Convergence Research

Purpose

To resolve social issues and create future growth engines by conducting GRI-centered convergence research activities that reflect national/social issues and industrial demands

Details

  • 01 Planning convergence research program
  • 02 Operating convergence research programs

Implementation system

  • NST (Office of Convergence Research Strategy, Convergence Research Committee) oversees the program, while sub-projects are operated as Open Labs by government-funded research institutions
  • Performance advancement programs / Early-career researcher support programs
  1. Convergence Research Committee
    • Develop mid- to long-term strategies
    • Find convergence themes
    • System improvement, etc.
    Supervision/
    Mediation
    Budget demand
    Project development
Support
NST Office of Convergence Research

01. Planning convergence research program

Purpose

To contribute to fostering a convergence innovation ecosystem by establishing a convergence research project system

Details
  • Convergence research policy development Devise mid- to long-term operation strategies for NST’s own convergence research programs, including vision, core values, and strategies, and develop policies such as improvements in program details and operations
  • Convergence research planning Plan research programs and find research themes fitting the characteristics of each type by coming up with detailed and strategic tasks, including strategic and promising technologies

02. Operating convergence research program

02-1. Global Top Research Lab (GTL)

Purpose

Establish a collaborative framework across all government-funded research institutions in future-leading technology fields that require national-level strategies and generate large-scale outcomes in collaboration with domestic and international academia, industry, and research stakeholders

caution A comprehensive project that consolidates the capabilities of government-funded research institutions, industry, academia, and research institutions in specified technology fields to propose and achieve key national missions and strategies

Details

Support convergence research to develop all technology and products requiring national-level consolidation of capabilities

caution Present clear research end goals that are applied across the research lifecycle (planning – execution - application) to ensure R&D completeness

National Strategic Projects
  • Development of key national strategic technologies to strengthen national competitive edge and lead the global technology race, including the three game-changer technologies and top twelve national technologies
    • (Project scale) Discretionary proposal of project duration up to five years (For a five year project: 2-year phase 1 + 3-year phase 2) (over KRW 10 billion annually)
    • Exempted from institutional financial contributions
Future Venture Projects
  • Development of challenging technologies based on the collaboration between research institutions and universities to strengthen the unique capabilities or find new technologies for government-funded research institutions that is difficult to be performed by the industry and academia
    • (Project scale) Discretionary proposal of project duration up to five years (For a five year project: 2-year phase 1 + 3-year phase 2) (approximately KRW 5 billion annually)
    • Exempted from institutional financial contributions

02-2. Convergence Research Center (CRC) Program

Purpose

To resolve national/social issues and major technical issues of the industrial circles through On-site* research involving GRIs

caution An immersive research implementation approach in which researchers from different institutions work on a project in a shared research space before returning to their respective institutions after the project's conclusion

Details

Resolve ongoing key national/social issues and support key technology development projects* in the emerging fields

caution Considering relations to science and technology, the adequacy of convergence research, national/social significance, economic impacts, etc.

Future-leading
  • Mid- to long-term research for addressing national/social issues and developing future technology
    • (Project scale) 3+3 years (approximately KRW 6.5 billion annually)
    • Institution contributions: Over 30% of the total R&D expenses of the year
Commercialization
  • Research for addressing technical issues of the industrial circles and developing key technologies in the emerging fields
    • (Project scale) 3 years (approximately KRW 6.5 billion annually)
    • Institution contributions: Over 30% of the total R&D expenses of the year

02-3. Creative Allied Project (CAP)

Purpose

To achieve innovative research outcomes through challenging and creative convergence research and to foster a research culture where researchers are not afraid of failure

Details

Provide support for convergence research for enhancing the technology readiness levels of existing research findings and conducting challenging and innovative research through autonomous convergence research planning between GRIs

Challenging/ Creative
  • Challenging and innovative research through autonomous convergence research projects
    • (Project scale) 2+3 years (approximately KRW 2 billion annually, Phase 1: KRW 1.4 billion)
    • Institution contributions for phase 1: Exempted; Institution contributions for phase 2: Over 30% of the total R&D expenses of the year
Performance enhancement
  • Enhance technology readiness levels through follow-up convergence research projects of existing research (TRL 5 to 6 → TRL 7 or higher)(Funding) 3 years (approx. KRW 2 billion/year)
    • (Project scale) 3 years (approximately KRW 2 billion annually)
    • Institution contributions: Over 30% of the total R&D expenses of the year
Early-career Researcher Support Projects
  • Support for challenging and innovative convergence research led by early-career researchers in government-funded research institutions
    • (Project scale) 3+2 years (approximately KRW 1 billion annually)
    • Exempted from institutional financial contributions

02-4. Convergence Pilot Study (CPS)

Purpose

To aid in the success of medium or large-sized convergence research projects by assisting the empirical verification of convergence research themes and ideas

Details

Aid in project planning by raising questions consistent with convergence research themes and verifying the feasibility and solutions of full-scale convergence technology research

  • (Funding) 1 year (approximately KRW 200 million annually), institution contributions exempted

02-5. Convergence Cluster (CCL) Program

Purpose

To support research exchanges and encourage convergence research planning by building a network for exchanges among researchers from GRIs and the industrial, academic, and research circles

Details

Conduct convergence research network activities and develop convergence research items

Multidisciplinary
  • Share expertise and find convergence research themes through multidisciplinary exchanges between different science and technology fields or science and technology and humanities/sociology/art, etc.
    • (Project scale) 2 years (KRW 50 million annually), 1 year (KRW 50 million annually)
Creative
  • Discover creative ideas and share and communicate about research with each other(Funding) 1 year (KRW 10 million/year)
    • (Project scale) 1year (KRW 10 million annually)