Notice of the Provincial Department of Science and Technology on the Joint Collection of the Second Round of Cooperative Projects for the Jiangsu Austria Joint R&D Innovation Plan

Notice of the Provincial Department of Science and Technology on the Joint Collection of the Second Round of Cooperative Projects for the Jiangsu Austria Joint R&D Innovation Plan

The Provincial Department of Science and Technology has decided to carry out the Jiangsu Austria project

Joint R&D Innovation Program Second Round of Cooperation

Notice of Joint Project Solicitation

Each district, city, county (city) science and technology bureau, national and provincial-level high-tech zone management committee, relevant provincial departments, and relevant units:

According to the memorandum of cooperation signed by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency in March 2022, both parties jointly established the Jiangsu Austria Joint R&D and Innovation Plan to jointly promote R&D and innovation cooperation between enterprises in Jiangsu and Austria. After consultation, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency have decided to jointly solicit the second round of cooperation projects for the Jiangsu Austria Joint R&D Innovation Plan.

According to the overall requirements of the "Notice of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology and the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Finance on Organizing the Application of the 2023 Provincial Science and Technology Plan Special Fund (Innovation Support Plan International Science and Technology Cooperation/Hong Kong Macao Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation) Project" (Sukezifa [2022] No. 256), and in combination with the plan work arrangement determined through consultation between the Provincial Department of Science and Technology and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, The relevant matters regarding the joint solicitation of the second round of cooperation projects in the Jiangsu Austria Joint R&D Innovation Plan are hereby notified as follows:

1、 Project solicitation areas and basic conditions

（1） Technical field.

This round of project solicits innovative solutions for the circular economy field, with the main research and development categories being:

Project Category 1: Intelligent, preferably regional use and manufacturing of products and infrastructure, which enhances the efficiency of resource utilization - "abandonment, reflection, reduction".

Project Category 2: Extending the lifespan of components, products, and infrastructure, i.e. improving product utilization efficiency - "reuse, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and giving new uses".

Project Category 3: Material Recycling, i.e. establishing a closed-loop material circulation system - "Recycling, Recovery and Regeneration".

（2） Basic conditions.

1. There is one enterprise in Jiangsu and one enterprise in Austria as the project lead applicant, and the two are not related. According to project needs, universities, research institutes, and other enterprises can participate in project cooperation.
2. The project should focus on developing new products, services, or processes with commercial prospects.
3. The cooperation between both parties should bring obvious advantages and new value to the project.
4. The project response is of great significance to both parties, reflecting the balance of interests.
5. Project partners should reach an agreement in advance on the ownership of intellectual property rights and the commercialization plan for products, services or processes.

Please also refer to the "Guidelines for Joint Collection of Second Round Cooperation Projects of the Jiangsu Austria Joint R&D Innovation Program" (Attachment 1).

2、 Specific organization method

1. Both parties must jointly declare the project. Both parties take the lead in submitting applications to the plan execution agencies (Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology and Austrian Research Promotion Agency) in Jiangsu and Austria, respectively. Unilateral applications will not be accepted. The executing agencies of both parties plan to independently evaluate and recommend the accepted projects, and discuss and determine the projects to be jointly supported.

2.The deadline for this joint solicitation is October 11, 2023. The Jiangsu applying enterprise needs to submit the "Jiangsu Province Science and Technology Plan Project Application Form" (hereinafter referred to as the "Project Application Form"), "Jiangsu Austria Joint Research and Development Innovation Plan Project Joint Application Form 2023" (hereinafter referred to as the "Joint Application Form", see Annex 2), and attach a Chinese translation (style see Annex 3) and other materials.

From August 8 to October 11, 2023 at 17:30, the leading application companies in Jiangsu can log in to the Jiangsu Provincial Science and Technology Plan Management Information Platform to officially fill out project application documents and other materials. Interested enterprises are requested to prepare for project coordination and application in advance.

Please follow the notification from the Austrian Agency for the Promotion of Scientific Research to implement the specific arrangements for Austria's application.

3. If the project receives project approval support, for the enterprises led by the Jiangsu side to apply, the provincial funding for each item shall not exceed 1.5 million yuan in principle, and shall not exceed 50% of the total budget of the Jiangsu side of the project.
4. For Jiangsu enterprises that have reached a joint application intention with Austrian enterprises, please contact the Jiangsu Provincial Cross border Technology Transfer Center (a subsidiary of the Provincial Department of Science and Technology) and the corresponding local project management department as soon as possible (the contact information of the management department can be found on the Jiangsu Provincial Science and Technology Plan Management Information Platform), in order to obtain assistance and promptly solve any related problems that may be encountered during the application process.
5. The Provincial Cross border Technology Transfer Center will help enterprises with clear needs to find partners and form specific cooperation projects through docking. For Jiangsu enterprises with needs, please fill out the "Jiangsu Enterprises' Cooperation Demand Information Form for Austria", which can be found on the website of the Provincial Cross border Technology Transfer Center (website: https://www.jittc.org ）Download from the Austrian Cooperation Zone.

