Abstract
Support for young scientists plays a key role in the development of science and innovation, which is especially important for the Republic of Kazakhstan, where the formation of the country's intellectual potential is becoming a priority area of public policy. In recent years, the country has been implementing various programs aimed at attracting young specialists to research activities, including grant funding, increasing scholarships, preferential housing programs and other social measures.Objective of the study: to study the key barriers and needs of young scientists (under 40 years old), as well as to assess the real effectiveness of university and state support programs (grants, scholarships, access to scientific resources, mentoring) of a medical university.Methods. This is a one-time cross-sectional study, where a survey was conducted among young scientists, faculty, researchers and students of the Astana Medical University. The study is descriptive and analytical, cross-sectional in nature and was conducted from November 2024 to January 2025. It involved 109 respondents: 71 people under 40 years of age and 38 people over 41 years of age.Results. The main barriers to scientific activity at NAO Astana Medical University are related to the lack of funding, weak infrastructure and high academic and administrative workload. Young scientists are especially in need of resources, mentoring and access to foreign scientific bases, while experienced colleagues more often note the difficulty of obtaining funds and the high cost of publications. At the same time, low awareness of support mechanisms was revealed, indicating the need for more effective communication and training.Conclusions. Comprehensive measures to improve the material and technical base, increase funding and optimize organizational processes can create conditions for the successful growth of the scientific potential of the university. Understanding the main barriers faced by young scientists and assessing existing support mechanisms allows not only to identify the weaknesses of the current system, but also to determine priorities for its improvement.Key words: medical university, scientific infrastructure, grant funding, young scientists, support mechanisms.