To all relevant units:

 

In accordance with the overall deployment of the State Council's plan for deepening the management reform of central government science and technology programs (special projects, funds, etc.) (State Council Document [2014] No. 64), and in accordance with the relevant requirements for the organization and management of national key research and development programs, we hereby release the guidelines for the application of key targeted projects in 2020, including "Key Scientific Issues in Transformative Technologies." Please organize the project application work according to the requirements specified in the guidelines. The relevant details are as follows.

 

I. Workflow for Project Application Organization

 

1. The applying unit should organize the application in the form of projects based on the research content supported by the guidelines. Each project may have sub-topics. The application should be made as a whole and cover all the assessment indicators corresponding to the guidelines. The applying unit should recommend one researcher as the project leader, and each sub-topic should have one leader. The project leader can serve as one of the sub-topic leaders.

 

2. The organization and implementation of the project should integrate and coordinate the advantages and innovative teams in related fields nationwide, focus on research and development issues, strengthen the coordination between basic research, common key technology R&D, and typical application demonstration, and concentrate efforts to collaborate.

 

3. The specific workflow for project application and evaluation under the national key research and development program is as follows:

 

- The applying unit should fill out and submit the project proposal through the National Science and Technology Management Information System according to the relevant requirements of the guidelines. The period from the date of guideline publication to the deadline for project proposal acceptance should not be less than 50 days.

 

- The applying unit should sign a joint application agreement with all participating units and specify the time of the agreement signing. The leading applying unit, sub-topic applying units, project leader, and sub-topic leaders should sign a letter of commitment to integrity. The leading applying unit and all participating units should implement the requirements of the "Opinions on Further Strengthening the Construction of Scientific Research Integrity," strengthen the review of application materials, and prevent exaggeration, falsehood, or even fraud.

 

- The recommending units should strengthen the review of the recommended project application materials and submit the recommended projects via the National Science and Technology Management Information System in a timely manner.

 

- After accepting the project proposals, professional institutions should conduct formal reviews and organize defense evaluations, during which the project leader should present a report. Projects will be selected based on expert evaluations. For guidelines that support 1 to 2 projects, in principle, only one project will be supported. However, if the top two evaluation results of a project are similar and the technical routes are significantly different, both projects can be supported simultaneously. A dynamic adjustment mechanism should be established, and mid-term evaluations should be conducted based on process management. The follow-up support mode should be determined according to the evaluation results.

Ⅱ. The recommending units for organizational application

 

Each recommending unit should recommend within the scope of its functions and business, and take responsibility for the authenticity of the recommended projects. Relevant departments of the State Council recommend units that have business guidance relationships with them, industry associations and industrial technology innovation strategic alliances, and innovative development industry pilot alliances in the technology service industry recommend their member units, and provincial-level science and technology authorities recommend units within their administrative divisions. The list of recommending units shall be publicly disclosed on the National Science and Technology Management Information System public service platform.

 

Ⅲ. Eligibility requirements for application

 

1) The leading unit and participating units of the project should be research institutes, universities, enterprises, etc. registered within the mainland of China (hereinafter referred to as mainland units), or Hong Kong and Macao universities determined through consultation by the Mainland-Hong Kong and Mainland-Macao Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (see Annex 1 for the list). Mainland units should have independent legal personality, registered before March 31, 2019, and have strong scientific and technological research and development capabilities and conditions, as well as standardized operation and management. Government agencies are not allowed to lead or participate in the application.

 

The leading unit of the project, participating units, and members of the project team should have good integrity, with no records of serious scientific research dishonesty during the disciplinary punishment period and no records on relevant social credit "blacklists".

 

For the same project, only one recommending unit can submit the application, and multiple submissions or duplicate applications are not allowed.

 

2) The project (topic) leader must hold a senior professional title or a doctoral degree, be born after January 1, 1960, and spend no less than 6 months per year on project work. Applicants from Hong Kong and Macao should love the country and Hong Kong/Macao.

 

3) The project (topic) leader should be the proposer of the main research ideas and the actual technical personnel responsible for the research. Officials at the central and local levels, as well as civil servants in Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (including other personnel exercising functions related to science and technology planning management), are not allowed to apply for projects (topics).

 

4) The project (topic) leader is limited to submitting one project (topic); the person in charge of ongoing projects (including tasks or topics) under national major science and technology projects, key special projects under the national key research and development plan, and Science and Technology Innovation 2030—Major Projects is not allowed to lead the application for projects (topics). The person in charge of ongoing projects (excluding task or topic leaders) under the key special projects of the national key research and development plan and Science and Technology Innovation 2030—Major Projects is also not allowed to participate in the application for projects (topics).

