11 March 2025
INTERNSHIPS, ACCOMMODATION AND GRANTS: HOW KAZAKHSTAN SUPPORTS YOUNG SCIENTISTS
“The development of science is a strategically important priority for our country. It is especially important to create conditions for talented and capable young people to engage in science,” the head of state said during the National Council on Science and Technology.
Development of science is one of the key priorities for Kazakhstan. On the instructions of the Head of State, funding for scientific research has been increased, scientific organizations are being modernized, and the number of internships abroad is increasing, which makes science more attractive to young people and contributes to the development of international cooperation and strengthening of research infrastructure.
State funding for applied science for 2025-2027 has been increased to 531.1 billion tenge.
Laws have been adopted to promote science and simplify procurement procedures. In addition, a new status of the National Academy of Sciences under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the form of a higher scientific organization was determined.
The status of the Science Fund has been expanded, which will become a single window to support innovation infrastructure and attract venture capital funding.
In order to raise the status of scientific workers, salaries of employees of scientific organizations were increased by 18%, and additional payments for scientific titles increased to 50 times the MBP.
A total of 425 organizations are engaged in scientific research in the country, an increase of 11 compared to 2022. The number of researchers has reached 25,400, of which 46% are young scientists.
The state provides comprehensive support to scientists, including young scientists. Thus, on the instructions of the President, 315 young scientists received apartments in 2024 in order to raise their social status and stimulate the inflow of young personnel into science. Of these, 290 received housing under a special mortgage program implemented jointly with Otbasy Bank, and 25 – on a free-of-charge basis.
Since the beginning of 2025, 36 young scientists have received apartments on a free-of-charge basis.
A program of scientific internships abroad was launched in pursuance of the Head of State’s instruction to ensure annual internship of 500 scientists in the leading research centers of the world. To date, 1475 internships have been awarded within the framework of this instruction.
Also, the program “Zhas galym” is being implemented. From 2021 to 2024, 16 competitions for grant financing were held, as a result of which more than 2 thousand scientific projects were realized.
Annually 50 awards “Best Scientific Associate” in the amount of 2000 MBP are awarded for contribution to science and stimulation of scientists.
The state educational order for doctoral training is growing. Thus, if in 2022 and 2023 the number of grants for doctoral studies was 1815 and 1919 grants respectively, in 2024 there were already 2919 grants.
An important direction is to strengthen the links between science and industry. Scientific and technological sessions have become a successful example of such interaction. To date, together with large enterprises such as Kazakhmys, Kazatomprom, ERG, KazMinerals, Karmet, KazakhOilAktobe, KazZinc, 9 such sessions have been held in the regions of the country.
Based on the results of scientific and technological sessions, 11 technical specifications were submitted to the meeting of the Higher Scientific and Technical Commission under the Government of Kazakhstan. Thus, 10% of the total volume of scientific and technical assignments this year are based on the results of real work with large enterprises.
At the same time, since the beginning of 2024, a new mechanism of allocation of 1% of capital investments for the development of science and technology of subsoil users has been introduced.
Within the framework of program-targeted financing, work is underway to strengthen scientific infrastructure on the basis of universities and to create technology parks, engineering centers with modern laboratories in partnership with enterprises.
In the implementation of these scientific projects, 10 laboratories have been opened, 5 spin-off shops have been launched, 3 start-ups have been launched, 14 agreements for the production of knowledge-intensive services have been concluded with private organizations for 468 million tenge, and 788.9 million tenge of private co-financing has been attracted.
In addition, the universities of the country have 3 supercomputers (Al-Farabi KazNU, K.Satpayev KazNITU, L.Gumilev ENU) to solve complex scientific problems, develop advanced research and strengthen international cooperation. The total productivity of the Academic Cluster is 2 PFLOPS.
Scientific developments of Kazakhstani scientists are already finding application in various industries.
✔ For example, the first batch of black selenium was produced in Balkhash using a unique technology developed by Kazakhstani scientists of the Institute of Metallurgy and Enrichment at Satbayev University.
✔ In addition, Kazakhstani scientists at Nazarbayev University, led by biologist professor Dos Sarbasov, have invented a cure for malignant cancer. The drug, called DVC, contains a high dose of vitamin C and arsenic in low concentration. The drug affects cancer cells that absorb glucose.
To date, the anti-cancer drug of Kazakhstani scientists has successfully passed two initial phases of clinical trials with positive effects on patients.
✔ For the first time in Kazakhstan, scientists of the D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University produced a domestic implant for traumatology, neurosurgery, maxillofacial surgery, oncology and radiology.
✔ In Karaganda Technical University named after A.Saginov scientists developed an innovative way to fight corrosion in metallurgy – anti-corrosion coating “Saktau”.
✔ A group of Kazakhstani scientists developed the KazLLM Large Language Model aimed at developing artificial intelligence in the Kazakh language.
KazLLM will contribute to the creation of effective solutions for processing, translating and analyzing textual information in the Kazakh language, as well as to the integration of the Kazakh language into modern technologies.
Support of the state, active involvement of youth and strengthening of ties between science and industry open new horizons for the country’s development. Science becomes not only an engine of innovation, but also an important element of the national strategy aimed at sustainable development and prosperity.