Original Title: Notice from the Shandong Provincial Department of Science and Technology on Issuing the "Administrative Measures for Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation Projects" and the "Administrative Measures for Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation Joint Innovation and Development Fund Projects"
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 These Measures are formulated to standardize and strengthen the management of projects under the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the “Provincial Natural Science Foundation”), in accordance with the “Shandong Provincial Regulations on Scientific and Technological Progress” and the “Implementation Opinions of the General Office of the Shandong Provincial People’s Government on Reforming and Improving the Management of Provincial-Level Fiscal Research Funds” (Lu Zheng Ban Fa [2022] No. 6), among other relevant provisions.
Article 2 The Provincial Natural Science Foundation is an integral part of the provincial science and technology planning system. It focuses on funding basic research, applied basic research, and exploration of scientific frontiers in the field of natural sciences, thereby laying a solid scientific and technological foundation to accelerate the high-quality economic and social development of the province.
Article 3 The funds of the Provincial Natural Science Foundation primarily come from the provincial science and technology innovation development fund. It also attracts diversified investments from local governments, relevant industries, and enterprises, and accepts scientific donations in accordance with the law.
Article 4 The Provincial Natural Science Foundation supports free exploration and emphasizes goal-oriented approaches; researchers should identify scientific problems in response to industrial needs. Adhering to the principles of voluntary application, openness and transparency, competitive selection, and fairness and impartiality, the Foundation strengthens performance evaluation.
Chapter II Organizational Management
Article 5 The Provincial Department of Science and Technology takes the lead in organizing and implementing Provincial Natural Science Foundation projects, is responsible for formulating relevant support policies, optimizing task allocation, and coordinating the full-process management of projects. The Provincial Natural Science Foundation Committee provides consultation on major matters concerning the management and operation of the Provincial Natural Science Foundation; the Committee’s Office is located within the Basic Research Division of the Provincial Department of Science and Technology.
Article 6 The principal investigator is the person directly responsible for the implementation of Provincial Natural Science Foundation projects and shall perform the following duties:
(1) Strictly adhere to research integrity requirements;
(2) Submit project applications, summary reports, completion materials, scientific and technological reports, and other required documents as specified, and be responsible for their authenticity;
(3) Strictly fulfill the terms of the project contract and assume liability for any breach of contract.
Article 7: Universities, research institutions, enterprises, and other relevant organizations within Shandong Province that possess independent legal person status and the capacity for basic research may apply to serve as host institutions for Provincial Natural Science Foundation projects and shall perform the following duties:
(1) Organize applicants to submit project proposals;
(2) Verify the authenticity and completeness of materials submitted by applicants, as well as their social credit records;
(3) Provide the necessary conditions for project implementation and ensure sufficient time for project execution;
(4) Monitor project implementation and supervise the use of grant funds. Cooperate with the Provincial Department of Science and Technology in supervising and inspecting project implementation.
Article 8 Relevant provincial departments (units), science and technology bureaus of each prefecture-level city, central government units stationed in Shandong, universities, and provincial universities and research institutes approved through review may serve as the competent authorities for projects. They shall perform the following duties:
(1) Recommend projects for the Provincial Natural Science Foundation;
(2) Organize the completion and review of project contracts;
(3) Cooperate with the Provincial Department of Science and Technology in supervising and inspecting project implementation and the use of funds.
Article 9: Provincial Natural Science Foundation projects shall adopt information technology to achieve unified management throughout the entire process.
Chapter III Funding System
Article 10 The Provincial Natural Science Foundation establishes the following project categories: Youth Fund Projects, General Projects, Outstanding Young Scientists Fund (hereinafter referred to as “OYS”) Projects, Distinguished Young Scientists Fund (hereinafter referred to as “DYS”) Projects, Major Basic Research Projects, and Innovation and Development Joint Fund (hereinafter referred to as “Joint Fund”) Projects. Adjustments may be made as needed.
Article 11 The implementation period for Youth Fund, General Projects, Outstanding Youth Fund, Distinguished Youth Fund, and Joint Fund projects generally shall not exceed 3 years; the implementation period for Major Basic Research Projects generally shall not exceed 5 years.
Chapter IV Application and Review
Article 12: The Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall issue notices and organize the application process for Provincial Natural Science Foundation projects in accordance with the overall annual science and technology plan.
Article 13 Applicants must have a good social credit record, possess experience in basic research, be formally employed by the host institution, and guarantee that they will spend at least six months per year conducting research at the host institution during the funding period. Applicants for different project types must also meet the corresponding eligibility criteria (Appendix 1).
