Notice on 2020-2021 Guangdong International S&T Cooperation Programme

Theme 1: International S&T Cooperation Programme (20200503)

1. International Scientific Research Cooperation Project

(I) Content.

Guangdong-based innovative entities such as universities and research institutes are supported to cooperate with foreign universities, research institutes and other partner agencies in key areas of Guangdong’s economic and social development including the next-generation information and communication technology, high-end equipment manufacturing, green and low-carbon, biomedicine, digital economy, new materials, marine economy, modern seed industry and precision agriculture, and modern engineering technology, subject to a project implementation period of 2 years.

Under the same conditions, priority will be given to: 1. international scientific research cooperation projects jointly carried out by institutions in Hong Kong and Macao; 2. cooperation projects in related fields carried out by sister provinces and states of the United States, the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, the Queensland University of Technology in Australia, the Center of Research Excellence (CoRE) in New Zealand, and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus that have entered into cooperation agreements with Guangdong; 3. S&T cooperation projects carried out in response to major international public health events.

(II) Eligibility Requirements.

1. The applicant must cooperate with at least 1 foreign participant.
2. All parties to the project shall sign a cooperation agreement, which shall specify the R&D tasks, division of labor and ownership of intellectual property rights of each party and comply with relevant laws and regulations of China and partner countries. An entity failing to sign such an agreement shall not be listed as a partner entity of the project.
3. The project team shall contain one or more members from each participating party.
4. The Project Investigator (PI) shall be born after January 1, 1955; hold a doctorate degree in the related field and have been engaged in scientific research in this field for more than 3 years, or hold a title of associate senior or above and have been engaged in scientific research in this field for more than 10 years.
5. The PI shall not be working on Guangdong/Hong Kong or Guangdong-Macao Joint Funding Plan in the innovation field or any international S&T cooperation projects.

(III) Evaluation Indicators.

1. The applicant shall jointly publish with the foreign partner(s) at least 1 representative high-quality paper that reflects the contributions of all parties in project research.
2. There shall be no less than 1 landmark achievement in the research field, such as new findings, new viewpoints, new principles or new mechanisms as well as no less than 1 hotspot report or research progress/review report.
3. During the cooperation period, the team of the main partner shall visit at least once to the other for work (either by Chinese side or the foreign side) and at least 1 working meeting attended by all the team members shall be held (in any form) every year.
4. During the cooperation period, major parties shall jointly hold 1 technical exchange event (in any form, scale and venue, attended by external scientific research personnel in this research field).
5. No less than 1 postgraduate or international scientific and technological cooperation personnel shall be jointly trained.
6. The public technology or social livelihood problem of Guangdong shall be resolved.

(IV) Funding.

RMB 500,000 to each project.

1. International Industrial Technology R&D Cooperation Project

(I) Content.

Guangdong-based innovative entities such as enterprises, universities and research institutes are supported to cooperate with foreign enterprises, universities, research institutes and other agencies in joint R&D, technological demonstration and technical transfer cooperation projects in key fields of the next-generation information and communication technology, high-end equipment manufacturing, green and low-carbon, biomedicine, digital economy, new materials, marine economy, modern seed industry and precision agriculture, and modern engineering technology, subject to a project implementation period of 2 years.

There are two types of projects to be supported according to project objectives. Type 1: Projects aimed at promoting the technological advancement of domestic industries. Type 2: Projects aimed at promoting and demonstrating advanced and applicable technologies of Guangdong in partner countries.

Priority shall be given to cooperation with Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Germany and Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan in fields of environmental protection and energy saving.

(II) Eligibility Requirements.

