International funding: distance, or the End of the World?
01 years http://www.sina.com.cn 2009 day 16:35 on 13, "Science News" magazine
For international research projects, greater value lies in the study of science and innovative way of thinking

- Reporter Lu Jiaxing internship reporter Chen Dan

"Access to international funding the significance lies in the fact that Chinese scientists to work with the world's top scientists to compete on the same starting line." Recently, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention AIDS Shao Yiming, chief expert of "Science News", told reporters.

International research funding

China faces a rare

Fudan University, the University of Hong Kong high Zhiwei modest research project recently won the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation "to explore big challenge" of projects that, in the first batch of 104 approved projects, only these two items from China.

According to the Gates Foundation's staff revealed that the scientists from China, a total of 117 applications. Gates Foundation Chief Representative in China Ye Lei pointed out that the "great challenge to explore" itself is about to explore new and innovative games, the majority of applications from China did not meet the requirements, that is because they want to receive funding to support the concept that already exists or evidence.

Gates Foundation, who is also the world's major health challenges of the Scientific Committee and member of the Shao Yiming said: "Not only (to apply for the Gates Foundation) so that Chinese scientists have access to other international funding ratio is relatively low."

Shao Yiming is not only a national "863" plan, such as AIDS research people in charge of important subjects in many countries in the lead, but by virtue of the nation and the international forefront of scientific and technical information as well as familiarity with, he led the team to win a large number of international issues, with the European Union, the World Health Organization, the World AIDS Foundation, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to carry out a wide range of scientific research cooperation. Among them, the NIH to get him to take the lead in a number of issues, the funding together to achieve more than 2000 million.

In the application of foreign R & D funding experienced Shao Yiming, the international study on scientific cooperation is expanding year by year. To infectious disease research as an example, many infectious diseases in Europe and America do not have enough resources cases, they opened up their collaborative research in developing countries require their scientists to work together with local scientists to apply for the project.

Although the international research funding is becoming more open, scientific research is also more and more opportunities for cooperation, but scientists from developing countries access to international funding ratio is still low, there is no such ratio improved.

"This is not just China's problem, but also throughout the developing countries are facing problems. It must be recognized that the overall level of scientific research in developing countries is still not high. To apply for international funding, the Chinese and foreign scientists, the same competition, the strength of wins decision negative. "said Shao Yiming.

Scientific value is

The sole criterion for funding

Chinese scientists in international research funding frustrated, in addition to the level of scientific research as a result there are gaps, there are many factors that need to align with the international community.

The first point is language related. English is not the mother tongue of the Chinese people, "a good application must text smooth, rational structure, grammar is correct, easily understood and to understand peer," said Shao Yiming.

Secondly, we must strictly follow the guidelines to write applications for the project. According to Shao Yiming experience, length and format of the application is often the culprit defeated. Many funding agencies will be the first to remove those who do not adhere to screening guidelines for the application of the project in order to save time and money the project assessment. Even if some sort of trial, those assumptions or lack of scientific research program design is not a strict application will not get high marks. In addition, the textual representation of blunt or discussion defective assessment of those applications will also not interested in reading, have a negative impact.

To apply for funds from abroad is a very hard work, all the energy needs of scientists are injecting them. In addition, information access, understanding of the major international funding agencies and programs, do not miss the opportunity to apply; understanding of funding bodies to make assessments, such as rules and assessment of ideas.

"However, despite the application of international issues is very challenging, but only hard science, and therefore more simple determining factor is the availability of innovative and scientific value and the feasibility study." Shao Yiming added.

In his view, this point in China to apply for different subjects, which in addition to the scientific nature, but also by human and other factors, and therefore more tiring. Survey shows that domestic applications, many scientists to submit their applications, but also to spend time to "take the relationship."

This situation is abroad, absolutely impossible. "Foreign-funded assessment of the scientific research that there is only one standard, and that is science." Said Shao Yiming.

For example, the world's largest implementation of two NIH-funded organizations accreditation system, the first step by the corresponding area of the application of scientific assessment panel of scientific and technical issues for review; the second step is the first instance the application to the NIH research or the State Research Center Advisory Board once again a full assessment.

In this assessment system, "Let's relationship" is impossible. Shao Yiming, said if it is found cheating, the applicant will be Forever "ban", which is easily dare not deviate from them.

Shao Yiming observed that the Chinese government science and technology sector in recent years become increasingly concerned about the scientific and technological assessment of scientific and impartiality, as science and technology management system and mechanism innovation in an important task, and he hoped that the realization of the objectives of the reform as soon as possible so that the ranks of the China Science and Technology In hard science and environment to grow, because this is the competent international scientific and technological competition in the basic guarantee.

Innovation is the

The soul of the international scientific research

"China's scientific research each application must answer the question: What progress has been made overseas study. If there is no relevant studies abroad, it is easy because the project was rejected based on insufficient." Shao Yiming think this is the initiative画地为牢behavior.

Reporters find online National Key Basic Research Development Project "973" project to prepare an outline application to prove this point: the second is at home and abroad are required to complete research and development trends. "863" project so the application form.

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