I. About the Project
1.1 Project types
Two types of projects are supported: key projects and general projects.
1.1.1 Key project Focusing on the industries with competitiveness and the needs for driving industrial innovation and development of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces and the Guangdong-Guangxi Interprovincial Pilot Cooperation Special Zone (Wuzhou and Zhaoqing), researchers in the two provinces are expected to conduct collaborative innovative research on well-trodden research paths or urgent scientific problems, so as to promote breakthroughs in several important fields.
1.1.2 General project Centering on pillar industries or industrial development directions of the two provinces, researchers in the Guangdong-Guangxi region are expected to work in collaboration to carry out basic and applied fundamental research on general scientific problems the two provinces face, so as to provide essential support for the high-quality development of key industries and the region.
1.2 Funding amount and research length
The funding amount for key projects is RMB 500,000 per project, with a maximum research duration of four years; The funding amount for general projects is RMB 100,000 per project, with a maximum research duration of three years.
1.3 Research fields and directions for funding
The specific research fields and directions supported by the Guangdong-Guangxi Joint Fund are listed in the 2020-2021 Application Guidelines for Projects of the Guangdong-Guangxi Joint Fund (see Annex).
II. Requirements for Project Application
2.1 Requirements for institutional applicants
2.1.1 There is no upper limit on the number of projects that can be submitted by an organization for the Guangdong-Guangxi Joint Fund.
2.2.2 Each project shall be a research of joint effort and be jointly applied by institutes in both Guangdong and Guangxi. For example, if the application is led by a Guangdong institute, at least one Guangxi institute shall also apply for the project; if the application is led by a Guangxi institute, at least one Guangdong institute shall also apply for the project.
2.2.3 In addition to the organization that leads the application, generally each project should be carried out by no more than two collaborative research institutes.
2.2 Criteria for applicants
The applicant should be the actual person in charge of the project. One applicant can only apply for one project for the Guangdong-Guangxi Joint Fund.
2.2.1 Applicants from Guangdong should meet the following criteria:
(1) With a senior professional and technical title (position) or a doctoral degree;
(2) With experience in basic and applied fundamental research;
(3) Be currently working at an institute that is supported by a foundation of Guangdong province.
(4) Any applicant shall be barred from application if he/she meets one of the following descriptions:
- The applicant is working on and leading the research of three or more science and technology planning projects of Guangdong Province (including major projects and foundation), or one or more of the provincial science and technology plan (including major projects and foundation) projects that are one year overdue for acceptance (except for projects related to the platform, inclusive policies and post-subsidy);
- The applicant is working on and leading the research of two or more Guangdong Province fund projects (including the Provincial Natural Science Fund and Joint Fund projects);
- The applicant is working on and leading the R&D projects of provincial pillar industries, major provincial projects of basic and applied fundamental research, key projects supported by the provincial fund, projects supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, team projects, and major projects in support of basic research;
- The applicant has submitted more than two applications for science and technology planning projects of Guangdong Province (including major projects and foundation) in 2020;
- The applicant is a postdoctoral researcher who is conducting research in a postdoctoral research station;
- The applicant is disqualified from undertaking and participating in provincial science and technology planning projects (including major projects and foundation) as the lead applicant due to serious delinquencies.
2.2.2 Applicants in Guangxi should meet the following criteria:
(1) With a senior professional and technical title (position) or a doctoral degree. If the applicant has an intermediate professional and technical title and is recommended by two technicians with senior professional and technical titles who work in the same field as the applicant does, he/she may apply for general projects.
(2) With experience in basic and applied fundamental research;
(3) Be currently working at an institute that is supported by the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation;
(4) The applicants for general projects shall be 57 years old or younger (i.e. born on or after January 1, 1963), and the applicants for key projects shall be 56 years old or younger (i.e. born on or after January 1, 1964). Young scientific researchers are encouraged to apply. If the applicant is overage for application, his/her organization shall apply to Guangxi Science and Technology Department for approval soon after the release of the guidelines, and he/she wouldn’t be able to apply for the fund without gaining approval.
(5) Any applicant shall be barred from application if he/she meets one of the following descriptions:
- The applicant was disqualified from applying for a project due to bad credit history and the disqualification period has not expired;
- The applicant is in charge of three or more Guangxi science and technology planning projects under research (including Guangxi funds, major special projects, key R&D plans, special projects for science and technology bases and talent, special technology innovation-oriented projects, etc.);
- As of the date of application, the applicant is the leader of overdue Guangxi science and technology planning project (including Guangxi funds, major special projects, key R&D plans, special projects for science and technology bases and talent, special technology innovation-oriented projects, etc.);
- The project leader has received funding from a Guangxi fund for innovative research team project and has not been awarded any general or above-mentioned projects supported by a national fund ever since;
- The project leader has received two or more grants from the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (for concluded research projects and projects under research) in the past five years (2015-2019) and has not applied for state funding in the past three years (2018-2020);
- Researchers who have received a total of two grants from the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation as project leaders for general projects are not allowed to apply as applicants for general projects of the Guangdong-Guangxi Joint Fund;
- Researchers who have been in charge of a total of two key projects funded by the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation are not allowed to apply for key projects of the Guangdong-Guangxi Joint Fund.
