National Natural Science Foundation of China: Strike Hard at the Review of Scientific Research Projects | Review | National Natural Science Foundation of China
Recently, the evaluation of the 2023 National Outstanding Youth Science Fund and Outstanding Youth Science Fund projects, which have attracted much attention from researchers, has been completed. With the comprehensive promotion of the National Natural Science Foundation of China's "greeting" stubborn disease as a theme education special rectification issue, some evaluation experts have personally felt the effect.
"I have reviewed more than 30 notebooks this year and did not receive a greeting phone call." Wang Xuefeng, a communication review expert at the Management Science Department of the Natural Science Foundation of China and a professor at Beijing Institute of Technology, felt that the phenomenon of being asked "whether the notebooks are in your hands" has changed in previous years. "Everyone is very cautious this year.". A young scientific researcher who is both an outstanding applicant for the Youth Science Foundation project and a communication review expert for the Youth Fund project this year said, "I did not inquire or greet anyone during the fund application and review process."
Dou Xiankang, Director of the Natural Science Foundation of China, attended many on-site defenses. Based on the comments of the judges, he judged that there was basically no obvious "help" or "dismantling".
The academic community has been saying hello for a long time. When it comes to this issue, some researchers often angrily mention related phrases such as "interest exchange", "academic monopoly", and "extremely dry".
In November last year, the Party Group of the Natural Science Foundation of China and the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Group stationed at the Ministry of Science and Technology resonated with each other and answered questions together, deploying the work of rectifying stubborn diseases among evaluation experts. Gao Bo, the leader of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Group stationed at the Ministry of Science and Technology, said, "Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the comprehensive strict governance of the Party has been sharpened for ten years, and the situation of leniency and laxity in governing the Party has been fundamentally reversed. A clean and upright political ecology within the Party has been continuously formed and developed. However, in the field of science and technology, people are still accustomed to some bad practices, and the phenomenon of 'greeting' and being 'greeted' is very typical and criticized. If this problem is not solved, it is difficult to ensure fairness and impartiality in the evaluation."
Dou Xiankang believes that technological corruption can create false national strength and even bury the future of the country. If we allow the "requests and greetings" to constantly erode the healthy body of the scientific fund evaluation system like a virus, it will inevitably damage the scientific value of the funded projects, ultimately leading to the joint victims of the "four parties" such as project applicants, evaluation experts, supporting units, and staff of the Natural Science Foundation of China, resulting in high-quality development of basic research and high-level technological self-reliance becoming a "mirage".
The Natural Science Foundation of China has launched a series of "combination punches" to address the persistent problem of "greeting" evaluation experts. Since the launch of this year's theme education, the Natural Science Foundation of China has comprehensively promoted the rectification of the persistent problem of "greeting" evaluation experts as a theme education special issue. The problem orientation is integrated throughout the entire process of theoretical learning, investigation and research, development promotion, and inspection and rectification. Based on in-depth research, a 12 word work concept of "positive guidance, extreme defense, and serious punishment" has been proposed, promoting the "major rectification" with a "small incision".
Creating an atmosphere of preventing "greeting" with a "needle in the bud" approach
Dou Xiankang introduced that the National Natural Science Foundation of China first took "positive guidance" as the core starting point of the special rectification work, carried out various forms of propaganda and guidance, and created a strong atmosphere of "greeting" for prevention and rectification.
The reporter learned that the committee uses offline discussions, meetings, and training, as well as online new media columns on relevant platforms, to "see through every opportunity" promote and prevent "greeting" related content. Including holding an internal research symposium on the special rectification of stubborn diseases where evaluation experts were "greeted", and conducting multiple rounds of research work, face-to-face listening to opinions and suggestions from internal and external personnel; Taking advantage of the 2023 National Natural Science Foundation project application acceptance summary meeting, we conducted research and lectures on the special rectification work of "greeting" experts for stubborn diseases to more than 80 scientific research management personnel from supporting units who participated in the meeting; At various meetings such as natural science fund management meetings, training sessions for supporting units, training sessions for new personnel, and mobilization and deployment meetings for science fund project evaluations, the situation of special rectification work was introduced, and it was called on scientific researchers and staff to consciously resist "greeting" behavior.
In addition, social media accounts related to the Natural Science Foundation of China use new media methods to release warning education cartoons, allowing researchers to understand typical situations of "greeting" and corresponding disciplinary measures; Launch a series of Q&A on "Responding to Key Concerns of Scientific Researchers", providing in-depth information on the overall considerations, specific measures, and disciplinary measures related to the work, and continuously creating a public opinion atmosphere.
The chaos of "extreme defense style" blocking and "greeting"
The project review is closely related to the fairness and output efficiency of the allocation and utilization of scientific funds, and has received great attention from the scientific and technological community. Regarding the behavior of "requesting and greeting", the "Regulations on the Handling of Requesting Behaviors in the Review of Scientific and Technological Activities" point out that "requesting behavior" refers to the behavior of relevant units or individuals, directly or indirectly, explicitly or implicitly, seeking attention and seeking improper benefits from the review organization, responsible persons, their staff, and review experts during the review process of scientific and technological activities.
Despite explicit regulations, for a long time, the internet has been widely used in WeChat groups to inquire about review information; Immediately after submitting the application, start searching for communication review experts in the notebook; Send emails to multiple colleagues requesting assistance; The chaos of squatting at the defense site, surrounding the meeting judges, and other experts is repeatedly prohibited.
