Follow-up Model Launched After Abolishing Preliminary Feasibility Study... Ministry of Science and ICT Links Field Input to Stage Review of Infrastructure-Oriented R&D

Academic Societies' "Big Scientific Questions" to Be Commercialized by the Government
Full-Cycle Management of Major Research Facilities to Begin in May

Following the abolition of the preliminary feasibility study, a new model that directly links field-driven research concerns to the planning of large-scale research and development (R&D) projects—such as major research facilities and space objects—is being fully implemented. In this public-private partnership-based R&D system, academic societies and researcher communities present "scientifically essential questions," which the government then selects and commercializes as projects.

On April 9, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it had explained the operation plan for the full-cycle review system for infrastructure-oriented R&D projects to academic societies in the science and technology sector, and discussed a new model that connects field opinions to project planning.

Reference photo to aid understanding of the article. Inkyu Park, Director General of the Science and Technology Innovation Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT. Photo by Yonhap News.

In February, the government amended the Framework Act on Science and Technology and the National Finance Act, completely abolishing preliminary feasibility studies for national R&D projects and introducing a customized pre-assessment system tailored to each project type. For infrastructure-oriented R&D—such as large research facilities and equipment, research complexes and buildings, and space objects—a stage-based review system will be applied from project planning and design through to construction.

This new system focuses on "timely establishment of truly necessary research infrastructure." It was modeled after the "Snowmass" process, a researcher-driven priority-setting procedure of the American Physical Society, and the "Critical Decision" stage-gate project review system of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

The Ministry of Science and ICT introduced phased evaluation and management plans to academic societies in the fields of physics and bioscience, and also unveiled a new demand discovery model in which scientific and technological needs identified by academic societies are planned as government projects.

The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to continue holding additional briefing sessions until the system is implemented in May, incorporating on-site feedback into the operating regulations.

In-kyu Park, Director General of the Science and Technology Innovation Bureau, stated, "Until now, there has been a lack of systems to connect the major scientific questions arising in the field to national project planning. With the introduction of this review system, we aim to establish a field-driven R&D system and research culture on par with those of advanced countries."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.