Notice from Ministry of Science and Technology on the release of the National Key Research and Development Program “strategic mineral resources development and utilization” and other key special projects in the year 2023

Notice from Ministry of Science and Technology on the release of the National Key Research and Development Program “strategic mineral resources development and utilization” and other key special projects in the year 2023

1. Project organization and application workflow

1. The application unit is organized in the form of a project according to the research content of the guideline direction, and the project can be divided into topics. The project should be declared as a whole, and must cover all the assessment indicators of the corresponding guide direction. There is one person in charge of the project, and one person in charge of each topic, and the project leader can be in charge of one of the topics.
2. Integrate advantageous innovation teams and actively involve female researchers in project R&D, focus on the tasks of the guidelines, strengthen the integration of basic research, common key technology research and development and typical application demonstration tasks, concentrate efforts and joint research. Encourage capable female researchers as project (subject) leaders to take the lead in the task.
3. The application process of the National Key R&D Program is divided into two parts: pre-application and formal application, and the specific workflow is as follows.

–Fill out the pre-application form. Project application unit according to the relevant application requirements, through the national science and technology management information system public service platform (http://service.most.gov.cn, hereinafter referred to as “national science and technology management system”) to fill out and submit about 3,000 words of the project pre-application, detailing the objectives of the declared project The pre-application form should detail the objectives and targets of the declared project, briefly explain the innovative ideas, technical lines and research basis. From the date of publication of the guidelines to the deadline of acceptance of the pre-application form, not less than 50 days should be allowed.

The pre-application should include relevant agreements and commitments. The project leader shall sign a joint application agreement with all participating units and specify the time of signing the agreement; the project leader, the subject host institution, the project leader and the subject leader shall sign a letter of commitment to integrity, and the project leader and all participating units shall implement the “Opinions on Further Strengthening the Construction of Scientific Research Integrity” and “Opinions on Further Promoting the Scientist’s Spirit and Strengthening the Work Style and Academic Style” and other requirements to strengthen the integrity of scientific research. The lead unit and all participating units shall implement the “Opinions on Further Strengthening the Construction of Scientific Research Integrity” and “Opinions on Further Promoting the Scientist’s Spirit and Strengthening the Style and Academic Culture”, and strengthen the examination and control of the application materials to eliminate exaggeration and falsity.

Pre-application must be recommended by the relevant units. Each recommending unit should strengthen the examination and control of the recommended project application materials and submit the recommended projects through the national science management system on time.

Professional institutions accept the pre-application and organize the first round of evaluation. To ensure a reasonable degree of competition, for a single guideline direction of non-directional application, if the number of declared teams is not more than the number of projects to be supported, the guideline direction will not start the subsequent project review and establishment procedures, and the guidelines will be re-researched and released at a later date. Professional organizations organize the formal review and carry out the first round of evaluation according to the application. The first round of evaluation does not require the project leader to defend. According to the evaluation results of experts, 3~4 times of the proposed number of projects will be selected to enter the defense review. For projects that do not enter the defense evaluation, the evaluation results will be timely feedback to the project application unit and the person in charge.

–Fill out the official application form. For project applications that pass the first round of evaluation and directly enter the defense evaluation, fill out and submit the formal application of the project through the national science management system, and the formal application is accepted within 30 days.

Professional institutions accept the formal application and organize the defense evaluation. The professional institution will review the form of the project application form and organize the defense evaluation. The person in charge of the declared project defends the report via web video. According to the expert evaluation, the project will be established on the basis of merit.

2. Organization of the application of the recommended unit

1. the relevant departments of the State Council departments and bureaus in charge of science and technology;
2. provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, municipalities under the plan and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in charge of science and technology departments;
3. the former industrial sector converted to the establishment of industry associations;
4. industrial technology innovation strategy alliances included in the pilot scope of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the assessment results of category A, as well as into the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Finance to carry out the innovation and development of science and technology services industry pilot alliances.
5. Hong Kong and Macao research units to take the lead in declaring the “comprehensive management of air and soil, groundwater pollution” key special projects, respectively by the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission, Macao Science and Technology Development Fund in accordance with the requirements of the organization recommended.

