A team of young people from the central to local levels who are worried about scientific research funding with these new supports | youth | local
Recently, a team led by Wang Rong, a young researcher from the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at Fudan University, published a paper in the journal Nature. The team was also selected for the second batch of Fudan University's "Basic Research Special Zone Plan" in Shanghai and received a total of 4 million yuan in funding support.
Half a year ago, Wang Rong was still worried about finding research funding. Due to the unsuccessful application for competitive research projects supported by various levels of finance from 2019 to 2022, the team's funding was in short supply.
There are many young scientific and technological workers like Wang Rong who are worried about project funding. As an important force in the scientific research team, researchers, especially in their youth stage, face unique pressures such as income problems, the environment of "either promotion or leaving" in universities, and personal development space.
The Fourth National Survey Report on the Status of Science and Technology Workers shows that in 2018, the average age of science and technology workers in China was 35.9 years old, showing a trend of youthfulness and higher education. Young scientific and technological talents have become the vanguard in many fields.
Various sectors are also successively issuing policy documents to support young talents. The Opinion on Accelerating the High Quality Development of Basic Research in Beijing Universities was recently released, proposing six important measures, eight major tasks, and 30 specific opinions, including supporting outstanding young scientists under the age of 35 and outstanding young talents under the age of 45. The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Science and Technology and other authorities have issued the "Implementation Plan for the Pilot Reform of Science and Technology Achievement Transformation and Innovation in Shanghai", granting scientific researchers full or partial ownership of their scientific and technological achievements.
On the 14th, Dou Xiankang, Director of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, published an article stating that the funding channel will be moved forward to further explore more powerful and direct funding models for young talents, cultivate the scientific literacy and independent research ability of young engineering talents, and provide a "source of fresh water" for building a high-quality basic research talent team. Promote the construction of a long-term training mechanism for basic research talents.
Yao Kai, Director of the Global Science and Technology Innovation Talent Development Research Center at Fudan University, told First Financial that in the traditional scientific research environment, young science and technology innovation talents generally face dual pressures of career and life. On the one hand, fixed talent evaluation standards and promotion paths, high-intensity scientific research pressure, limited resource support and other issues have gradually become the "ceiling" that affects and restricts the growth and development of young talents; On the other hand, the pressure of family life such as buying a house and educating children can lead to emotional fatigue and psychological loss for talents. "Whether it is the 'Opinions' or the previous Shanghai Basic Research Special Zone Plan, various regions are promoting the reform and optimization of talent evaluation methods, improving the relevant talent management systems for youth talent evaluation, and gradually breaking down various restrictions that restrict talent growth."
Key support for young researchers under the age of 35
As the source of the entire scientific and technological system, basic research is also the root of breaking through core technological problems. However, young researchers with limited qualifications face greater pressure when obtaining competitive projects. The "either promotion or departure" system in universities is also a practical problem faced by many "green peppers". Under the personnel system of "either promotion or departure", the success of scientific research projects is a crucial step in the career of young teachers.
Taking the "first bucket of gold" for young teachers in the upcoming National Natural Science Foundation project - the Youth Fund as an example, regardless of whether they are selected or not, the end of the Youth Fund application is only the doorstep for subsequent academic research. If young teachers cannot be selected within the specified age period, it will directly affect their positions and future applications for other projects and professional title evaluations.
According to regulations, once male and female young teachers exceed the ages of 35 and 40 respectively, they lose the opportunity to apply for the National Youth Science Foundation project; Those over the age of 38 and 40 respectively will not be able to apply for national youth programs.
This Opinion proposes to improve the system of technology evaluation incentives, achievement application and transformation that matches the long-term basic research, and to provide long-term stable support for a number of basic research innovation bases, advantageous teams, and key directions, creating original innovation sources and basic research pioneers; Guide universities to independently layout basic research, strengthen free exploration, highlight originality, and focus on supporting outstanding young scientists under the age of 35 to face the forefront of world science and technology, carry out forward-looking exploration research, open up new fields, propose new theories, design new methods, discover new phenomena, and achieve new breakthroughs.