III. Requirements for Project Application
3.1 Requirements for application documents
3.1.1 The applicant shall submit the application documents as required, which shall not contain any information that violates the law or confidential information. The applicant shall be responsible for the authenticity and legality of the submitted application documents.
3.1.2 Once the project is approved, the tasks, objectives, research results, and indicators and other information stated in the submitted application will be automatically included in the project contract correspondingly and cannot be modified or adjusted in principle.
3.1.3 If the project application involves issues related to scientific research ethics and scientific and technological security (such as biosecurity, information security, etc.), the applicant shall strictly abide by relevant national laws and regulations and ethical principles, and provide relevant proofs such as the scientific and ethical review opinions of the applicant’s organization, which are subject to the documents uploaded as attachment.
3.1.4 The applicant’s organization shall be accountable for the validity of the applicant’s eligibility and examine the authenticity and completeness of the application documents. Any application that does not meet related requirements shall not be submitted.
3.1.5 A research team consists of institutions in both Guangdong and Guangxi can only apply for projects in either Guangdong or Guangxi; The same research cannot be applied for in Guangdong and Guangxi at the same time.
3.1.6 The starting date should be filled in as December 1, 2020 in the application form, and the ending date should be filled in according to the requirements for the funding period of each type of project.
3.2 Requirements for scientific integrity
3.2.1 The project should be applied by the applicant himself/herself. It is strictly prohibited to apply by impersonation or fabricate false applicants and key participants. Applicants and key participants should truthfully fill in personal information and be responsible for the authenticity of their application information. Applicants are responsible for the authenticity of the personal information of all participants.
3.2.2 Applicants should fill in the application form in accordance with the guidelines and application requirements, and truthfully fill in the relevant research basis and research content. Plagiarism or falsification is strictly prohibited, so does the violation of laws and regulations, ethical principles, and regulations on scientific and technological safety, etc.
3.2.3 Applicants are not allowed to submit applications for projects with same or similar research contents via different organizations. They are not allowed to submit applications for already funded projects. If the research featured in the applicant’s application has received funding from other sources, the applicant shall clarify it in the application form and specify the difference and connection between the funded project and the project submitted for application.
3.2.4 The applicant’s organization shall fulfill its responsibility as a governing body, e.g. establish and improve the review mechanism of research ethics and scientific and technological safety, guard against ethical and safety risks, and strengthen the ethical review and supervision of the research in accordance with relevant laws and regulations and ethical principles.
3.3 Requirements for fund management
3.3.1 Applicants’ organizations in Guangdong that lead the applications should set the budget in accordance with regulations including the Regulations of Guangdong Provincial Department of Finance and Audit Office on the Management and Supervision of Project Funding in Provincial-level Research (Guangdong Cai Gui [2019] No. 5) and the Notice of Guangdong Provincial Department of Finance and Department of Science and Technology on the Issuance of Regulations on the Management of Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Innovation Strategy Allocated Funds (Funds for Basic and Applied Research) (Trial) (Guangdong Cai Ke Jiao [2020] No. 150). Among them, the allocation of funds for general projects shall be based on the principle adopted by the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation for funding of general projects, which stipulates that “The project leader are entitled to utilize the project funds, but all items of expenditure must comply with the regulations of the project principal and the financial management regulations of the institution”.
3.3.2 Applicants’ organizations in Guangxi that lead the applications should set the budget in accordance with relevant provisions on the management of the funding of Guangxi Natural Science Foundation projects.
IV. Project Application and Acceptance
Institutes in Guangdong that lead the applications shall follow the guidance of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology. The Guangdong Provincial Committee for Basic and Applied Research Fund (hereinafter referred to as the Guangdong Provincial Fund Committee) is responsible for the organization, implementation and management of the project application process; Institutes in Guangxi that lead the applications shall follow the guidance of the Department of Science and Technology of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Guangxi Science and Technology Project Evaluation Center is responsible for the evaluation, review, organization, implementation and management of the project application process.
V. Expected Results
The project leader should publish at least two high-quality academic papers, and is encouraged to publish papers in top academic journals at home and abroad. If the project leader’s ability to carry out projects in his/her discipline with support of provincial and ministerial-level science and technology funds is greatly improved, the project leader is also encouraged to apply for national programs for science and technology and state-funded programs. Project results are presented mainly in the form of scientific and technical reports, theses, monographs, patents, personnel training programs, acquisition of national projects, international exchanges, and academic contributions.
VI. Proposed Timeline
6.1 Application timeline for projects led by institutes in Guangdong
6.1.1 Online application submission (recommendation by applicants’ organizations):
November 19, 2020 – 17:00, December 8, 2020
6.1.2 Online submission of the project list and letter of commitment by applicants’ organizations:
December 9, 2020 – 17:00, December 11, 2020