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MSIT to Foster Top-Level AI Talent to Lead Future AI Innovation

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- Launch of the 2025 AI Star Fellowship Program with a Call for Proposals for Four Projects 


The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister: Yoo Sang-im, hereafter “MSIT”) announced that the 2025 AI Star Fellowship Program, designed to support top-tier early-career researchers in artificial intelligence (AI), will accept applications from January 10 (Friday) to February 11 (Tuesday) for a total of 33 days. This year, the program will select four projects with a total budget of KRW 6 billion.


The AI Star Fellowship Program was newly established to focus on supporting "ambitious and skilled early-career researchers" at the most creative and active stage of their research careers. By supporting innovative and exploratory research in AI convergence fields, the program aims to nurture top-level AI talent capable of driving future innovation in the AI industry. From 2025 to 2030, the program plans to provide a total of KRW 46 billion, with an annual funding of approximately KRW 2 billion per project (KRW 1.5 billion in the first year).


With the adoption and application of AI technologies becoming a key driver of national economic growth, securing AI talent has become synonymous with national competitiveness. As competition among major countries intensifies, there is a growing emphasis on cultivating top-level AI talent equipped with both fundamental AI technologies and interdisciplinary expertise to solve complex challenges.


This program will support innovative and challenging long-term research projects in fundamental and convergence AI fields by identifying two to three projects. It will encourage the formation of consortiums among university research labs to support research activities. By fostering active collaboration with leading companies in each field, the program aims to strengthen academia-industry joint research and train core talent to lead the AI industry.


In addition, early-career researchers* in fundamental and convergence AI fields will take on leading roles as Project Leaders (PLs). To ensure that early-career researchers are at the center of project execution, their participation rate per project will be mandated at 50% or more.

* Early-career researchers refer to postdoctoral researchers or faculty within seven years of their first appointment.


The lead institutions will be encouraged to establish and implement reasonable incentive structures for early-career researchers to ensure the outcomes of their research are recognized, thereby improving the working conditions for researchers.

Furthermore, the program will guide institutions to improve the research environment and provide practical support to enhance working conditions for researchers.


Deputy Minister Song Sang-hoon of the Office of ICT Policy at MSIT, stated, “The field of AI is a highly challenging domain where a few outstanding individuals can drive innovation in both industry and academia. It is crucial to create a foundation where the best researchers in AI and AI convergence fields can conduct world-class research within Korea.”


He added, “To achieve Korea’s goal of becoming one of the top three global AI powerhouses, MSIT will actively support the development of top-tier AI talent by fostering an environment where early-career researchers can leverage robust support from their affiliated universities to collaborate with companies and focus on research.”


Details on the program, including application guidelines and plans, can be found on the MSIT website (www.msit.go.kr), the Integrated R&D Information System (www.iris.go.kr), and the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (www.iitp.kr).



For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT. 


Please refer to the attached PDF.

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