3rd CFE Acadmic Research Support Program Guide

The Center for Free Enterprise (CFE) supports researchers’ papers and academic activities in order to promote academic research based on the values and principles of the free market economy. The purpose of this Acadmic Research Support Program is to provide a designated amount of research funding for the publication/presentation of outstanding research papers (Track 1) and for master’s and doctoral theses/dissertations (Track 2) targeting domestic and international researchers at the master’s and doctoral levels.

We look forward to your interest and applications.

■ Eligibility for Support

(Track 1)

Domestic and international researchers (master’s/doctoral level, including professors) in related fields such as law, public administration/policy studies, economics, and business administration who have published (or are scheduled to publish) or presented various research papers

(Track 2)

Researchers who have written a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation on a topic related to the free market economy

■ Qualifications

(Track 1)

Domestic and international researchers at the master’s/doctoral level and professors who published (or are scheduled to publish) academic papers in academic associations and institutions or gave academic presentations between January and September 2026

-> Only sole authors or lead authors (first author or corresponding author) may apply

(Track 2)

Recipients of a master’s or doctoral degree in February or August 2026

■ Support Details:

Support for domestic academic papers/presentations and master’s/doctoral theses and dissertations (approximately KRW 150,000–500,000)

〔Track 1〕

Domestic

Academic Papers/Academic Presentations

Eligible Category

Support Amount

KCI-listed / KCI candidate journal articles of the National Research Foundation of Korea

KRW 300,000–500,000

Academic papers in general academic journals/magazines

KRW 200,000

Academic presentations at academic associations/institutions/organizations/the National Assembly

KRW 150,000–200,000

*The final support amount will be determined based on review criteria such as the KCI citation index, the publishing institution, topic relevance, and the quality of the paper.

〔Track 2〕

Master’s/Doctoral Theses and Dissertations

Eligible Category

Support Amount

Doctoral dissertation

KRW 400,000–500,000

Master’s thesis

KRW 300,000

■ Research Paper Topics (Examples)

Liberalism: Theoretical, ideological, and philosophical approaches to and analyses of liberal scholars

Market economy: Diagnosis and analysis of the real economy through the application of market economics and public choice theory

Consumer economics: Competition policy; regulation; safety/labeling; advertising; distribution; finance and consumers; consumer education

Law and economics / rule of law / commercial law: Property rights systems, contract law, economics of criminal law, corporate law, litigation systems, etc.

Labor law: Laws related to working hours (4.5-day workweek) and labor unions (Yellow Envelope Act (Revised Labor Commission Act))

Small government/local decentralization: Administration and government reform, privatization, expenditure restructuring, local decentralization/local taxation, government debt, etc.

Regulatory reform: Industrial regulation (AI, advanced industries), distribution regulation (large discount stores, SSM)

Tax reform: Tax reform and tax breaks involving inheritance and gift taxation, corporate tax, real estate tax, etc.

History of the market economy: Modern and contemporary Korean economic history and economic development history from the perspective of the market economy

Entrepreneurship: Analysis of entrepreneurship-related theories (Schumpeter, Knight, Kirzner, etc.), indicators, and case studies

Other fields related to the market economy

■ Application and Process

Application period: Monday, August 24, 2026 – Friday, September 25, 2026

How to apply: ksy@cfe.org (email submission)

Results announcement: By October 2026

(May be changed later depending on circumstances)

■ Required Documents

- 1 copy of the Acadmic Research Support Program application form (attached file)

- 1 copy of the published (or scheduled for publication)/presented paper or master’s/doctoral thesis or dissertation

- 1 copy of supporting documents

(Track 1) Supporting documents related to publication (or scheduled publication)/presentation

-> ※ Not required if the journal name and volume/issue number are indicated on the paper itself

(Track 2) Documents proving degree completion (e.g., thesis/dissertation review pass confirmation, degree certificate)

■ Other Information

Please submit all required documents in PDF format.

The submitted academic papers, presentations, and theses/dissertations are scheduled to be posted later on the Center for Free Enterprise (CFE) website.

(View selected papers)

In the case of duplicate submissions, the most recently submitted paper will be used as the basis for review.

For the research funding support process, the personal information of selected applicants will be collected and retained.

■ Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)

1) Papers that have already been accepted for publication may still be submitted even if they are published after September 2026; please submit proof of acceptance for publication together with your application.

2) Degree theses/dissertations (Track 2) are open to those obtaining their degree in February or August 2026. Prospective degree recipients should submit supporting documents such as confirmation of passing the thesis/dissertation review.

3) If a paper is written in a foreign language such as English, please attach and submit a translation as well.

4) If you do not receive a reply email, your application has been successfully received. We will contact you individually only if there are missing items.

5) You may apply with two or more papers, but final selection is limited to one paper per researcher.

■ Inquiries:

Gwang yong Go, Policy Director, Center for Free Enterprise (CFE) T) 02-3774-5006 / Sang-yeop Kim, AI Content Senior Researcher, Center for Free Enterprise (CFE) T) 02-3774-5009, E) ksy@cfe.org

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Original title: 제3회 자유기업원 학술연구지원 안내

Author: Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

Date: 2026-07-31

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=notice&pn=1&idx=29332