Article 14: Applicants eligible for direct policy support as specified in the “Notice on Forwarding the Work Plan for Strengthening ‘0-to-1’ Basic Research by the Ministry of Science and Technology and Other Departments” (Lu Ke Zi [2020] No. 62) may apply for Youth Fund projects, with differentiated funding provided based on review results, or apply for corresponding Outstanding Young Scholars or Distinguished Young Scholars projects and receive direct support.
Article 15: The applicant shall serve as the principal investigator of the Provincial Natural Science Foundation project.
If project participants are not affiliated with the same institution as the applicant, the participants’ institutions shall be regarded as collaborating research institutions; the number of collaborating research institutions shall not exceed two.
Article 16: Provincial Natural Science Foundation projects operate under a recommendation-based application system. Applicants shall submit project proposals within the specified timeframe; after approval by the host institution, the competent authority shall uniformly recommend them to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology.
Article 17: The Provincial Department of Science and Technology is responsible for conducting a formal review of accepted projects.
Article 18: The Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall organize experts to evaluate projects that have passed the formal review.Review experts shall make independent judgments and evaluations based on scientific value, innovation, industrial demand (excluding basic disciplines), and the feasibility of the research plan, emphasizing the supporting role and relevance of representative works to the project application, and shall provide review opinions. When providing review opinions, experts shall also assess the reasonableness of the funding utilization plan (excluding “lump-sum” projects), the status of other funding received for the research content, and the necessity of continued funding.
Article 19: Reviews generally take the form of remote reviews and in-person reviews. Remote reviews are conducted by selecting at least three peer experts from the expert database.Upon completion of the remote review, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall select and determine the list of projects to proceed to the in-person review based on the proposed number of funded projects and the results of the remote review, in accordance with established standards. It shall then organize an in-person review involving five or more peer experts to propose funding recommendations. The proportion of industry experts familiar with industrial applications participating in the review shall be increased. For projects where there is no consensus or where the review opinions of online reviewers are deemed grossly unfair, the in-person review experts may jointly propose corrective recommendations to provide decision-making references for the Provincial Department of Science and Technology.
Article 20 The Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall use the review system to provide feedback to applicants and host institutions regarding review opinions and funding decisions, and shall accept and process appeals.
Article 21: Based on the results of the in-person review and the resolution of any objections, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall propose a list of approved projects and funding allocations. After submitting these proposals through the proper procedures for approval by the Provincial Party Committee’s Science and Technology Commission, the Department shall issue the official approval documents.
Article 22: Where operational needs require it, for major projects or emergency projects involving urgent industrial demands or pressing issues, a “case-by-case” approach may be adopted, subject to approval by the Provincial Party Committee’s Science and Technology Commission in accordance with established procedures.
Chapter V: Implementation and Process Management
Article 23. Within 30 working days of the issuance of the project approval document, the host institution shall organize the principal investigator to complete the project contract. After review by the competent authority, the contract shall be submitted to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology. The main content, research objectives, and expected outcomes of the contract shall be consistent with the application materials. Unless review experts have provided explicit adjustment recommendations and such adjustments have been approved by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the content agreed upon at the time of application shall not be altered.
Article 24: Projects under the Youth Fund, General Program, Outstanding Young Scholars Program, Distinguished Young Scholars Program, and Joint Fund shall be implemented in accordance with the relevant provisions of the “lump-sum funding system” for provincial scientific research project funds.
Article 25: The principal investigator shall organize and carry out research activities in accordance with the project contract, maintain original records of project implementation, and submit progress reports. The host institution shall review the original records of project implementation and progress reports, establish an (electronic) project implementation archive, and submit the Provincial Natural Science Foundation Project Implementation Report as required.
Article 26: Provided that the research objectives are not compromised, the principal investigator may independently adjust the research plan and technical approach, subject to approval and filing by the host institution; such filing procedures may serve as the basis for project completion.
Article 27. In principle, the principal investigator, the host institution, and the participating personnel shall not be changed during the project implementation. If a change is necessary and meets the eligibility criteria, it shall be submitted to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology for review and approval in accordance with the established procedures (Appendix 2).
Article 28: If the research plan cannot be completed on schedule due to objective reasons, the principal investigator shall submit an application for extension within two months prior to the expiration of the project’s implementation period. After review by the host institution, the application shall be submitted to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology for approval. In principle, an extension may be requested only once, and the extension period shall not exceed 12 months. Projects granted an extension shall submit annual progress reports on time.
Article 29: If a project needs to be revoked or terminated for any reason, the host institution and the principal investigator shall promptly submit an application and follow the relevant regulations on the management of revocation and termination of provincial science and technology plan projects.
Chapter VI: Acceptance and Management of Research Outcomes
Article 30. Applications for project completion shall be submitted within three months of the expiration of the project term. The principal investigator shall prepare the completion report and confirm the final financial settlement; after review by the host institution, these documents shall be submitted collectively to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology. If the tasks and indicators specified in the project contract are completed ahead of schedule, the host institution shall, after rigorous evaluation, submit an application for early completion to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology for review and approval.
Article 31. The Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall organize the final acceptance based primarily on the project contract. Projects that meet the requirements for completion shall be approved for closure.
Article 32. Research outcomes generated by the project shall be labeled as required. In Chinese, the label shall read: “Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation-funded Project XXX (Project No.)”; in English, the label shall read: “Project XXX supported by Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation”; labels in other languages shall be translated accordingly.
Article 33. The ownership, use, and transfer of intellectual property generated by the project shall be governed by relevant national and provincial laws, regulations, and policies.
For projects that have lawfully obtained intellectual property rights, the host institution shall actively apply or systematically disseminate the project outcomes to promote technology transfer and the commercialization of research results.
Chapter VII Supervision and Management
Article 34: A comprehensive supervision and evaluation mechanism shall be established for Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation projects to oversee the conduct and fulfillment of duties by relevant responsible entities during the application, approval, implementation, and final acceptance phases.
Article 35. The Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall strengthen scientific integrity reviews of relevant responsible entities in the stages of project recommendation, application, approval, implementation, acceptance, and consultation, review, and evaluation, and shall require good scientific integrity as a prerequisite for project participation. A “one-strike-and-you’re-out” policy shall be implemented for responsible entities that seriously violate scientific integrity requirements.
Chapter VIII Supplementary Provisions
Article 36 The Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall be responsible for interpreting these Measures.
Article 37 These Measures shall take effect on the date of issuance and remain valid until May 15, 2029. The original “Administrative Measures for the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation” (Lu Ke Zi [2021] No. 63) is hereby repealed.
Annex:
1. Types of Provincial Natural Science Foundation Projects and Application Requirements
2. Procedures for Amending the Content of Provincial Natural Science Foundation Project Contracts
Appendix 1
Types of Provincial Natural Science Foundation Projects and Application Requirements
The Provincial Natural Science Foundation offers the following project types: Youth Fund Projects, General Projects, Outstanding Youth Fund Projects, Distinguished Youth Fund Projects, Major Basic Research Projects, and Joint Innovation and Development Fund Projects. The specific application requirements are as follows.
I. Youth Fund Projects
This program supports young scientists and engineers in independently selecting research topics within the scope of the Provincial Natural Science Foundation’s funding to conduct exploratory or goal-oriented innovative research, thereby cultivating their ability to independently lead research projects and conduct innovative research. Applicants for Young Scientists Fund projects must meet the following criteria:
1. As of January 1 of the application year, male applicants must be under 35 years of age, and female applicants must be under 38 years of age;
2. Hold a senior professional technical title or a doctoral degree, or be recommended by two scientists or engineers in the same research field who hold senior professional technical titles;
3. Have not previously served as the principal investigator on a Provincial Natural Science Foundation project.
Postdoctoral researchers currently in residence who apply for the Youth Fund must sign an agreement with their host institution guaranteeing that their tenure will meet the project’s implementation timeline requirements. Full-time graduate students currently pursuing a degree are not eligible to apply.
II. General Projects
These grants support scientists and engineers in conducting forward-looking, innovative, and in-depth scientific research aligned with the province’s industrial technology needs, driving breakthroughs in key fields that meet the province’s strategic requirements. Applicants for General Projects must meet all of the following criteria:
1. The applicant must not have reached retirement age by the end of the project’s implementation period;
2. Have research experience in the field of the proposed project;
3. Hold a senior professional technical title or a doctoral degree;
4. The applicant must not currently be serving as the principal investigator on more than two General Projects combined.
Postdoctoral researchers currently in residence who apply for General Projects must sign an agreement with their host institution guaranteeing that their tenure will meet the project’s implementation timeline requirements. Full-time graduate students currently pursuing a degree are not eligible to apply.
III. Outstanding Young Scholars Fund Projects
This program supports young scholars who have achieved notable results in basic research—particularly applied basic research—and demonstrate significant potential to independently select research topics and conduct innovative research, thereby promoting the rapid growth of innovative young talent. Applicants for the Outstanding Young Scholars Fund must meet all of the following criteria:
1. As of January 1 of the application year, applicants must be under 38 years of age for males and under 40 years of age for females;
2. Hold a senior professional technical title or a doctoral degree;
3. Have not previously served as the principal investigator on a National or Provincial Outstanding Young Scientist or Outstanding Young Scholar (including Overseas Outstanding Young Scholar) project;
4. Have not previously received funding from national high-level talent programs such as the “Ten Thousand Talents Plan” or the “Changjiang Scholars Program.”
Current postdoctoral researchers and full-time graduate students are not eligible to apply.
IV. Outstanding Young Scholars Fund Program
This program supports young scholars who have achieved outstanding results in basic research, particularly in applied basic research, to independently select research topics and conduct innovative research, thereby cultivating a group of outstanding academic leaders capable of advancing to the forefront of national and global science and technology. Applicants for the Outstanding Young Scientists Fund must meet all of the following criteria:
1. As of January 1 of the application year, male applicants must be under 40 years of age, and female applicants must be under 43 years of age;
2. Hold a senior professional technical title or a doctoral degree;
3. Have not previously served as the principal investigator on a national or provincial Outstanding Young Scholars project;
4. Have not previously received funding from national high-level talent programs such as the "Ten Thousand Talents Plan" Leading Talent or the Changjiang Scholars Program;
Current postdoctoral researchers and full-time graduate students are not eligible to apply.
V. Major Basic Research Projects
This initiative supports leading scientific and technological talents and research teams in focusing on the development needs of Shandong Province’s flagship industrial chains, identifying major scientific questions and key common technical challenges, and conducting pioneering, strategic, and original research to drive major breakthroughs in forward-looking basic research and pioneering original achievements. Applicants for Major Basic Research Projects must meet all of the following criteria:
1. Be a full-time employee of the host institution and not have reached retirement age by the end of the project’s implementation period;
2. Hold a senior professional technical title and a doctoral degree;
3. Have previously served as the principal investigator on a national-level basic research project (or sub-project);
4. Meet any other conditions specified in the project guidelines.
Postdoctoral researchers currently in residence and full-time graduate students pursuing a degree are not eligible to apply.
VI. Joint Fund for Innovation and Development Projects
Social resources invested through the Innovation and Development Joint Fund into application-oriented basic research must address scientific problems of significant practical value that are urgently needed for technological progress in specific regions, industries, or sectors. Such research should strengthen the supply of generic foundational technologies, promote the enhancement of independent innovation capabilities in relevant regions, industries, and fields within our province, and support the high-quality development of flagship industrial chains. Applications for Innovation and Development Joint Fund projects shall be submitted and executed in accordance with the provisions of the "Administrative Measures for Innovation and Development Joint Fund Projects of the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation."
VII. Other
These projects undertake major reform or emergency tasks, provide long-term, stable support for forward-looking and strategic research, accelerate the enhancement of scientific discovery and original innovation capabilities, and support major scientific and technological breakthroughs. Implementation rules for this category of projects will be formulated separately.
Appendix 2
Procedure for Amending the Content of Provincial Natural Science Foundation Project Contracts
During the implementation of Provincial Natural Science Foundation projects, the principal investigator, host institution, and participating personnel shall not be changed in principle. If changes are necessary and meet the eligibility criteria, the principal investigator or host institution shall submit a request to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology for approval in accordance with the established procedures.
I. Youth Fund Projects, Outstanding Youth Fund Projects, Distinguished Youth Fund Projects, and General Projects
1. If the principal investigator is transferred to another host institution within the province, the original host institution shall submit an application for a change of host institution to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology for approval, following mutual agreement between the current and original host institutions. If no agreement is reached, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall decide to terminate the project. Applications for changes of host institution will not be accepted during the final year of the project’s implementation period.
2. If, due to objective reasons, it is necessary to add or remove project participants, the principal investigator shall submit an application, which, after review by the host institution, shall be submitted to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology for approval. No changes to project participants shall be permitted after the project has passed the halfway point of its implementation period.
3. The principal investigator may not be changed.
II. Major Basic Research Projects and Joint Innovation and Development Fund Projects
1. If the principal investigator is transferred to another host institution within the province, the original host institution shall submit an application to change the host institution—following mutual agreement between the current and original host institutions—for approval by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology. If no agreement is reached, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall decide to terminate the project. Applications to change the host institution will not be accepted during the final year of the project’s implementation period.
2. If the principal investigator is unable to continue fulfilling their duties due to a job transfer to an institution outside the province, departure abroad (or to regions outside the mainland), death, illness, injury, or other significant reasons, the host institution may submit an application to change the principal investigator, which must be reviewed and approved by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology. The new principal investigator must possess professional and technical capabilities and qualifications equivalent to those of the original principal investigator, be employed at the same host institution as the original principal investigator, and comply with the project limit regulations during the period when the application for change of principal investigator is being processed. Applications for changing the principal investigator will not be accepted during the final year of the project’s implementation period.
3. If, due to objective reasons, it is necessary to add or remove project participants, the principal investigator shall submit an application, which, after review by the host institution, shall be submitted to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology for approval. No changes to project participants shall be permitted after the project has passed the halfway point of its implementation period.
Administrative Measures for Projects of the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation Innovation and Development Joint Fund
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 These Measures are formulated to standardize and strengthen the management of projects under the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation Innovation and Development Joint Fund (hereinafter referred to as the “Joint Fund”), in accordance with the “Shandong Provincial Regulations on Scientific and Technological Progress,” the “Implementation Opinions of the General Office of the Shandong Provincial People’s Government on Reforming and Improving the Management of Provincial Fiscal Research Funds” (Lu Zheng Ban Fa [2022] No. 6), and other relevant provisions.
Article 2 The Joint Fund is a fund jointly established by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, municipal people’s governments of prefecture-level cities, relevant provincial departments, universities, research institutes, as well as eligible enterprises, new-type R&D institutions, and social organizations (hereinafter referred to as “Joint Funding Parties”), which jointly provide funding to support basic and applied basic research within agreed-upon scientific and technological fields.
Article 3 The Joint Fund aims to leverage the guiding role of the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the Provincial Natural Science Foundation) to direct and integrate social resources into basic research, promote cooperation among government departments, enterprises, regions, universities, and research institutions, cultivate scientific and technological talent, and enhance the capacity for independent innovation across relevant fields, industries, and regions throughout the province.
Article 4: The establishment of the Joint Fund adheres to the principles of top-level design, demand-driven, and goal-oriented approaches. It must align with national strategies and the socio-economic development needs of Shandong Province, address scientific issues and “bottleneck” technological challenges urgently required for regional, sectoral, and industrial technological progress, and elevate the level of applied basic research and cutting-edge technologies.
Article 5 The Joint Fund is an integral part of the Provincial Natural Science Foundation and shall be organized and implemented in accordance with the operational and management procedures of the Provincial Natural Science Foundation.
Chapter II: Responsibilities
Article 6 The establishment of the Joint Fund shall be initiated by an application from the joint funding party. Following consensus through consultation, a cooperation agreement for the establishment of the Joint Fund shall be signed with the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, specifying the contribution amounts of each party, the funding areas and directions, the term of cooperation, and the operational methods.
Article 7 The Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall perform the following duties in the management of the Joint Fund:
(1) Formulating relevant support policies;
(2) Formulating and issuing annual project guidelines;
(3) Organizing project application, evaluation, approval, and completion procedures.
Article 8 The joint funding parties shall perform the following duties in the management of the joint fund:
(1) Propose recommendations for annual project guidelines;
(2) Provide funding in accordance with the agreed-upon amount;
(3) Cooperate in the management and supervision of project implementation.
Article 9: Major issues arising during the implementation of the Joint Fund shall be jointly studied and decided by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology and the joint funding parties.
Chapter III: Fund Management
Article 10: The funds of the Joint Fund shall be managed uniformly by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology. In principle, the contribution from provincial fiscal research funds shall not exceed 30% of the total annual support funds of the Joint Fund. Funds from co-funding parties shall not be included in the provincial fiscal budget management and shall be transferred to the account of the Provincial Department of Science and Technology on time.
Article 11 Joint Fund projects generally adopt a one-time grant disbursement method.
Article 12: The use and management of Joint Fund project funds shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant regulations on the management of Provincial Natural Science Foundation project funds and the terms of the cooperation agreement.
Chapter IV: Application and Project Approval
Article 13 Joint Fund projects include categories such as Key Support Projects and Cultivation Projects. Depending on actual needs, the joint funding parties may negotiate and determine other categories.
