The operator of the Inter-ministerial Integrated Research Support System (IRIS) will be transferred to the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) from the Korea Institute of S&T Planning and Evaluation (KISTEP). The government plans to use the move to push from next year to integrate four major research support systems and introduce AI-based research administration support services.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said on Wednesday that KISTEP and KISTI signed a business agreement on the transfer of the IRIS project and operating organisation.

IRIS is an inter-ministerial research support platform that supports national research and development (R&D) projects from announcements through applications, agreements, evaluations and performance management. KISTI will lead IRIS operations and advancement going forward.

The ministry plans from next year to integrate four major research support systems, including IRIS, the research fund management system Ezbaro·RCMS and the National Science and Technology Knowledge Information Service (NTIS), and to introduce AI-based research administration support services. Ahead of that, it aims to consolidate IRIS operations at KISTI, a government-funded research institute, to raise service stability and technical expertise.

KISTI will expand IRIS functions using its experience operating science and technology information systems such as NTIS and by applying AI and big data technology. It will also strengthen its response system against external threats such as cyber hacking and fires.

The agreement includes the two organisations' roles and scope of cooperation, including the succession of personnel and headcount, the transfer of tangible and intangible assets and data such as systems and computing equipment, the succession of service contracts and preparations for future projects.

The transfer will proceed in stages. In October, the IRIS operations unit will move its office inside KISTI, and a task force will be formed to prepare for next year's project. In the second half, personnel, organisation and contracts will be transferred, and large-scale hardware and software infrastructure will be moved by mid-next year.

Park In-kyu (박인규), head of the Science and Technology Innovation Headquarters, said, "The transfer of IRIS to KISTI will serve as an opportunity for the national R&D information system to make a major shift into a specialised platform leading the digital and AI era." He added, "Please make every effort to ensure there is no inconvenience to researchers during the transfer process."