Korea Foundation for Women i n Science, Engineering and Technology

This is a program for utilizing and establishing a work-family balance support system in STEM. The program matches replacement personnel, interns, postdoctoral researchers, etc., with organizations that are short-staffed due to their employees taking maternity or parental leave (regardless of gender) or working part-time to take care of their children. This also provides a valuable opportunity for replacement personnel to acquire practical skills and gain actual R&D experience while working in place of those on leave.

Track 1 Funding for Hiring Replacement Personnel and Providing Capacity Building Training

Eligibility

• Participants : Those who have at least a bachelor’s degree in science or engineering or an equivalent educational background
• Participating institutions: Science and technology research institutes with R&D employees who are on leave (or planning to take leave) for more than 3 months or are working part-time (or planning to work part-time) due to childbirth, childcare, etc.

Details

• For participating institutions: Financial assistance for the personnel expenses of recruiting replacement personnel (KRW 21 million/year for a researcher with a master’s degree and KRW 23 million/year for a researcher with a Ph.D. degree)
• Research competency or career development training for replacement personnel

Period

• A maximum of 15 months

Track 2 Funding for Hiring Additional Researchers and Providing Capacity Building Training

Eligibility

• Intern: Women who obtained a bachelor's degree or higher in science or engineering less than 5 years ago
• Postdoc: Female postdoctoral researcher in science or engineering (Ph.D. degree holder)
• Participating institutions: Research institutes in the field of science and technology that require additional research staff to allow flexible work arrangements for researchers rearing children

Details

• Financial assistance for the personnel expenses of recruited interns or postdoctoral researchers for research teams with researchers who are raising children (KRW 10 million/year for an intern and KRW 30 million/year for a postdoctoral researcher)
• Research competency or career development training for participating personnel

Period

• Intern: 6 months (6 months of additional support for continued employment after the end of the internship contract)
• Postdoc: A maximum of 2 years (Annual evaluation every 12 months for evaluation regarding continuous support)