Ministry of Science and Technology
[2024] No. 37
To: Science and Technology Departments (Commissions, Bureaus) of Provinces, Autonomous Regions, Municipalities directly under the Central Government, and Planning Cities; Science and Technology Bureau of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps; Relevant Departments of the State Council; All Relevant Units:
In accordance with the overall deployment of the State Council's "Plan for Deepening the Reform of Central Fiscal Science and Technology Plans (Special Projects, Funds, etc.) Management" (Guo Fa [2014] No. 64), and in accordance with the relevant requirements for the organization and management of the National Key Research and Development Program, the guidelines for the second batch of project applications for the key special project "Government-to-Government International Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation" in 2024 and the guidelines for the second batch of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan projects under the key special project "Strategic Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation" in 2024 are hereby issued. Please organize the project application work according to the requirements of the guidelines. The relevant matters are notified as follows:
I. Workflow for Organizing Project Applications
The applying units shall organize the application in the form of projects based on the research content supporting the guidelines. The project should be applied for as a whole and must cover all the assessment indicators corresponding to the guidelines. The applying unit shall recommend one researcher as the project leader.
Focus on the tasks outlined in the guidelines, integrate advantageous innovative teams, concentrate efforts, and collaborate. Encourage capable female researchers to lead projects (tasks) and actively involve female researchers in project collaborations.
The specific workflow for project application review under the National Key Research and Development Program is as follows:
The leading applying unit shall fill in and submit the formal project application through the National Science and Technology Management Information System (http://service.most.gov.cn) according to the relevant application requirements of the guidelines.
The leading applying unit shall sign a joint application agreement with all participating units and specify the time of agreement signing; the leading applying unit, project applying units, project leaders, and task leaders shall sign a letter of commitment to integrity. The leading applying unit and all participating units shall implement the requirements of "Several Opinions on Further Strengthening the Construction of Scientific Integrity" and "Opinions on Further Promoting the Spirit of Scientists and Strengthening the Construction of Style and Academic Conduct", strengthen the review and verification of application materials, eliminate exaggeration and falsehood, and strictly prohibit fraud.
Recommending units shall strengthen the review and verification of the recommended project application materials and submit the recommended projects through the National Science and Technology Management Information System on time.
The China Science and Technology Exchange Center shall conduct a formal review of the projects after accepting the project applications and initiate the first round of evaluations. Project leaders do not need to defend their projects during the first-round evaluation. Based on the results of expert evaluations and consultation, 3 to 4 times the number of projects proposed for approval will be selected to proceed to the next round of defense and evaluation. For projects that do not enter the defense and evaluation phase, the evaluation results shall be promptly fed back to the project applying unit and the project leader.
The China Science and Technology Exchange Center shall organize projects that enter the defense and evaluation phase for defense and evaluation. Project leaders shall present their reports and defenses via online video. Based on expert evaluations and consultation, projects will be selected for approval.
II. Recommending Units for Organization Applications
Science and Technology Competent Departments of relevant ministries and commissions of the State Council;
Science and Technology Competent Departments of Provinces, Autonomous Regions, Municipalities directly under the Central Government, Planning Cities, and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps;
Industry associations established by the transformation of former industrial departments;
Industrial Technology Innovation Strategic Alliances evaluated as Class A in the pilot scope of the Ministry of Science and Technology and those participating in the industry pilot alliances for innovation and development services conducted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Finance.
Each recommending unit shall recommend within its functional and business scope and shall be responsible for the authenticity of the recommended projects. Relevant departments of the State Council shall recommend units with which they have business guidance relationships; industry associations and industrial technology innovation strategic alliances shall recommend their member units; provincial-level science and technology competent departments shall recommend units within their administrative jurisdictions. The list of recommending units has been publicly released on the National Science and Technology Management Information System.
III. Qualification Requirements for Application
The leading applying unit, participating units, and members of the project team shall have good integrity records, without serious breaches of scientific research during the punishment execution period, and without being listed in relevant social credit "blacklists".
Each project can only be applied for through a single recommending unit, and multiple applications or repeated applications are not allowed.
The project (task) leader must have a senior professional title or a doctoral degree, be born after January 1, 1964, and spend no less than 6 months per year on project work.
The project (task) leader should ideally be the proposer of the main research ideas and the actual research leader of the project (task). Civil servants at all levels of central and local government agencies (including other personnel exercising functions of science and technology planning management) are not allowed to apply for projects (tasks).
The project (task) leader is limited to applying for one project (task); project leaders of ongoing projects under the National Key Research and Development Program and the Innovation 2030 - Major Projects in Science and Technology Innovation may not lead or participate in project (task) applications, but may participate as task leaders.