3、 Relevant requirements

1. Ensure that the applicant and overseas cooperative institutions meet the requirements. The project application unit of the Jiangsu side must be an independent legal entity registered in Jiangsu Province before December 31, 2021, and the project leader of the Jiangsu side must be an in-service personnel of the project application unit. The main overseas cooperative institution of the project shall not be an enterprise or research and development institution established by the project application unit overseas, a foreign-funded enterprise or research and development institution established in China, a shell company established in an overseas tax shelter, or a cooperation between domestic and foreign branches of the enterprise group.
2. Provide standardized cooperation agreements and other core supporting materials. Both domestic and foreign cooperation institutions of the project have signed cooperation agreements or cooperation intent letters/memorandums and other documents regarding the cooperation project, and the foreign person in charge of the project must rely on their overseas institution to cooperate with the domestic application unit. The content of cooperation agreements and other documents should be standardized, with complete and effective information such as signatures, seals, signing dates, and the names and positions of representatives of all contracting parties. The division of responsibilities and intellectual property clauses of each party should be specific and clear. Foreign language cooperation documents need to be accompanied by a Chinese translation. If there are domestic cooperative units, the applying unit also needs to sign a cooperation agreement or letter of intent/memorandum with the domestic cooperative unit. For projects that only have a letter of intent/memorandum of cooperation when applying, a formal cooperation agreement must be provided when signing the project contract after obtaining the project approval.
3. Implement relevant requirements such as limit declaration effectively. Enterprises with international scientific and technological cooperation projects in the research province/Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan are not allowed to apply for this year's project. Enterprises that have already applied for the 2023 provincial international scientific and technological cooperation projects/Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan scientific and technological cooperation projects are not allowed to apply for this project. One enterprise is limited to reporting one project. In the 2023 provincial international science and technology cooperation/Hong Kong Macao Taiwan science and technology cooperation project application, the same project leader is limited to one project, and as the project backbone, can participate in the application for at most one more project. The person in charge of the international science and technology cooperation/Hong Kong Macao Taiwan science and technology cooperation project in the research province is not allowed to lead the application for the project, and the total number of application projects and research projects of the project backbone shall not exceed 2. The same unit and affiliated units are not allowed to apply for different provincial science and technology plan projects with the same or similar content at the same time. Repeated applications will result in disqualification for evaluation.
4. Overcome the "four only" tendency and strictly adhere to the requirements of technological ethics and other aspects. Project research should overcome the tendency of relying solely on academic papers, professional titles, academic qualifications, and awards, and focus on the quality, contribution, and impact of iconic achievements in accordance with the requirements of the "Several Measures for Improving Science and Technology Evaluation and Breaking Down the Bad Orientation of 'Paper Only' (Trial)" (Sukejian Fa [2020] No. 135). Research projects involving human body research, experimental animals, and artificial intelligence should strictly comply with the requirements of relevant regulations such as technological ethics, experimental animals, and human genetic resource management. The content and methods of project cooperation should comply with relevant laws and regulations of China and the country where the cooperating institution is located. For cooperative activities that require prior review and approval, such as those involving human genetic resources or germplasm resources, the applying unit must fulfill the relevant domestic review and approval procedures in accordance with the law and regulations in advance.
5. Fully implement the scientific research integrity commitment system. According to the Implementation Opinions on Further Strengthening the Integrity Construction of Scientific Research in the Province (Su Ban [2019] No. 39) The Implementation Opinions on Further Promoting the Spirit of Scientists and Strengthening the Construction of Work Style and Study Style in the Province (Sukejian Fa [2019] No. 336) and the Notice on Further Compacting the Main Responsibilities of Research Style, Study Style, and Research Integrity Construction of Units Undertaking Provincial Science and Technology Plans (Special Projects, Funds, etc.) (Sukejian Fa [2020] No. 319) require that the project leader The project application unit and the project supervisory department must sign a commitment letter of scientific integrity during the project application, vigorously promote the spirit of scientists, and strictly prohibit dishonest behaviors such as plagiarism of other people's scientific research achievements, infringement of their intellectual property rights, and falsification of materials to obtain application qualifications. Units and individuals undergoing punishment due to records of scientific research dishonesty and serious social credit dishonesty are not allowed to apply for this year's planned projects. If the relevant responsible parties engage in dishonest behaviors such as falsification, impersonation, or infringement of others' intellectual property rights during the project application and approval process, once verified, they will be recorded in the credit file and dealt with accordingly in accordance with the "Jiangsu Province Science and Technology Plan Project Credit Management Measures".
6. Strictly implement the responsibility of audit recommendation. The project application unit and the competent department strictly fulfill their project review and recommendation responsibilities in accordance with the requirements of the "Notice on Further Strengthening the Application and Review of Provincial Science and Technology Plan Projects" (Sukejihan [2017] No. 7) and other relevant documents. The project application unit bears the legal entity responsibility for the authenticity and legality of the application materials, and it is strictly prohibited to falsify projects, make false investments, fabricate facts, and package projects. The project management department shall effectively strengthen the responsibility of review and recommendation, and together with the social credit management department at the same level, conduct a review of the social credit situation of the project application unit. The authenticity of the application materials shall be strictly checked, and the review shall be strictly prohibited from going through motions or being superficial. The Provincial Department of Science and Technology will conduct spot checks on the review and recommendation of the project management department in conjunction with the disciplinary inspection and supervision team stationed in the department.
7. Effectively implement the requirements for anti-corruption risk prevention and control. In accordance with the requirements of governing the industry, we must strictly implement the "Opinions on Further Strengthening the Comprehensive and Strict Governance of the Party Work in the Provincial Science and Technology Department's Party Group" (Suke Party Group [2018] No. 16), strictly abide by the "Six Commitments" and "Eight Prohibitions" regulations, and deploy, implement, and assess the construction of Party conduct and clean governance and the organization of science and technology plan projects together, Effectively strengthen the prevention and control of anti-corruption risks in key links and key positions. Strictly implement the requirements of the Notice on Forwarding the Regulations on Handling Request Behaviors in the Review of Science and Technology Activities by the Ministry of Science and Technology (Trial) (Sukejian Fa [2021] No. 44) issued by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology. Projects obtained due to request behaviors such as "greeting" and "leaving relationships" will have their project approval qualifications revoked, all provincial funding will be recovered, and relevant responsible persons or units will be dealt with seriously.
8. Implement technology confidentiality requirements. This plan does not accept classified projects. If there are classified contents in the application materials, they must be declassified before being declared, and the project supervisory department is responsible for reviewing them in accordance with relevant regulations.

