Call for Applications: Open Fund Projects of Key Laboratory at the Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Key Laboratory of Ocean Key Materials (hereinafter referred to as the "Laboratory"), officially approved by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in early 2024, is established based on the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as the co-construction unit. The Laboratory is dedicated to addressing the critical demand for key enabling materials for national marine engineering and high-tech equipment, focusing on major scientific issues related to the interaction between complex marine environments and materials. Its mission is to develop innovative methods and transformative technologies for ocean key materials, aiming to systematically address the issues of autonomous controllability of marine key materials.

To further promote fundamental research and theoretical innovation in key materials for complex marine environments, and to fully leverage national-level innovation platforms, the Laboratory invites close collaboration with outstanding domestic scholars and research teams to conduct high-level basic research, applied basic research, and cutting-edge technology research related to the Laboratory's field. The Laboratory Open Fund is established through the Director's Special Fund to support this initiative.

1. Annual Funding Plan: The Laboratory's Open Fund for the year 2024 plans to support up to 13 projects, including:

   • General Open Fund Projects: Up to 10 projects, with a funding of 300,000 RMB each.
   • Key Open Fund Projects: Up to 3 projects, with a funding of 1,000,000 RMB each. The funding duration is 2 years, during which the project leaders are required to engage in short-term academic exchanges at the Laboratory and conduct collaborative research.

2. Research Directions: The Open Fund is mainly aimed at supporting scientific research related to the Laboratory's research directions, encouraging original exploration and interdisciplinary research. It focuses on the following 4 directions:

   1. Coupled Damage Theory of Materials in Complex Marine Environments
   2. Long-term Anticorrosion and Green Antifouling Materials for the Ocean
   3. Integration of Structure and Function in Marine Composite Materials
   4. AI-assisted Creation of Cutting-edge Marine Materials

3. Evaluation Criteria: The projects should propose or develop new mechanisms, principles, or methods related to marine material damage, design, preparation, and in-service validation, or achieve applications in the marine field through breakthrough technologies and the development of new materials. Additionally, for General Open Fund Projects: at least 4 SCI papers must be published, and 1 final report must be submitted; for Key Open Fund Projects: at least 6 SCI papers must be published, and 1 final report must be submitted.

4. Application Requirements:

   • Applicants should hold at least an associate professor title or a doctoral degree, with a solid research background in relevant fields, and independently propose projects for the Open Fund based on the research directions.
   • The projects should focus on innovative basic research and key technical research with clear background demands. Projects with low innovation will not be funded.
   • The Open Fund Projects are open to researchers outside the Laboratory's fixed personnel, including researchers from domestic universities, research institutes, and other relevant units. Collaboration with fixed personnel of the Laboratory is required for application.

5. Application Procedures:

   • Eligible applicants should fill out the "Application Form for Open Fund Projects of Key Laboratory of Ocean Key Materials" according to the guidelines provided in this notice.
   • Applicants are required to submit one scanned PDF version (signed and stamped by the applicant's institution) and one editable Word version of the application materials before April 15, 2024. The application materials must not contain any confidential information.

6. Project Management:

   • The management of Open Fund Projects follows the "Regulations on the Management of Director's Special Fund for Seizing Scientific and Technological Heights of Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences" and the "Management Measures for Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Ocean Key Materials," along with relevant regulations.
   • Project leaders and undertaking units approved for funding must not alter the contents of the "Project Application Form" without authorization. According to the application, a task book will be signed with the Laboratory's supporting unit as the basis for project execution and acceptance.
   • Project leaders are required to submit research progress reports and annual work reports according to the Laboratory's requirements and undergo periodic inspections and evaluations of project execution.
   • During the acceptance of the project, project leaders must submit all research results, summary reports, and reports on fund utilization as stipulated in the task book. The Laboratory will organize on-site acceptance inspections and form acceptance opinions.
   • The research results obtained from the Laboratory's Open Fund Projects are jointly owned by the Laboratory and the project leader's affiliated unit, and the Laboratory should be listed as a co-signatory unit of the achievements. The citation method is as follows:
     • Chinese: 中国科学院宁波材料技术与工程研究所海洋关键材料重点实验室，宁波，315201；
     • English: Key Laboratory of Advanced Marine Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201.

7. Contact Information:

   • Contact Person: Mr. Zheng
   • Phone: 0574-86685159
   • Email: [email protected]
   • Address: Room 518, Bian Guan Building, College of Materials Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 319 Zhuangshi Avenue, Zhenhai District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province.