The total number of ongoing projects (tasks) declared by the project leader and key members of the project shall not exceed 2 for the National Key R&D Program and the Major Projects of Science and Technology Innovation 2030; the project leader and key members of ongoing projects (tasks) under the National Key R&D Program and the Major Projects of Science and Technology Innovation 2030 shall not withdraw from ongoing projects due to the declaration of new projects. After withdrawing from the project research team, the project leader shall generally not be allowed to lead or participate in the declaration of new National Key R&D Program projects during the original project execution period.
For the "Government-to-Government International S&T Innovation Cooperation" key special projects with a special fund budget not exceeding 4 million CNY from the central government, there are no restrictions between other key special projects (tasks) of the National Key R&D Program, but the project leader of ongoing projects under other key special projects shall not participate in the declaration of such unrestricted projects; for the "Strategic S&T Innovation Cooperation" key special projects related to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan with a special fund budget not exceeding 4 million CNY from the central government, there are no restrictions between other key special projects (tasks) of the National Key R&D Program and non-Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan projects of the "Strategic S&T Innovation Cooperation" key special projects, but the project leader of ongoing projects under other key special projects and non-Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan projects of the "Strategic S&T Innovation Cooperation" key special projects shall not participate in the declaration of such unrestricted projects. The total number of declarations and ongoing projects for project leaders of the two aforementioned unrestricted projects shall be limited to 1. The total number of declarations and ongoing projects for project key members of the two aforementioned unrestricted projects shall be limited to 1.
Meanwhile, as project leaders, researchers can only lead 1 "Government-to-Government International S&T Innovation Cooperation" key special project (including the aforementioned unrestricted projects). The total number of declarations and ongoing "Government-to-Government International S&T Innovation Cooperation" key special projects for project leaders and key members shall not exceed 2 (including the aforementioned unrestricted projects). Project leaders can only lead 1 "Strategic S&T Innovation Cooperation" key special project related to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan (including the aforementioned unrestricted projects). The total number of declarations and ongoing "Strategic S&T Innovation Cooperation" key special projects for project leaders and key members shall not exceed 2 (including the aforementioned unrestricted projects).
The ongoing projects (including tasks or topics) before the implementation period of the project plan (including the extended implementation period) until December 31, 2024, are not within the restricted scope.
Experts participating in the formulation of key special project implementation plans or project guides for the current year generally cannot apply for the key special project (task).
Foreign scientists employed by mainland units and scientists from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan can serve as project leaders. Full-time employed personnel must provide valid materials for full-time employment by mainland employing units, and non-full-time employed personnel must provide valid materials jointly by both units, which should be submitted together as project application materials.
After the project application is accepted, the applying unit and the person in charge generally cannot be changed.
The leading applicant unit for the "Government-to-Government International S&T Innovation Cooperation" key special project must sign a cooperation agreement with foreign cooperative units for this project application.
The content and mode of project cooperation should comply with relevant laws, regulations, and ethical norms related to scientific research in China and the countries/regions/international organizations where the cooperative agencies are located. For cooperative activities that require prior review and approval, such as those involving human genetic resources or germplasm resources, the applying unit must go through relevant review and approval procedures in accordance with domestic laws and regulations. After all necessary procedures are completed, the project can be formally approved.
All parties involved in the cooperation must have clear or tentative agreements on the future ownership of intellectual property rights and the distribution of benefits from technology transfer, which should comply with relevant provisions regarding intellectual property rights and benefits from technology transfer in Chinese laws and regulations (relevant intellectual property agreements or tentative agreements, memorandums, letters of confirmation, or explicit intellectual property-related terms in Sino-foreign cooperation agreements should be attached).
Chinese units must clearly specify the following requirements with foreign cooperative agencies and personnel: The leading foreign project personnel cannot cooperate with different domestic units on the same research direction and technical route for multiple project applications. The total number of project applications and ongoing projects for them as foreign project leaders cannot exceed 2. Foreign scientists who have been hired as full-time employees in mainland China and are participating in ongoing projects (tasks) of the National Key R&D Program and the Major Projects of Science and Technology Innovation 2030 cannot participate as foreign personnel in project applications.
For specific application requirements, please refer to the project application guide.
Before formally submitting the project application, each applying unit can use the national science and technology management information system to check the status of researchers undertaking ongoing projects (including tasks or topics) under the National Key R&D Program and the Major Projects of Science and Technology Innovation 2030 to avoid duplicate applications.
IV. Specific Application Methods
The acceptance period for online submission of application forms by project applying units (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan projects) is from 8:00 on April 17, 2024, to 16:00 on June 5, 2024.
The acceptance period for online submission of application forms by project applying units for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan projects is from 8:00 on May 13, 2024, to 16:00 on June 28, 2024.
010-58882999 (switchboard), [email protected].
Consultation hotline and email for key special business areas:
Key Special Project "Inter-Governmental International Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation":
010-68598010, [email protected].
Key Special Project "Strategic Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation":
010-68598075, [email protected].
Attachments:
Ministry of Science and Technology
April 7, 2024
