division will systematize the accumulation, utilization, and analysis of research and development project information through the establishment and operation of an integrated information system for national research and development projects.

Kim Seong-su, head of the Science and Technology Innovation Headquarters, said, "Taking this organizational restructuring as an opportunity, we will further accelerate efforts to strengthen researchers' autonomy and responsibility throughout the entire research and development process and create an environment where they can fully concentrate on their research."

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