Chen Yu, a teaching assistant from a Double First Class university who applied for the Youth Fund for the second time this year, told a reporter from First Financial that if he does not win the election this year, he may have to leave the school. Although he has been in the mentor team since graduating from the postdoctoral program in 2020, the prerequisite for obtaining a formal teaching position is to obtain the Youth Fund. "Even if I leave my current school to go to a non top Double First Class school, having the National Natural Science Foundation Youth Fund is still a very big bonus." In Chen Yu's opinion, he personally pays more attention to the "basic research on independent layout of universities" in the "Opinions" and looks forward to whether it can be linked to evaluation and promotion after the implementation of the follow-up rules.
Dou Xiankang recently stated that the National Natural Science Foundation of China plans to pilot programs in some universities to select a small number of outstanding undergraduate students for funding. For the Young Pioneers Fund project, a reform is being planned to explore the establishment of a Young Pioneers Fund to continue funding projects. Outstanding young talents selected through selection can receive up to 15 years of stable support.
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Expand special zones for basic research
Due to the fact that researchers engaged in basic research often engage in exploratory and non consensus innovative research, how to obtain more sufficient funding and devote themselves wholeheartedly to scientific research has also been a focus of reform in recent years.
Wei Shijie, a researcher at the China Academy of Science and Technology Development Strategy, wrote that the research funding for Chinese researchers mainly comes from competitive project funding. Overreliance on competitive projects and the strong Matthew effect in the allocation of scientific research resources are very detrimental to young people's dedication to research. "Insufficient funding for ongoing projects, stable funding allocated by institutions through internal competition, and the growth path of young researchers relying on 'defeating monsters and upgrading' all the way."
The article points out that currently, China's science and technology programs mainly receive one-time funding, with little support for young researchers to conduct long-term tracking research in a specific field, and little consideration given to how to maintain a stable talent pool. As a result, some areas and research directions that require long-term and stable funding are difficult to achieve sustained accumulation, and some excellent teams switch their research directions too quickly, making it difficult to form significant innovative achievements. It is suggested to give scientific research institutions full autonomy in setting up and adjusting positions, expand funding channels for young researchers, further reduce the burden on young researchers, and further promote the reform of science and technology evaluation incentive mechanisms.
From the central government to local governments, this year's layout is also focused on investment in basic research. This year's national budget report points out that we will increase investment in basic research, improve the funding system of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and implement special pilot projects for basic research talents.
As an important department in China that supports basic research, the National Natural Science Foundation of China carried out a series of reforms at the end of June. "In the face of the new situation, if our selection projects are not scientific and do not form a good evaluation mechanism, the most outstanding people will not receive effective support, which will have a huge impact on China's basic research." Dou Xiankang said in a recent media interview that young talents are the main force of scientific research, and the scientific community "cannot pay attention to titles". We need to ensure that the most dynamic scientists receive stable support.
In Shanghai, which has established the first "Basic Research Special Zone" in the country, the first batch of pilot projects of the plan has been running for nearly two years, and the second batch of pilot projects has started this year. At present, there are six "special basic research zones" in Shanghai, namely Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Branch, Tongji University, East China Normal University and East China University of Science and Technology.
Professor Wu Yongzhen from the School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at East China University of Science and Technology, who, like Wang Rong, obtained the certification for the second batch of basic research special zone projects in Shanghai, mainly focuses on the design and development of organic optoelectronic functional materials in the field of new energy. After being selected for the project, he spent much less time and energy on obtaining funds. "This project will receive stable funding support within a few years, so everyone can work on the project with peace of mind.".
In February of this year, the Third Collective Study of the Central Political Bureau pointed out the need to accelerate the construction of "Special Zones for Basic Research" in building high-level support platforms for basic research. Recently, multiple science and technology departments from other provinces and cities have contacted the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission to understand the innovative measures of the special zone.
Song Yang, Director of the Basic Research Department of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Science and Technology, recently stated that the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Science and Technology is studying and formulating the 2.0 version of the "Basic Research Special Zone" policy, which will focus more on basic disciplines and strategic directions, and not be limited to project funding support. It will also form policies that comply with the laws of basic research in talent introduction, evaluation and assessment, supporting outstanding scientists to explore scientific frontiers in a better environment and nurturing a batch of important original achievements.