4、 Material submission

1. The project application materials shall be uniformly printed on A4 paper and bound into a volume in order of cover, unit information form, project information form, project application form, joint application form and Chinese translation, cooperation agreement/letter of intent/memorandum, and other supporting materials, in five copies (paper cover, flat binding). The joint application form, Chinese translation, cooperation agreement/letter of intent/memorandum, and other supporting materials shall be uniformly reviewed by the project management department, and the "Project Attachment Review Form" shall be filled out; Except as explicitly required by this notice and declaration form, other attachments do not need to be filled out and uploaded online. The basic information related to the project information form, project application form, and joint application form must be consistent.
2. The project application materials must be submitted online at the same time on the Jiangsu Provincial Science and Technology Plan Management Information Platform (website: https://kjjh.kxjst.jiangsu.gov.cn/ ）. After logging into the online platform, the enterprise selects the category of "Innovation Support Program International Science and Technology Cooperation/Hong Kong Macao Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation" - "Intergovernmental Bilateral Innovation Cooperation Projects" to fill in the online application form. The application form adopts the format of "Intergovernmental Bilateral Innovation Cooperation Projects". The joint application form, Chinese translation, cooperation agreement/letter of intent/memorandum and other attachments must also be uploaded on the provincial science and technology plan management information platform as required. After the application materials have been confirmed and submitted online by the project management department, they will not be returned for re reporting. Unless otherwise provided, the paper version of the application materials must be consistent with the final version submitted on the online platform.
3. Each project supervisory department shall review and screen the applied projects, summarize and recommend them, and submit a summary table (in duplicate on paper, please refer to Attachment 4 for style) along with the project application materials to the Provincial Science and Technology Plan Project Acceptance Service Center, located at Room 105, 1st Floor, Jiangsu Provincial Productivity Promotion Center, No. 175 Longpan Road, Nanjing.
4. The deadline for online submission of project application materials is 17:30 on October 11, 2023, and the deadline for online review and recommendation by the competent department is 17:30 on October 13, 2023. Overdue submission will not be accepted. The deadline for accepting paper materials for project application is 17:30 on October 17, 2023, and overdue applications will not be accepted.

Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology

June 14, 2023

(This matter is voluntarily disclosed)

Source: Official website of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology