Industry News | The CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued Several Measures to Further Strengthen the Training and Use of Young Scientific and Technological Talents

In order to deeply implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, implement the deployment of the Central Talent Work Conference, and comprehensively cultivate and utilize young scientific and technological talents, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council have recently issued the "Several Measures on Further Strengthening the Cultivation and Use of Young Scientific and Technological Talents" (hereinafter referred to as the "Several Measures").

The "Several Measures" emphasize the need to adhere to the comprehensive leadership of the Party in the work of young scientific and technological talents in the new era, inspire and guide young scientific and technological talents to vigorously promote the spirit of scientists, inherit the spirit of "two bombs and one star", inherit and carry forward the excellent quality of the old generation of scientists in serving the country through science and technology, adhere to the "four aspects", firmly adhere to the confidence of innovation that dares to be the first, adhere to scientific research integrity, scientific and technological ethics Academic norms, taking responsibility, being realistic and innovative, and devoting themselves to research, make contributions to the practice of achieving self-reliance in high level science and technology and building a strong country in science and technology and talent, and contribute youth and wisdom in comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese path to modernization.

The "Several Measures" propose to guide and support the high-quality development of young scientific and technological talents. Encourage young scientific and technological talents to deepen their practice in economic and social development, refine scientific issues based on actual needs, carry out original innovation, technological breakthroughs, and achievements transformation, and write papers on the land of our motherland. Implement policies related to innovation and entrepreneurship for research personnel in public institutions, support and encourage universities, research institutions, and other institutions to select young scientific and technological talents with strong scientific research capabilities and innovative achievements. Through part-time innovation, long-term deployment, short-term cooperation, and other methods, provide services such as scientific consultation, product development, achievement transformation, and scientific popularization to grassroots and enterprises. The service effectiveness serves as an important reference for professional title evaluation and job promotion.

The "Several Measures" clearly support young scientific and technological talents to "pick the big beam" and "play the leading role" in major national scientific and technological tasks. The proportion of young scientific and technological talents under the age of 40 serving as project leaders and backbone personnel for major national scientific and technological tasks, key core technology breakthroughs, and emergency scientific and technological breakthroughs should not be less than 50%. Encourage young scientific and technological talents to form teams across disciplines and fields to undertake disruptive technological innovation tasks, which are not included in the statistical scope of applying for and undertaking national science and technology plan projects. Steadily increase the funding scale of the National Natural Science Foundation for young scientific and technological talents, maintain the proportion of funded projects at over 45%, and support young scientific and technological talents to carry out original, cutting-edge, and interdisciplinary scientific research. Increase support for young scientific and technological talents in the implementation of local scientific and technological tasks. We will deepen the implementation of the National Key R&D Plan for Young Scientists project. The age for applicants can be relaxed to 40 years old, without restrictions on professional titles or educational qualifications. We will explore the implementation of a rolling support mechanism, and the use of funds can be implemented under a lump sum system.

The "Several Measures" require that the national science and technology innovation base should vigorously cultivate and utilize young scientific and technological talents. The National Science and Technology Innovation Base should actively promote the rejuvenation of research project leaders and research backbone teams, and promote more important research positions to be filled by young scientific and technological talents. Encourage various national scientific and technological innovation bases to independently establish research projects for young scientific and technological talents, and the proportion of young scientific and technological talents under the age of 40 leading the undertaking should not be less than 60% in principle. The proportion of young scientific and technological talents, their leadership in scientific research tasks, and the cultivation and utilization of significant original achievements are included in the performance evaluation indicators of national scientific and technological innovation bases, and the application of performance evaluation results is strengthened.

The "Several Measures" propose to increase the basic scientific research business expenses and provide stable support for young scientific and technological talents in the early stages of their careers. According to actual needs, usage performance, and financial situation, gradually expand the funding scale of basic research business fees for young scientific and technological talents by central universities and public welfare research institutes, and improve and implement a dynamic allocation mechanism based mainly on performance evaluation results. The basic research business fees are mainly used to support young scientific and technological talents under the age of 35 to carry out independent research. The proportion of support from eligible units is gradually raised to no less than 50% of the annual budget, guiding young scientific and technological talents to focus on national strategic needs and carry out research on cutting-edge scientific issues. Encourage various regions to increase funding investment through various means such as basic research business fees, and strengthen support for early career young scientific and technological talents in higher education institutions and research institutes.

The "Several Measures" propose to improve the mechanism for postdoctoral training in the field of natural sciences. Improve the quality of postdoctoral training, reasonably determine the number of postdoctoral research stations and workstations in basic cutting-edge and interdisciplinary fields, and reasonably expand the scale of postdoctoral fellows in natural science and engineering technology fields. The "labor cost" of the National Science and Technology Plan project funds can be disbursed based on the actual situation of postdoctoral participation in project research, and is coordinated for postdoctoral training. Strengthen the on-site management of postdoctoral students, and the setting up units and collaborating mentors should create conditions to support postdoctoral students in independently undertaking scientific research tasks, and cultivate and enhance their independent scientific research capabilities. Support eligible enterprises to establish postdoctoral workstations, expand their quantity and scale, strengthen the integration of industry, academia, and research, and cultivate young scientific and technological talents in industrial technology innovation practices.

