First Scholarship for 1,000 STEM PhD Students: "Research Without Tuition Worries"

by Kim Jonghwa

Published 13 Apr.2026 12:00(KST)

Updated 13 Apr.2026 14:23(KST)

7.5 Million Won Per Year, 60% Allocated to Non-Metropolitan Areas
Annual Recipients to Expand to 10,000 by 2030

The Ministry of Science and ICT has, for the first time this year, introduced an excellence scholarship for doctoral students in STEM fields, thereby completing a comprehensive scholarship support system spanning from undergraduate to master's and doctoral programs. The ministry plans to broaden the support base so that outstanding STEM talent can focus on research without tuition burden, aiming to expand the annual number of recipients to 10,000 by 2030.

On April 13, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced, in cooperation with the Korea Student Aid Foundation, the first implementation of the "2026 STEM Doctoral Excellence Scholarship Program." Approximately 1,000 full-time doctoral students in the natural sciences and engineering fields at domestic institutions will be selected to receive 3.75 million won per semester, or 7.5 million won per year.

2026 STEM Doctoral Excellence Scholarship Promotional Poster. Provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT

In particular, to strengthen regional research capabilities, about 600 students, or 60% of the total recipients, will be allocated to graduate schools outside the Seoul metropolitan area. Eligible applicants are full-time doctoral students who are either admitted to or enrolled in domestic graduate programs in the natural sciences or engineering as of the first semester of 2026.

With the introduction of this new doctoral scholarship, the government has institutionally completed the growth ladder from undergraduate to master's to doctoral studies, following the launch of the Graduate Presidential Science Scholarship in 2024 and the STEM Master's Excellence Scholarship in 2025.

The STEM Master's Excellence Scholarship, which was introduced last year, will also continue to recruit new recipients this year. Around 1,000 master's students in STEM graduate programs nationwide will be newly selected to receive 2.5 million won per semester, or 5 million won per year.

The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to expand support for these excellence scholarships for master's and doctoral students to an annual scale of 10,000 recipients by 2030, in line with the national policy task of building a basic research ecosystem and realizing a nation of science and technology talent.

Lee Junbae, Director-General for Future Talent Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "With the introduction of the doctoral excellence scholarship this year, we have completed a comprehensive scholarship support system for outstanding STEM students at all academic levels," adding, "We will continue to expand support so that young scientists and engineers can grow without interruption."

First Scholarship for 1,000 STEM PhD Students: "Research Without Tuition Worries"

7.5 Million Won Per Year, 60% Allocated to Non-Metropolitan Areas Annual Recipients to Expand to 10,000 by 2030

7.5 Million Won Per Year, 60% Allocated to Non-Metropolitan Areas
Annual Recipients to Expand to 10,000 by 2030