Since the launch of this year's theme education, the Natural Science Foundation of China has made "extreme defense" a key focus of its special rectification work. In response to relevant evaluation processes, the governance framework has been improved, institutional gaps have been filled, and defense areas have been expanded ahead.
Sort out and compile the relevant systems for "greeting" in the review of prevention and treatment projects, and form the "Regulations of the National Natural Science Foundation of China on" greeting "in the review of prevention and treatment projects"; The "Opinions on the Review of Science Fund Projects for 2023" have been issued, further tightening various preventive measures.
Including encouraging the exploration of work models for assigning or notifying experts in batches; Explore the establishment of a controllable, flat management, and traceable mechanism for selecting evaluation experts with a wide range of knowledge; Include the information of evaluation experts in the management of "work secrets"; Clarify and refine the specific confidential content during the review process, including unpublished communication review information, project information submitted for meeting focus discussion or participation in meeting review, unpublished review expert information, review meeting time and location, unpublished review results, opinions expressed by review experts, etc; At the review meeting, a dedicated review expert application for recusal process will be set up, and specific standardized practices will be proposed on how to handle recusal requests received; Send a reminder letter to the applicant regarding the defense of the National Natural Science Foundation project meeting review project before the meeting review, and a reminder letter to the review experts regarding the due diligence of the National Natural Science Foundation project meeting review experts; The National Natural Science Foundation of China has issued a list of prohibited behaviors during project evaluation, proposing a list of 24 prohibited behaviors for project evaluation by the four parties involved.
Dou Xiankang introduced that this year, with the evaluation of talent projects such as the National Outstanding Youth Science Fund and the Excellent Youth Science Fund as the starting point, some measures have been implemented and preliminary results have been achieved.
For example, in the communication review process, increasing the number of review batches, shortening the review time, and narrowing the "hello" window period.
During the review process of the meeting, experts and defendants will enter the venue and see the Yilabao exhibition stand printed with the "List of Prohibited Behaviors during the Review Period of National Natural Science Foundation Projects"; During the review break of the meeting, you will see a list of prohibited animated films to be played. Review experts shall keep their mobile phones in a unified manner upon registration; The information of the defense group is strictly confidential, and it is announced on the day of the defense. Before entering the conference room, experts are not clear about their group and the evaluation project situation; Increase the questioning and defense time to 15 minutes to ensure sufficient discussion; During the meeting, the reviewing experts will not leave the venue area and will have lunch and lunch breaks at the venue. Set up a waiting area for the interviewee, and the interviewee and other stakeholders are not allowed to stay or dine in the conference hotel. After the defense is completed, they should leave quickly and not stay.
Typical cases of "zero tolerance" focused accountability
What will be done if a greeting issue is found? In a official account article released at the end of May, the relevant head of NSFC said: "It is better to hold one person accountable than to educate a thousand times."
In the comprehensive promotion of the theme education special rectification work, the committee stated that it will severely punish the phenomenon of "greeting", continuously strengthen high-pressure deterrence, and hold accountable the handling of problem clues, scientific research misconduct cases, and related petitions and reports. It is reported that since the launch of the special rectification work, the committee has received a total of 58 complaints and reports reflecting requests and greetings, all of which have been investigated.
At the same time, the committee proposed to make the issue of "greeting" a top priority in this year's supervision and inspection work, and worked together with the disciplinary inspection and supervision team stationed at the Ministry of Science and Technology to prioritize the reporting of typical problems related to project evaluation "greeting". With a "zero tolerance" attitude, the investigation work was carried out in an orderly manner, making "dare not" the last line of defense for special rectification.
Dou Xiankang stated that for suspected violations of discipline and law, they will be transferred to relevant disciplinary inspection and supervision departments for handling according to management authority, and typical cases will be publicly disclosed; Those with particularly serious circumstances will be held legally responsible. For example, if the applicant is found to have a "greeting" issue, once verified, the relevant project will be suspended from the evaluation process; If the circumstances are particularly serious, relevant personnel will be permanently disqualified from applying for science fund projects.
On July 27th, the National Natural Science Foundation of China held an introduction meeting on the special rectification work of stubborn diseases, in which evaluation experts were "greeted". The meeting introduced the relevant work situation to the 38th Guidance Group of the Central Committee for Theme Education and listened to opinions and suggestions.
Li Xiuling, the leader of the 38th Guidance Group of the Central Committee for Theme Education, affirmed the measures and achievements of the Natural Science Foundation of China in promoting the special rectification of stubborn diseases by reviewing experts, and called for further promotion of the rectification and rectification work of theme education, consolidating the achievements of the special rectification, adhering to systematic governance, moving the focus forward, long-term promotion, and long-term achievements, achieving a breakthrough in rectification and rectification from point to surface, maintaining the intensity and quality of theme education work, and writing a good "second half article" on theme education.
"This year has indeed achieved results, but this effect cannot be a flash in the pan. We will take more powerful measures." Dou Xiankang said that as the main channel for national support for basic research, the Science Foundation shoulders the mission of supporting and promoting the high-quality development of basic research in China. The fair evaluation of scientific fund projects is related to whether outstanding talents can receive timely and effective support, the overall development of national scientific research, and the actual effectiveness of building a strong science and technology country and a strong talent country. He said, "We must effectively curb the phenomenon of running around and saying hello."