The "Several Measures" propose to better leverage the decision-making and consulting role of young scientific and technological talents. Universities, research institutes, enterprises, and other innovative entities should actively recommend high-level young scientific and technological talents who are active in the front line of scientific research, responsible and trustworthy, to enter the national science and technology evaluation expert pool. The proportion of young scientific and technological talents under the age of 45 in the expert group for compiling project guidelines for national science and technology plans (special projects, funds, etc.), evaluating expert groups for science and technology plan projects, talent plans, science and technology awards, and performance evaluation expert groups for scientific research institutions, science and technology innovation bases, etc., is generally not less than one-third. The high-level science and technology strategic consultation mechanism and various levels of association organizations should establish youth professional committees according to needs, promote councils, expert committees, and other organizations to break the restrictions on professional titles and age, and support the multi-level participation of young scientific and technological talents in the governance and operation of the association organization.

The "Several Measures" require improving the ability of scientific research institutions to independently evaluate talents. Higher education institutions, research institutes, state-owned enterprises, etc. should, in accordance with their responsibilities and missions, follow the laws of scientific research activities and talent growth, establish and improve the evaluation mechanism for young scientific and technological talents, innovate evaluation methods, scientifically set evaluation and assessment cycles, reduce evaluation frequency, carry out classified evaluation, and improve and implement the mechanism for exceptional promotion of outstanding young scientific and technological talents' professional titles and positions. Higher education institutions, research institutes, and the competent departments of state-owned enterprises should resolutely break away from the "four only" and "numerical hat" tendencies, correctly view and apply paper indicators, and form an atmosphere that not only unleashes the value of high-quality papers, but also firmly opposes relying solely on the number of papers to discuss heroes. Reasonably set institutional evaluation standards, do not use the number of papers and talent titles as institutional evaluation indicators, and avoid decomposing them into assessment and evaluation indicators for young scientific and technological talents.

The "Several Measures" require reducing the non scientific research burden on young scientific and technological talents. Continuously promote the action of reducing the burden on young scientific and technological talents. Science and technology project management adheres to result oriented and simplified processes. Higher education institutions and research institutes should improve the system of research assistants, effectively implement relevant regulations on scientific research project and fund management, avoid adding layers of complexity in filling out forms and reimbursement of scientific research funds, continuously improve the level of information services, and improve work efficiency. Reduce the daily work of young scientific and technological talents outside of their personal research business, eliminate unnecessary social activities, ensure that young scientific and technological talents in research positions participate in non academic activities no more than 1 day per week, and more than 80% of their working time is used for scientific and academic activities. Include the research time of young scientific and technological talents with disabilities in the unit assessment. Administrative departments and state-owned enterprises and institutions shall not, in principle, borrow frontline scientific research personnel to engage in non scientific research work.

The "Several Measures" propose to increase efforts to support young scientific and technological talents in international scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation. Support young scientific and technological talents to conduct learning, training, and collaborative research in high-level research institutions both domestically and internationally. Support young scientific and technological talents to participate in international academic conferences, encourage young academic leaders to initiate and lead the organization of international academic conferences, and enhance the international activity and influence of young scientific and technological talents.

The "Several Measures" require that efforts be made to increase the guarantee of life services for young scientific and technological talents. Higher education institutions, research institutes, and state-owned enterprises should take appropriate measures to increase the salary and benefits of young scientific and technological talents in the early stages of their careers, as well as to tilt towards young scientific and technological talents who have made outstanding contributions, such as performance-based wages and benefits from the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Various innovative entities should strengthen their care and care for young scientific and technological talents, ensure their rest and vacation, regularly organize medical examinations and psychological counseling activities, explore the establishment of an academic vacation system, and create a relaxed and harmonious research and cultural environment. All regions should attach importance to and create conditions to help young scientific and technological talents solve the difficulties of their children's enrollment, housing, and other aspects.

The "Several Measures" emphasize the need to strengthen organizational leadership in the work of young scientific and technological talents. Party committees and governments at all levels should make the work of young scientific and technological talents a strategic task, incorporate it into the overall deployment of local economic and social development and talent team construction, establish a diversified investment guarantee mechanism and a normalized mechanism for connecting young scientific and technological talents, implement policies well, and create good conditions for accelerating the growth and better playing a role of young scientific and technological talents. Employers should fulfill the main responsibility of cultivating and cultivating top-notch innovative talents, formulate specific implementation measures based on the actual situation of the unit, formulate and improve the training plan for young scientific and technological talents, strengthen professional and technical training for young scientific and technological talents, achieve full political trust, active guidance in ideology, creation of conditions in work, and care and care in life, and comprehensively improve the ideological and political quality and technological innovation ability of the young scientific and technological talent team.

The above content is sourced from Xinhua News Agency