The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed the establishment of a non-consensus project screening mechanism with expert real-name recommendations. According to the WeChat official account "National Natural Science Foundation of China", on July 7, it was reported that the National Natural Science Foundation of China has recently formulated the pilot implementation plan for major non-consensus projects, which will be launched in 2025.
At present, China's scientific and technological development is at a critical stage of transformation from quantity to quality. How to open up and lead the direction of development in the "no-man's land" of scientific and technological competition has become an urgent issue that Chinese scientists must answer. As an important carrier for breaking through existing cognition and leading scientific and technological development, non-consensus innovative research with originality and subversiveness has become a key focus for major science and technology powers. However, such research often faces great controversy, is difficult to identify, and involves high risks, making it hard to obtain support through conventional channels. Effectively identifying and funding non-consensus projects has become an international challenge.
The National Natural Science Foundation of China, as the main channel for funding basic research in China, truly fulfills its political responsibilities, earnestly implements the strategic deployment of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and resolutely undertakes the important reform task of funding non-consensus projects. Through in-depth research, systematic planning, and innovation while maintaining the essence, a series of innovative measures have been formulated: establishing an expert committee for major non-consensus projects composed of high-level scientists at the front line, granting the expert committee full authority in the identification and selection of projects, and effectively leveraging the academic appreciation and judgment of high-level experts; establishing a dual-track project collection channel with both expert recommendations and active discovery by the National Natural Science Foundation of China; adopting a "demand-based, phased, long-term" funding model, providing staged support and gradually increasing the funding intensity; building an evaluation orientation that breaks the usual norms, such as not asking about the origin, not setting thresholds, and not only focusing on past performance, to guide and encourage frontline researchers, especially young researchers, to engage in non-consensus innovative research; using an unconventional selection model of "deep interactive discussion + expert committee deliberation," inviting experts with different academic views to select projects through in-depth debate and thorough discussion; in the implementation and assessment of projects, adopting a management concept of "dynamic adjustment and cautious tolerance," creating a good innovation ecosystem that encourages exploration and tolerates failure. At the same time, attention is paid to supervision throughout the entire project management process, unifying the encouragement of responsibility and the integrity of power use.
The National Natural Science Foundation of China, through the implementation of major non-consensus projects and original exploration plan projects, as well as strengthening the identification of non-consensus innovative research in general projects, youth science fund projects (Category C), and other projects, has built a multi-level, systematic non-consensus project funding mechanism, striving to explore an effective path to support non-consensus innovation. On one hand, it supports Chinese researchers in opening up important research directions in the "no-man's land" of international scientific and technological competition. On the other hand, it guides and encourages researchers to boldly explore, not blindly chase trends, and not engage in "follower-style" research, thus building a favorable ecological environment for original innovation, thereby promoting the high-quality development of basic research in China and providing solid support for building a strong country in science and technology.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524355198727373350/
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