Notice on Issuing the Application Guide for the Original Exploration Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China in 2023

Original Exploration Plan of National Natural Science Foundation in 2023

1. Funding Orientation

The original project funds researchers to put forward original academic ideas and carry out exploratory and risky original basic research work, such as putting forward new theories, new methods or revealing new laws, aiming at cultivating or producing leading original achievements from scratch, solving scientific problems, leading research directions or opening up research fields, and further promoting the high-quality development of basic research in China.

2. Funding Mode

(1) Project type:

Original projects are divided into two types: expert recommendation and guidance program.

For original projects recommended by experts, the Natural Science Foundation of China uniformly issues annual application guidelines and puts forward relevant application requirements, regardless of research fields or directions. The applicant can apply for the project at any time after being recommended by the recommender, and the relevant science department will accept it and organize the examination and review in batches.

For the original project of guidance, the scientific departments of the Natural Science Foundation of China will form a project guidance by soliciting suggestions from scientists, discussing in academic forums or demonstrating by experts, and release it in due course. The project guide includes the research field or direction, scientific problems to be solved, etc. Applicants do not need to be recommended by referees when applying, and the relevant science department accepts the application and organizes examination and review.

(2) Duration and intensity of funding.

Original projects adopt flexible funding period and funding intensity.

The funding period of original projects recommended by experts is generally 1-3 years, and the funding intensity is generally not more than 1 million yuan/year. According to the actual needs of research work, the applicant can realistically choose the funding period and put forward the fund demand.

The funding period and funding intensity of the original project guided by the guide are determined by the project guide.

3. Application Requirements

(1) Application conditions.

Scientific and technical personnel who have undertaken basic research projects (topics) or other basic research experiences can apply.

The core research content of the original project cannot be duplicated with the National Natural Science Foundation or other national science and technology plan projects that are being implemented or in the evaluation stage.

(2) Application method.

For original projects recommended by experts, each project application needs to be recommended by two peer experts with full and senior professional and technical positions (titles) and high influence in domestic or foreign academic circles, or by two staff members of the Natural Science Foundation of China (including a fixed project director and a person in charge of the science department). Except for the person in charge of the Science Department of NSFC, each recommender can only recommend one original project application each year. The recommender should put forward detailed recommendations for the originality, scientificity and potential influence of the academic thought of the project.

The application for the original guide project does not need expert recommendation.

(3) Time of application.

After February 1, 2023, applicants for original projects recommended by experts can apply for projects at any time.

The applicant for the original guide project should apply for the project according to the time requirement of the project guide.

(4) Provisions on limited application.

      1. Applicants can only apply for one original project (including pre-application) in the same year.

      2. Original projects are not included in the total number of applications and projects undertaken when applying, but are included after being funded (except for projects with a funding period of one year or less).

4. Application Procedures

The original project application procedure includes pre-application and formal application, and the project applicant who has passed the pre-application examination can submit a formal application through the host institution.

(1) Pre-application and review.

1. Applicants can log in to https://grants.nsfc.gov.cn, the network information system of the National Science Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the information system) to write a pre-application after February 1, 2023. Applicants who do not have an information system account number should apply to the fund management contact person of the host institution for opening an account. Under the menu of “Application and Acceptance” in the information system, click “Pre-application for Original Project” to enter the pre-application filling page, and select “Expert Recommendation Category” or “Guide Guidance Category”; Applicants for the original project of Guide Guidance also need to select the corresponding name of the project guide in the notes column.
2. The applicant shall fill in the relevant contents of the pre-application according to the relevant prompts in the system and submit it directly to the Natural Science Foundation of China. The pre-application mainly expounds the originality, scientificity and potential influence of the proposed academic ideas, and the number of words is controlled within 2000 words. After the pre-application of the expert recommendation project is submitted, the information system will send an e-mail to the recommender to inform him to submit his recommendation. Applicants can check whether the recommendation has been submitted online, but they cannot check the content of the recommendation.
3. Each science department of NSFC accepts the pre-application and organizes the examination. The results of the review will be fed back to the applicant by email. No personal or unit information of any applicant or recommender can be filled in the text of the pre-application and the recommendation, otherwise the pre-application review will not be passed.

(2) Formal application.

1. Applicants who have passed the pre-application examination shall fill in the formal application form in accordance with the requirements of “Outline of Formal Application Form for Special Projects-Original Exploration Project”. The core research content of formal application should be consistent with pre-application.
2. Unless otherwise specified, the total number of cooperative research units of each original project shall not exceed
3. The original project funds management adopts the budget system. The applicant shall carefully prepare the budget table according to the specific requirements of the Measures for the Management of Funds for Projects Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (No.177 [2021] of the Ministry of Finance) and the Notes on the Preparation of Budget Table for Projects Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation.
4. After completing the application writing, the applicant submits the electronic application form and the attached materials online. The host institution shall review the authenticity and completeness of the application materials submitted by the applicant of the unit.
5. The original project adopts paperless application method, and the host institution only needs to confirm online and submit the formal application project list, electronic application form and attachment materials in time, without submitting paper materials. After the project is approved, the paper signature and seal page of the application will be bound at the end of the Supported Project Plan and submitted together with it. The information signed and sealed shall be consistent with the electronic application.