Each recommending unit should be recommended within the scope of their functions and operations, and be responsible for the authenticity of the recommended projects. The list of recommended units will be publicly released on the national science and technology management system.

3. Qualification requirements for application

1. The project leader and participating units of the “Strategic Mineral Resources Development and Utilization” key project should be registered research institutes, universities and enterprises in mainland China. The lead and participating units of the key project “Comprehensive Management of Atmosphere, Soil and Groundwater Pollution” should be registered research institutes, higher education institutions and enterprises in mainland China (hereinafter referred to as mainland units), or research units in Hong Kong and Macao negotiated by the Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation between the Mainland and Hong Kong, the Mainland and Macao (see the list in (Annex 1). Project lead units and participating units should have independent legal personality, registered before June 30, 2022, with strong scientific and technological research and development capabilities and conditions, and standardized operation and management. State agencies shall not lead or participate in the application.

The project leader, the participating units and the team members should be in good standing and have no record of serious scientific research failures or credit “blacklist” records in the relevant social fields during the disciplinary implementation period.

The same project can only be declared by a single recommended unit, not multiple applications and duplicate applications.

2. The person in charge of the project (subject) must have a senior title or doctorate degree, born after January 1, 1963, and must not spend less than 6 months working on the project each year. Hong Kong and Macao declared personnel should be patriotic and love Hong Kong and Macao.
3. The person in charge of the project (subject) should, in principle, be the proposer of the main research idea of the project (subject) and the scientific and technical personnel who actually lead the research. Central and local state organs at all levels of public officials and Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Region of public officials (including the exercise of science and technology program management functions of other personnel) shall not declare the project (subject).
4. Experts involved in the implementation of key special projects or the preparation of this year’s project guidelines, in principle, cannot declare the key special projects (topics).
5. Foreign scientists and scientists from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who are employed in mainland units can be the project (subject) leaders. Full-time employed persons must be provided with valid documents of full-time employment by the mainland employing units, and part-time employed persons must be provided with valid documents of employment by both units, and submitted together with the project pre-application materials.
6. After the acceptance of the project, in principle, the host institution and the person in charge cannot be changed.
7. See Annex 2 for more details on the requirements of the project application, and before submitting the project application formally, each host institution can use the national science and technology management system to check the status of the relevant research personnel undertaking key projects of the National Key Research and Development Program, Science and Technology Innovation 2030 – Major Projects, etc., to avoid duplication of application.
8. For details of the application requirements, please refer to the application guidelines, and if there are special regulations, they will be followed.

4. Project management reform initiatives

1. About the Young Scientist Program. In order to create more opportunities for young researchers to organize and implement major national goal-oriented R&D tasks, the Key R&D Program establishes young scientist projects. According to the characteristics of the field and special, take a variety of ways such as dedicated young scientist projects or dedicated young scientist topics under the project. The young scientist projects do not require full coverage of the guidelines, do not set up topics, and in principle do not organize budget evaluation, so as to encourage young scientists to boldly explore new methods and paths that are more innovative and disruptive, and better serve the overall objectives of the program.
2. On Technology Readiness Level (TRL) management. The 14th Five-Year Plan will explore the implementation of TRL management for tasks with clear technical systems and quantitative assessment indicators. The application guide will clarify the technical readiness requirements, and in the subsequent evaluation of the project, assessment and evaluation of the inclusion of technical readiness indicators, scientific milestone assessment nodes, strict control of project implementation progress and risk, to ensure high-quality output.

     5. Specific application methods

1. Online filing. Please fill in the application unit online through the national science management system as required. Professional institutions will use the online application form as the basis for subsequent formal review and project evaluation. All the annexes required in the application materials will be uploaded in electronic scanned copies.

The time for project application units to fill in the online pre-application is from 8:00 on May 15 to 16:00 on June 15, 2023, and for projects entering the defense and evaluation process, the application units will fill in the official application and submit it through the NSCM system as required.

2. Technical consultation telephone and e-mail:

010-58882999 (trunk line), program@istic.ac.cn

3. Business consulting phone number

(1) “Strategic Mineral Resources Development and Utilization” key special consultation telephone: 010-58884885

(2) “Comprehensive Management of Atmosphere, Soil and Groundwater Pollution” key special consultation telephone: 010-58884865