Under the framework of funding for basic researches in natural sciences program and according to the regulation on implementation of basic research themes in natural sciences funded by the National Foundation for Sciences and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) (issued together with Decision No. 03/QD-HDQLQ 24/12/2008 by NAFOSTED’s Management Board), NAFOSTED makes the announcement for funding plans in 2014.

1. Objectives:

• Facilitating and building favorable, continuous, and inheritable research environment to promote scientific research activities in science and technology organizations of Vietnam.
• Developing research capacity of basic research individuals and groups that are based on universities and research institutes; establishing strong research groups with international level basic research capabilities; contributing to training high quality human resources in science and technology.
• Improving scientific research quality; increasing number of basic research results done by Vietnamese scientists that are published on prestigious international scientific journals.
• Promoting international co-operation and integration in scientific research in general and basic research in particular.

2. Funding Scopes:
Funding will be provided for basic research in natural sciences of the following fields: Mathematics, Physics and Astrology Sciences, Chemistry, Information Technology, Mechanics, the Life Sciences, the Earth Sciences, and interdisciplinary sciences that are proposed by Vietnamese scientists as well as science and technology organizations.

3. Funding Subjects:
a) Science and technology organizations with basic research function; scientists who are Vietnamese citizens participating in basic research in scientific areas under the funding scopes.
b) Foreign science and technology organizations, foreign scientists participating in joint research with Vietnamese scientists and organizations stipulated in the a) article.

4. Requirements for Principal Investigator and research team members:
a. Principal Investigator:

• Having appropriate professional and doing researches in a science and technology organization. In the case that the Principal Investigator is not working for any science and technology organization, their topics must be supported by a science and technology organization that is prestigious in the field of the research being done.
• Having research capacity that meets the requirements of their research themes, including holding Ph.D., associate professor, or professor; having appropriate specialized research results that are published in prestigious international scientific journals (the journals that are ranked by the International Science Institute-ISI) in a period of 5 years starting from the time of submission.

Works that are published on the list of ISI journals are sought by year, dating at the time of publication.
Reference for seeking results published on ISI journals:
Science Citation Index’s list of journals:
http://science.thomsonreuters.com/cgi-bin/jrnlst/jlsearch.cgi?PC=K
Science Citation Index Expanded’s list of journals:
http://science.thomsonreuters.com/cgi-bin/jrnlst/jlsearch.cgi?PC=D

• Having no violation of requirements for Principal Investigator (Principal Investigator funded by NAFOSTED but get a “fail” test result or suspended will not be eligible to register a new project within 24 months starting from the date of result notification)

b. Members of research team: having professionals, qualifications, and skills matching the research topics; graduate students engaged in research project must have graduate research with contents appropriate with research theme.

4. Implementation plan
– Time of submission: from 8h30 a.m., October 3^rd, 2014 to 5 p.m., April 25^th, 2014
– Reviewing and classifying applications: May 2014
– Assessing and selecting: May – September 2014
– Announcement of selection results: September 2014
– Completing applications and signing contracts: November 2014
– Providing fund: December 2014

5. Application dossier: both electronic and printed
– Electronic dossier (submit onto OMS system) includes:
a. Application form of basic research (in English and Vietnamese);
b. Demonstration of research (in English and Vietnamese);
c. Scientific Curriculum Vitae of the Principal Investigator and all member of research team (in English and Vietnamese);
d. Documents showing research achievements (includes at least 01 article done by the Principal Investigator and published on international scientific journals listed by ISI within the latest 05 years).

– Printed dossier (01 in Vietnamese and 01 in English) includes:
a. 01 application form printed from OMS system and approved by home or sponsor organization;
b. Demonstration of research approved by home or sponsor organization;
c. Scientific Curriculum Vitae of the Principal Investigator and all member of the research team (in English and Vietnamese) printed from OMS system and approved by home or sponsor organization;
d. Documents showing research achievement of the Principal Investigator (01 copy);
e. Graduate student’s Acceptance Letter (01 copy).
In addition, Principal Investigator needs to print 02 copies of documents check list using NAFOSTED’s form for collation. Form can be downloaded here.

Notes
– Electronic dossier will be used in the process of evaluation and selection.
– The international experts will evaluate the English version of the electronic dossier.
– Application form that is not printed from OMS will not be accepted.

Please carefully read the Guide on using OMS system.

6. Address for submitting printed dossier:
The Executive Office of the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development,
4th Floor, 39 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

7. Relevant documents
Regulations on organizing and implementing basic research in natural sciences, funded by the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development, issued together with Decision No. 03/QD-HDQLQ dated 24/12/2008 by NAFOSTED’s Management Board
(https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/03QD-HDQL-5/)

List of basic research in natural sciences funded by the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development, issued together with Decision No. 04/QD-HDQLQ dated 24/12/2010 approved by the Management Board (https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/04QD-HDQL-6/ )

Decision No.14/2008/QD-BKHCN dated 22/12/2008 by the Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology about pilot application of methods for estimating costs of basic researches funded by the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/142008QD-BKHCN-4/ )

Joint Circular No. 44/2007/TTLT-BTC-BKHCN dated 07/5/2007 by the Ministry of Finance – Ministry of Science and Technology about guidelines on norms for construction and allocation of estimated funding for science and technology projects using state budget (https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/442007TTLTBTC-BKHCN-3/ )

Joint Circular No. 93/2006/TTLT-BTC-BKHCN dated 04/10/2006 by Ministry of Finance – Ministry of Science and Technology about guidelines on providing funds for science and technology projects using state budget (https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/932006TTLTBTC-BKHCN-16/ )

Joint Circular No. 01/2010/TT-BTC dated 6/1/2010 by Ministry of Finance about Regulations on spending for welcoming foreigners to work in Vietnam, for organizing international conferences in Vietnam, and for welcoming domestic guests
(https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/012010TT-BTC-12/ )

Circular No. 97/2010/TT-BTC dated July 6, 2010 about Regulations on expenses and spending for organizing conferences of state agencies and public business units
(https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/972010TT-BTC-11/ )

8. Notes
– Scientists who are Principal Investigator of researches funded by NAFOSTED in Funding Phase 1 of 2012 and earlier can submit their new research project in 2014. However, in such cases, contract will only be signed if the previous project has been approved before December 2014.
– Home or sponsor organizations must be a science and technology organization which has independent legal status, seal, and account at the State Treasury.
– Project dossier must be built in accordance with NAFOSTED’s regulations. Dossier with insufficient information will not be considered. If applicable, NAFOSTED will send the English version of the dossier to international experts for evaluating opinions.
– Vietnamese scientists working abroad for long-term period (over 6 months) participating in the project will be given estimated scientific labor wages of maximum 3 months/year.