South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT said on Wednesday it held the 10th Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting in writing and deliberated and approved an agenda item titled "Review of progress on abolishing the Project-Based System (PBS) and measures to enhance future implementation."

Abolishing PBS is a shift to a system that removes the structure under which researchers covered payroll costs by winning projects, and instead fully supports payroll costs through institutional subsidies. The ministry is pushing ahead with the abolition after setting policy directions for state-funded research institutes on Dec. 18 last year.

It will first strengthen payroll support. From 2027, it will unify the current payroll budgeting structure, which is split between operating expenses and strategic research programmes within institutional subsidies, into operating expenses. It will in principle restrict new commissioned government projects, but allow exceptions when participation by state-funded research institutes is essential. It plans to prepare guidelines for the exception criteria within this year.

It will enhance the mission-oriented research system. It will define national missions to be carried out by state-funded research institutes and establish a five-year R&D portfolio for each institute. It will also set up an end-to-end management system for planning, evaluation and performance management of strategic research programmes.

It also plans to build the institutional foundation. It will push for a full revision of the Act on Government-Funded Science and Technology Research Institutions, and it plans to ensure accountability in line with the role of research councils and expanded autonomy for state-funded research institutes.

Koo Hyuk-chae (구혁채), first vice minister of science and ICT, said, "The abolition of PBS is a new starting point for state-funded research institutes to leap again as national flagship research institutions." He said the ministry will create an environment in which researchers can focus on research and support the institutes so they can generate innovative outcomes centred on national missions.