Most of NSFC programmes target China-based actors. China-based affiliates of European entities can apply, as long as they possess legal personality in mainland China and are registered on the National Natural Science Fund ’s internet system (see the note in the section “Annual project guidelines”). European researchers working in China (either in China-based affiliates of European entities or in Chinese institutions) can also apply as principal investigators (PIs). Major Research Plans are much more competitive and considered harder to obtain for European actors. They however feature potential for participation, and previous instances of European participation were identified.
Major Research Plan
The Major Research Plan (重大研究计划) consists of projects providing scientific support and realising breakthroughs in priority areas of strategic value to the country’s economic and social development. They are characterised by a strong top-down design.
Priority areas and past figures
Unlike the General Programme, the Young Scientist Fund and Key Programmes, only a limited amount of Major Research Plan projects are included in the National Natural Science Fund annual project guidelines (see the section “annual project guidelines” for more information) – only three in 2018 (namely: new optical fields’ control physics and application; generation and evolution mechanisms of turbulent structures; and research on basic theories and key technologies on integrated robots. More details at this link). The vast majority of calls are published individually throughout the year, in this specific section on the National Natural Science Fund ’s website.[1] Each Major Research Plan supports one or more of the following categories of projects:
- Fostering projects (培育项目): refer to proposals with evident innovativeness but which still have not developed the conditions necessary for realising major breakthroughs. Their duration usually last 3 years, and the average funding per project is 600k to 800k RMB. A maximum of two cooperation institutes can be allowed in a consortium.
- Key support projects (重点支持项目): refer to strongly innovative proposals at the frontiers of international science, with already assembled solid team and conditions for research, and which are expected to achieve major research results in the short-medium term. Their duration usually last 4 years, and the average funding per project is 2.5 to 4 million RMB. A maximum of two cooperation institutes can be allowed in a consortium
- Integration projects (集成项目): refer to proposals which, on the basis of previous funding projects, are expected to realise major breakthroughs and leapfrog development, allowing China’s research level to reach the world’s highest in the corresponding area. Their duration is not specified but usually last 3-5 years, and the average funding per project generally ranges from 4 to over 10 million RMB. A maximum of four cooperation institutes and 9 scientists can be allowed in a consortium.
In 2016, a total of 502 projects were funded under 39 different Major Research Plans, for a total of 714 million RMB (around 91.3 million EUR) allocated.
The largest beneficiaries of Major Research Plans in the same year were, again, China’s 985 universities, with Tsinghua University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Fudan University topping the list (36, 20, and 19 projects granted, respectively). Due to well-defined and ambitious targets, as well as stricter requirements and criteria for final project acceptance, Major Research Plans appear slightly harder to obtain for China-based affiliates of European institutions.
[1] http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/publish/portal0/zdyjjh/. A total of 47 individual calls were published every month throughout 2017, with a peak publication period registered in July (25 calls). Areas covered included: robotics, high-performance computing; big data; space information networks; optical fields; engines turbulent combustion; carbon-based energy conversion; energy and atmospheric pollution; molecular biology; genetic crops; genetic information transmission, etc.
Eligibility requirements for PIs
- Possess experience in implementing basic research projects
- Have senior professional title
- Researchers in postdoctoral stations, full-time students, scientists not currently working in any institution, or scientists working in institutions different from those through which the application is submitted cannot apply as PIs
- Only one application to Major Research Plans can be submitted in the same year; applicants who were granted a Major Research Plan project in the year before the call of application is published are also excluded from applying (with the exception of “integration projects”)
- The application form should highlight the proposal’s objectives and key breakthroughs to be achieved, should feature cross-discipline research, and should clearly explain the contribution it would give to achieving the Major Research Plan’s objectives and in solving its core scientific question
- PIs who receive funding must promise to abide by relevant regulations with respect to data and material management and sharing
- In order to encourage cross-disciplinary research, PIs who receive funding must agree to attend an annual conference organised by National Natural Science Fund as well as other workshops and seminars.
Evaluation criteria
Depending on the specific Major Research Plan, slightly different criteria will be adopted during the evaluation of proposals, but these generally highly consider the following:
- Conformance with the objectives outlined in the call for application.
- Original innovation proposals focusing on new concepts, principles and methods.
- Proposals featuring cross-disciplinary research (e.g. medical sciences with information, mathematic and materials sciences), integration of theory and application, etc.
- Proposals featuring international cooperation activities.
How to apply
Applications are submitted through the NSFC’s Internet-based Science Information System (ISISN). An official account should be created on the system in order to submit applications. Each PI should apply for an account number and password to his/her host institution, provided that the latter has previously registered on the same system. More information in the note in the section “Annual project guidelines”.
International participation
The only successful cases in 2016 were registered for “Fostering Projects” by
- New York University Shanghai (1 project)
- Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen campus) (1 project)
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Shenzhen campus) (1 project)
Two projects were also led by foreign PIs from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, and from the CAS Institute of Genetics and Development Biology.