 

The total number of projects (topics) applied for by the project (topic) leader and the core members, as well as the ongoing projects (topics) under the national major science and technology projects, national key research and development plan, and Science and Technology Innovation 2030—Major Projects, must not exceed 2; the person in charge of ongoing projects (including tasks or topics) under the national major science and technology projects, national key research and development plan, and Science and Technology Innovation 2030—Major Projects is not allowed to withdraw from the current project (including tasks or topics) due to applying for key special projects under the national key research and development plan (topics). After the person in charge and core members of the ongoing projects (including tasks or topics) under the national major science and technology projects, national key research and development plan, and Science and Technology Innovation 2030—Major Projects withdraw from the project development team, they are generally not allowed to lead or participate in the application for new key special projects under the national key research and development plan during the original project execution period.

 

The ongoing projects (including tasks or topics) whose plan and task period (including the extended period) end before December 31, 2020 are not included in the limitation.

5) The invited advisory committee members are not allowed to apply for projects (topics); experts involved in the implementation of key special project plans or project guidelines for the current year are not allowed to apply for the key special projects (topics).

 

6) Foreign scientists employed by mainland units and scientists from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan can serve as project (topic) leaders for key special projects. Full-time employed personnel must provide valid materials of full-time employment from the mainland employing unit, while part-time employed personnel must provide valid employment materials from both parties, which should be submitted together with the project application.

 

7) After the project application is accepted, the applying unit and the principal investigator should generally not be changed.

 

8) Specific application requirements for projects are detailed in the application guidelines for each key special project.

 

Before formally submitting the project proposal, applying units can use the National Science and Technology Management Information System public service platform to check the situation of researchers involved in ongoing projects (including tasks or topics) under national major science and technology projects, national key research and development plan key special projects, and Science and Technology Innovation 2030—Major Projects. This is to avoid duplicate applications.

Ⅳ、Specific Application Methods:

1. Online application. This application process implements paperless applications. Applying units are required to strictly follow national and local epidemic prevention and control requirements, innovate work methods, and fully utilize information technology such as video conferences and online office platforms to form research and development teams, reduce personnel gatherings, and submit applications online through the National Science and Technology Management Information System public service platform (http://service.most.gov.cn). The project management professional organization will use the online application as the basis for subsequent formal reviews and project evaluations. All required supporting documents should be uploaded as scanned electronic copies. If any materials cannot be provided temporarily due to the epidemic, please upload scanned copies of explanatory materials issued by the relying unit. The project management professional organization will notify the applicants to submit the missing materials based on the situation.

 

The acceptance period for online submission of project proposals by applying units is from 8:00 on April 27, 2020, to 16:00 on May 27, 2020.

 

2. Organizational recommendation. Each recommending unit is requested to confirm the recommended projects item by item through the National Science and Technology Management Information System public service platform before 16:00 on June 3, 2020, and upload scanned copies of recommendation letters with the official seal of the recommending unit.

 

3. Technical consultation phone number and email:

 

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

Ⅴ. The contact numbers for inquiries regarding each key special project are as follows:

 

(1) Key Special Project on "Critical Scientific Issues in Transformative Technologies": 010-68104823.

 

(2) Key Special Project on "Quantum Control and Quantum Information": 010-68104388.

 

(3) Key Special Project on "Frontier Research of Large-scale Scientific Facilities": 010-68104776.

 

(4) Key Special Project on "Developmental Programming and Metabolic Regulation": 010-68104388.

 

Attachments:

1. List of Hong Kong and Macau universities determined through consultation by the Mainland and Hong Kong/Macau Science and Technology Cooperation Committee.

 

2. Application Guidelines for the 2020 Directed Projects of the Key Special Project on "Critical Scientific Issues in Transformative Technologies" (Requirements for formal review conditions, expert list for guideline compilation).

 

3. Application Guidelines for the 2020 Directed Projects of the Key Special Project on "Quantum Control and Quantum Information" (Requirements for formal review conditions, expert list for guideline compilation).

 

4. Application Guidelines for the 2020 Directed Projects of the Key Special Project on "Frontier Research of Large-scale Scientific Facilities" (Requirements for formal review conditions, expert list for guideline compilation).

 

5. Application Guidelines for the 2020 Directed Projects of the Key Special Project on "Developmental Programming and Metabolic Regulation" (Requirements for formal review conditions, expert list for guideline compilation).

 

Ministry of Science and Technology

March 30, 2020