Article 14: Based on the priority funding scope specified in the cooperation agreement and focusing on the development needs of local areas, industries, sectors, and enterprises, the joint funding parties shall propose recommendations for the annual project guidelines of the joint fund.
The Provincial Department of Science and Technology, focusing on the implementation of major policy decisions and relevant plans issued by the central government and the provincial Party committee and government, shall compile the annual project guidelines and issue application notices based on the cooperation agreement and the annual project guideline proposals from the joint funding parties, after extensively soliciting expert opinions.
Article 15: The Joint Fund guidelines shall be published nationwide. Applicants from outside the province must partner with an entity within the province to serve as the host institution. International scientific and technological cooperation in the implementation of Joint Fund projects is encouraged.
Article 16: Scientific and technical personnel from host institutions who meet the following conditions may apply for Joint Fund projects:
(1) Have experience in undertaking basic research projects or engaging in basic research;
(2) Hold a senior professional technical position (title) or a doctoral degree;
(3) For applications for key support projects, the applicant must have served as the principal investigator on a national-level basic research project (or sub-project);
(4) Meet any other conditions specified in the annual project guidelines.
Article 17 The applicant shall serve as the principal investigator of the Joint Fund project.
If participating personnel are not from the same institution as the applicant, their respective institutions shall be regarded as collaborating research institutions. The number of collaborating research institutions shall not exceed two, unless otherwise specified in the annual project guidelines. All parties must sign a joint application agreement specifying the objectives, responsibilities, and funding allocation for each party.
Article 18: Applicants shall submit project proposals within the specified timeframe in accordance with the requirements of the annual project guidelines. After review and approval by the host institution, the competent authority shall collectively recommend the proposals to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology. The applicant and the host institution are responsible for the authenticity of the submitted materials.
Article 19: The Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall conduct a formal review of the submitted projects and be responsible for organizing the project evaluation.
Article 20: The Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall use the evaluation system to provide feedback to applicants and host institutions regarding the results of the formal review, evaluation opinions, and project approval status, and shall accept and process appeals.
Article 21: Based on the results of the review meeting and the resolution of objections, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall propose the annual list of approved projects and funding recommendations for the Joint Fund. After obtaining approval from the Provincial Party Committee’s Science and Technology Commission in accordance with established procedures, it shall issue the project approval documents.
Chapter V Project Implementation
Article 22. Within 30 working days of the issuance of the project approval document, the host institution shall organize the principal investigator to complete the project contract. After review by the competent authority, the contract shall be submitted to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology. The main content, research objectives, and expected outcomes of the contract shall be consistent with the application materials. Unless review experts have provided explicit recommendations for adjustments and such adjustments have been approved by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the content agreed upon at the time of application shall not be altered.
Article 23: The principal investigator shall organize and carry out research activities in accordance with the project contract, maintain original records of the implementation of the Joint Fund-supported project, and submit annual progress reports. The host institution shall review the progress reports and original records of project implementation, and establish an (electronic) archive for the implementation of the joint project.
Article 24: The principal investigator is granted greater autonomy over the technical approach. Provided that the primary research objectives are not compromised, the principal investigator may independently adjust the research plan and technical approach, subject to approval and filing with the host institution. The filing procedures may serve as the basis for project completion.
Article 25: Matters concerning the modification, revocation, termination, and final acceptance of Joint Fund projects shall be handled in accordance with the relevant regulations on the management of Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation projects.
Article 26. Research outcomes generated by the project shall be labeled as required. The Chinese label shall read “Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation-funded Project XXX (Project No.)”, and the English label shall read “Project XXX supported by Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation”; labels in other languages shall be translated accordingly.
Article 27: The ownership, use, and transfer of intellectual property generated by the project shall be governed by relevant national and provincial laws, regulations, and policies.
For projects that have lawfully obtained intellectual property rights, the host institution shall actively apply or systematically disseminate the project outcomes to promote technology transfer and the commercialization of research results.
Article 28: Where there are special provisions in the joint funding agreement or explicit stipulations in the annual project guidelines, such provisions and stipulations shall be followed.
Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions
Article 29: Based on the joint funding agreement or operational needs, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology may provide project applications, project task books, annual progress reports, and final reports to the joint funding parties.
Article 30 The Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall be responsible for interpreting these Measures.
Article 31 These Measures shall take effect on the date of issuance and remain valid until May 15, 2029. The original “Measures for the Administration of Projects under the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation Innovation and Development Joint Fund” (Lu Ke Zi [2021] No. 63) is hereby repealed.