1. The applicant must cooperate with at least 1 foreign participant.
2. For “Type 1”, a Guangdong-based enterprise shall take the lead or at least 1 Guangdong-based enterprise shall participate; for “Type 2”, a Guangdong-based enterprise shall take the lead or at least 1 (domestic or foreign) enterprise shall participate.
3. All parties to the project shall sign a cooperation agreement, which shall specify the R&D tasks, division of labor and ownership of intellectual property rights of each party and comply with relevant laws and regulations of China and partner countries. An entity failing to sign such an agreement shall not be listed as a partner entity of the project.
4. The project team shall contain one or more members from each cooperating party.
5. Leading or participating (domestic or foreign) enterprise(s) shall raise funds independently and the total amount of self-funding shall not be lower than that of fiscal funding for this project.
6. For “Type 1”, the foreign participant shall be equipped with international or domestic leading new technology, new process, new products, new materials and new equipment as well as landmark achievements such as key components, experimental devices/systems, application solutions, new treatment schemes, clinical guidelines/specifications, scientific data, S&T reports and software (valid proofs are required); for “Type 2”, the Guangdong side shall be equipped with international or domestic advanced new technology, new process, new products, new materials and new equipment as well as applicable results such as key components, experimental devices/systems, application solutions, new treatment schemes, clinical guidelines/specifications, scientific data, S&T reports and software (valid proof are required).
7. The Project Investigator (PI) shall be born after January 1, 1955; hold a doctorate degree in the related field and have been engaged in scientific research in this field for more than 3 years, or hold a title of associate senior or above and have been engaged in scientific research in this field for more than 10 years. Foreign or Hong Kong/Macao/Taiwan scientific research personnel employed by a Guangdong-based entity can serve as the PI, but cannot take charge of or participate in the project in both identities.
8. The PI shall not be working on Guangdong/Hong Kong or Guangdong-Macao Joint Funding Plan in the innovation field or any international S&T cooperation projects.

(III) Evaluation Indicators.

1. Conquer key technologies and form no less than 1 S&T achievement with independent intellectual property rights and good performance in achievement transformation and support for industrial development.
2. “Type 1”: Complete no less than 1 achievement transferred or transformed from industrial technology “bringing-in”; “Type 2”: Complete no less than 1 achievement transferred or transformed from industrial technology “going-out”.
3. Cultivate or introduce no less than two high-level innovative talents and international S&T cooperation talents in total.
4. Promote China’s industrial technological progress or the application of China’s advanced and applicable technologies in partner countries with good economic benefits (valid proofs are required).

(IV) Funding.

Maximum RMB 1,000,000 to each project.

Theme 2: Capacity-building Training Project for Scientific Research Personnel in Developing Countries (20200504)

Theme 3: Academic Exchanges and Work of Young Foreign Scientific Research Personnel in Guangdong Province (202005)

(I) Content.

Young foreign scientific research personnel are supported to conduct academic exchanges and work in Guangdong for a period of 3, 6 or 12 months. The funding will be used as work and living allowances mainly to subsidize the academic research and study activities, accommodation, transportation, insurance, etc. The project implementation period is 2 years (calculated from the date of formal establishment of the project).

Priority will be given to young foreign scientific research personnel from innovative countries to conduct academic exchanges and work in Guangdong’s major S&T infrastructure, provincial laboratories, national key laboratories, provincial key laboratories and international S&T cooperation bases.

(II) Eligibility Requirements.

1. The leading applicant shall receive young foreign scientific research personnel for academic exchanges and work in Guangdong for a period of 3, 6 or 12 months within 2 years. For 3-month academic exchanges and work, a stay of at least 90 days in Guangdong is required; for 6-month academic exchanges and work, a stay of at least 150 days in Guangdong is required; for 12-month academic exchanges and work, a stay of at least 300 days in Guangdong is required (immigration records shall prevail).
2. The visiting young foreign scientific research personnel shall be born after January 1, 1980 with a foreign nationality; hold a master’s degree and have worked for scientific research in a high-level university or research institution for over 5 years, or hold a doctoral degree and have worked for scientific research in a high-level university or research institution for over 2 years; be currently working in a high-level university or research institution outside China.
3. The PI shall be the person from the lead applicant who is in charge of receiving visiting personnel (this project is not a restriction for the PI to apply for other provincial projects).
4. Foreign scientific research personnel having participated in Academic Exchanges and Work of Young Foreign Scientific Research Personnel in Guangdong Province in previous years or having been supported by projects approved by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the China Scholarship Council shall not be supported again.
5. The project name shall be in the format of “XXX Academic Exchanges and Work of Young Foreign Scientific Research Personnel in Guangdong Province” where “XXX” refers to the specific research field or type.

(III) Funding.

Funds will be granted, on merit, in advance based on evaluation and assessment by experts: RMB 36,000/person for the period of 3 months, RMB 60,000/person for the period of 6 months and RMB 120,000/person for the period of 12 months.

(IV) Concluding Requirements.

