Platforms and Applicants:
Recently, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) has released the Application Guidelines for 2024 NSFC Original Exploration Programme Projects.
I. Funding Positioning
The original project funds researchers to put forward original academic ideas, carry out original basic research work of high exploratory and risky nature, such as proposing new theories, new methods or revealing new laws, etc. It aims to cultivate or produce leading original results from scratch, solve scientific problems, lead the direction of research or open up the research field, and promote the high-quality development of China's basic research in an in-depth manner.
Funding Mode
(I) Types of projects.
Original projects are divided into two types: expert-recommended and guideline-guided.
Expert-recommended original projects, the Natural Science Foundation of China uniformly issued annual application guidelines, the relevant application requirements, not limited to the field or direction of research. Applicants can apply for the project at any time upon recommendation of the recommender, and the relevant science department will accept the application and organise review and assessment in batches.
For original projects of the guideline-guided category, the scientific departments of the Natural Science Foundation of China will form the project guidelines and release them in due course by collecting suggestions from scientists, discussing in the academic forums, or verifying by experts, etc. The project guidelines include the research field or direction, the research area or direction, and the application requirements. The project guideline includes the research field or direction, the scientific problems to be solved, etc. The applicant does not need to recommend the applicant when submitting the application. Applicants do not need to be recommended by the referees when submitting applications, and the relevant scientific departments will accept the applications and organise review and evaluation.
(ii) Funding period and funding intensity.
Original projects adopt flexible funding period and funding intensity.
The funding period for original projects recommended by experts is generally 1-3 years, and the funding intensity is generally not more than 1 million RMB/year. Applicants can choose the funding period and put forward the funding requirements realistically according to the actual needs of the research work.
The funding period and funding intensity of original projects under the Guidelines category are determined by the project guidelines.
Application Requirements
(I) Application Requirements.
Scientific and technological personnel who have undertaken basic research projects (topics) or other basic research experience in the supporting units can apply.
The core research content of the original project cannot be duplicated with the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) or other national science and technology programmes that are under implementation or in the evaluation stage.
(ii) Application Method.
For original projects recommended by experts, each project application shall be recommended by two peer experts with 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 one director of a fixed establishment project and one person in charge of the Science Department). Except for the head of the Science Department of the Natural Science Foundation Committee, each recommender can only recommend one original project application per year. The recommender should provide detailed recommendations on the originality, scientificity and potential impact of the project's academic ideas.
No expert recommendation is required for guideline-guided original project applications.
(III) Application Period.
After 1 February 2024, applicants of expert-recommended original projects may submit project applications at any time.
Applicants of original projects under the guideline category should submit project applications according to the time requirements of the project guidelines.
(iv) Provisions for limited applications.
1. Applicants can only apply for one original project (including pre-application) in the same year. 2.
(2) Original projects shall not be counted in the total number of projects applied for and undertaken at the time of application, but shall be counted after funding is granted (except for projects with a funding period of 1 year or less).
IV. Application Procedures
The application procedure for original projects includes pre-application and formal application. Only those project applicants who have passed the review of pre-application can submit formal application through the supporting units.
(i) Pre-application and review.
1. Applicants can log on the Science Foundation Web Information System https://grants.nsfc.gov.cn ( hereinafter referred to as the Information System) after 1 February 2024 to write a pre-application.
2. Applicants should follow the instructions in the system to fill in the content of the pre-application and submit it directly to the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). The pre-application should mainly describe the originality, scientificity and potential influence of the proposed academic idea, and the word count should be less than 2000 words. After the pre-application of the expert-recommended application is submitted, the information system will send an email to the recommender, informing the recommender to submit the recommendation opinion. The applicant can check online whether the recommendation opinions have been submitted, but cannot view the contents of the recommendation opinions.
3. The Scientific Departments of NSFC will accept the pre-applications and organise reviews. The result of the review will be sent back to the applicant by email. Pre-application body and recommendation shall not fill in any applicant or recommender of personal or unit information, or will not be able to pass the pre-application review.
(ii) Formal application.
1. Applicants who have passed the pre-application review shall fill in the formal application form according to the "Outline of Formal Application for Special Projects-Original Exploration Programme". The core research content of the formal application shall be consistent with the pre-application. 2.
2. Unless otherwise specified, the total number of cooperative research units for each original project shall not exceed 2. 3.
3. The management of funds for original projects is based on a budget system. The applicant shall carefully prepare the budget form according to the specific requirements of the Instructions for Preparation of Budget Form for NSF Project Application in accordance with the Measures for Funding Management of NSF-funded Projects (Caijiao [2021] No. 177).
4. In paperless application mode, applicants shall submit the electronic application form and attached materials online after completing the writing of the application form.
V. Others
For details, please refer to the Notice Circular of the National Natural Science Foundation of China: https: //www.nsfc.gov.cn/publish/portal0/tab434/info91752.htm
Department of Science and Education Development
5 March 2024
