Announcement on the Release of Application Guidelines for the 2024 National Natural Science Foundation of China Original Exploration Program Project
2024 National Natural Science Foundation Original Exploration Program
1. Funding Positioning
Original projects fund scientific researchers to propose original academic ideas and carry out exploratory and risky original basic research work, such as proposing new theories, new methods or revealing new laws, etc., aiming to cultivate or produce leadership from scratch. Original achievements can solve scientific problems, lead research directions or expand research fields, and further promote the high-quality development of basic research in our country.
2. Funding model
(1) Project type.
Original projects are divided into two types: expert recommendation and guide guidance.
For original projects recommended by experts, the Natural Science Foundation of China will issue a unified annual application guide and put forward relevant application requirements, regardless of research field or direction. Applicants can submit project applications at any time after being recommended by recommenders, and the relevant science departments will accept the applications and organize review and evaluation in batches.
For original projects in the guidance category, the science departments of the Natural Science Foundation of China will form project guides and publish them in a timely manner through soliciting suggestions from scientists, academic forum discussions, or expert demonstrations. Project guidelines include research fields or directions, scientific problems to be solved, etc. Applicants do not need recommenders when applying. The relevant science department will accept the application and organize review and review.
(2) Funding period and funding intensity.
Original projects adopt flexible funding terms and funding intensity.
The funding period for original projects recommended by experts is generally1-3 years and the funding intensity generally does not exceed 1 million yuan per year. Applicants can realistically choose the funding period and propose funding requirements based on the actual needs of their research work.
The funding period and funding intensity for guide-guided original projects are determined by the project guide.
3. Application requirements
(1) Application conditions.
Scientific and technical personnel from the host institution who have experience in undertaking basic research projects (topics) or other basic research can apply.
The core research content of the original project cannot be duplicated with the National Natural Science Foundation of China or other national science and technology plan projects that are currently being implemented or in the review stage.
(2) Application method.
For original projects recommended by experts, each project application requires 2 peer experts with senior professional and technical positions (professional titles) and high influence in domestic or foreign academic circles, or 2 Natural Science Foundation of China staff (including 1 recommended by 1 permanent project director and 1 head of the Science Department). Except for the person in charge of the Science Department of the Natural Science Foundation of China, each recommender can only recommend one original project application per year. The recommender should provide detailed recommendations on the originality, scientific nature and potential influence of the academic ideas of the project.
Applications for guide original projects do not require expert recommendation.
(3) Application time.
After February 1, 2024, applicants for original projects recommended by experts can submit project applications at any time.
Applicants for guide-guided original projects should submit project applications according to the time requirements of the project guide.
(4) Regulations on limited applications.
1. Applicants can only apply for one original project in the same year (including pre-application).
2. Original projects will not be included in the total number of applications and projects undertaken when applying, but will be included after being funded (except for projects with a funding period of 1 year or less).
4. Application procedure
The application process for original projects includes pre-application and formal application. Only project applicants who pass the pre-application review can submit a formal application through the supporting unit.
(1) Pre-application and review.
1. Applicants can log in to the Science Fund Network Information System https://grants.nsfc.gov.cn (hereinafter referred to as the information system) after February 1, 2024 to write a pre-application. Applicants who do not have an information system account should apply to the fund management contact person of the supporting unit to open an account. Under the “Application and Acceptance” menu of the information system, click “Original Project Pre-Application” to enter the pre-application filling page and select “Expert Recommendation Category” or “Guide-Guided Category”; applicants for Guide-Guided Original Projects also need to explain in the appendix Column select the corresponding name of the project guide.
2. Applicants should fill in the relevant pre-application content according to the relevant prompts in the system and submit it directly to the Natural Science Foundation of China. The pre-application mainly explains the originality, scientific nature and potential influence of the proposed academic ideas, and the number of words should be controlled within 2,000 words. After the pre-application for the expert recommendation application project is submitted, the information system will send an email to the recommender to inform the recommender to submit the recommendation. Applicants can check online whether recommendations have been submitted, but cannot view the content of the recommendations.
3. The science departments of the Natural Science Foundation of China accept pre-applications and organize reviews. The review results will be fed back to the applicant via email. No personal or organizational information of the applicant or recommender should be filled in the pre-application text or recommendations, otherwise the pre-application review will not be passed.
(2) Formal application.
1. Applicants who pass the pre-application review should fill in the formal application form in accordance with the requirements of the “Special Project-Original Exploration Plan Project Formal Application Writing Outline”. The core research content of the formal application should be consistent with that of the pre-application.
2. Unless otherwise specified, the total number of cooperative research units for each original project shall not exceed 2.
3. Fund management for original projects adopts a budget system. Applicants should carefully prepare a budget table in accordance with the specific requirements of the “Measures for the Fund Management of National Natural Science Foundation-funded Projects” and “Instructions for Preparing Budget Tables for National Natural Science Foundation Project Applications”.
4. After the applicant has completed writing the application, submit the electronic application and attached materials online. The host unit shall review the authenticity and completeness of the application materials submitted by its applicant.
5. Original projects adopt a paperless application method. The supporting unit only needs to confirm online and submit the formal application project list, electronic application form and attachment materials in a timely manner. There is no need to submit paper materials. After the project is approved, bind the signed and stamped paper page of the application at the end of the “Funded Project Plan” and submit it together with it. The information signed and stamped should be consistent with the electronic application form.
5. Things to note
(1) Publication of funded project information.
The Natural Science Foundation of China will publish basic information on funded original projects on its official website. For original projects recommended by experts, the name of the recommender will also be announced.
(2) Project implementation guarantee.
The person in charge of the original project should devote his main energy to the research of the original project; the supporting unit should strengthen the supervision, management and services of the implementation of the original project, reduce the unnecessary burden on the person in charge of the project, and provide the necessary institutional and conditional guarantees for project research.
(3) Others.
There is no review process for original project applications and funding.
The Natural Science Foundation of China will include the project implementation status of the relevant project leader, the recommendation status of the recommender, and the review status of the review experts into the credit file.