1. Publish at least 1 paper by the visiting young foreign scientific research personnel and the leading entity.
2. Submit 1 concluding report.
3. Present the relevant materials issued by the leading entity to prove the academic exchanges and work of young foreign scientific research personnel in Guangdong (including, but not limited to, immigration records and employment records).

Theme 4: Overseas Academic Exchanges and Work of Young Scientific Research Personnel from Guangdong (20200506)

(I) Content.

Young scientific research personnel from Guangdong are supported to actively participate in international high-level scientific research projects and conduct overseas academic exchanges and work for a period of 3, 6 or 12 months.

The project implementation period is 2 years (calculated from the date of formal establishment of the project).

(II) Eligibility Requirements.

1. The applicant shall send its full-time young scientific research personnel for overseas academic exchanges and work for a period of 3, 6 or 12 months within 2 years (the date of issuing this Guide shall prevail). For 3-month academic exchanges and work, a stay of at least 90 days overseas is required; for 6-month academic exchanges and work, a stay of at least 15 days overseas is required; for 12-month academic exchanges and work, a stay of at least 300 days is overseas required (immigration records shall prevail).
2. The PI shall be the applicant’s in-service young scientific research personnel who is to be sent for overseas academic exchanges and scientific research work.
3. The PI shall be born after January 1, 1980 with the nationality of the People’s Republic of China; hold a master’s degree and have worked for scientific research in a high-level university or research institution for over 5 years, or hold a doctoral degree and have worked for scientific research in a high-level university or research institution for over 2 years.
4. Scientific research personnel having participated in Overseas Academic Exchanges and Work of Young Scientific Research Personnel in previous years or having been supported by projects approved by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the China Scholarship Council shall not be supported again.
5. The project name shall be in the format of “XXX Overseas Academic Exchanges and Work of Young Scientific Research Personnel from Guangdong” where “XXX” refers to overseas research field or type.

(III) Funding.

Funds will be granted, on merit, in advance based on evaluation and assessment by experts: RMB 36,000/person for the period of 3 months, RMB 60,000/person for the period of 6 months and RMB 120,000/person for the period of 12 months.

(IV) Concluding Requirements.

1. Publish at least 1 paper by the PI and the foreign receiving entity.
2. Submit 1 concluding report.
3. Present the relevant materials issued by the foreign receiving entity to prove the overseas academic exchanges and work of the PI (including, but not limited to, immigration records and employment records).

Theme 6: High-level International Academic Exchange Project (20200507)

(I) Content.

Guangdong-based innovative entities are supported to carry out globally influential high-level academic exchange projects with overseas institutions or international organizations in response to the needs of building an international S&T innovation center and an open S&T innovation system in the Greater Bay Area. The project implementation period is 2 years (calculated from the date of formal establishment of the project).

(II) Eligibility Requirements.

1. The leading applicant shall have undertaken no less than 2 S&T plans at and above the provincial level in the applied field or organized at least 1 high-level international academic exchange project no lower than the evaluation indicators in the applied field in the past 2 years.
2. The leading applicant must organize the high-level international academic exchange project with at least 1 overseas institution or international organization.
3. Priority shall be given to the leading applicant who has hosted, organized or co-organized exchange programs with government departments at or above the provincial level in the applied field.
4. The project name shall be in the format of “XXX Academic Exchange Project” where “XXX” refers to the name of the specific academic exchange project.

(III) Evaluation Indicators.

1. The project shall be implemented in a pragmatic manner, in line with international practice, without excessive and wasteful activities.
2. The exchange project shall contain no less than 150 participants, including no less than 2 academicians (including overseas academicians and members of well-known international S&T organizations); the personnel of other entities except for the leading and participating entities shall represent not less than 80% and each entity shall send at most 3 participants (more than 3 will be counted as 3).
3. Complete the conference proceedings or report on the project results (including project summary, keynote speech and academic report).
4. Have at least 1 project report in the professional or comprehensive media.
5. The project funds shall be used for specific purposes and expenditures shall be compliant and reasonable.

(IV) Funding.

Funds will be granted, on merit, in advance based on evaluation and assessment by experts: RMB 300,000 for each project held abroad and RMB 200,000 for each project held at home.

Application Period:

The application deadline for online submission would be August 7^th, 2020.