Under the framework of basic research funding program in natural sciences and engineering, we would like to announce the first proposal intake for 2016 as below:

1. Funding objectives:
– To create favorable research environment in order to promote basic research activities at scientific and technological organizations in Vietnam.
– To enhance research capabilities and develop robust research communities in order to enrich Vietnamese science and technology workforce.
– To improve research quality towards international standards.
– To promote international cooperation and integration in scientific researches.

2. Funding areas
Basic research proposals in the following fields are eligible to be considered for NAFOSTED grants:
– Natural sciences: Mathematics, Information and computer sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental sciences, Biology, and other natural sciences;
– Engineering and Technology;
– Pharmacy and medical sciences;
– Agricultural sciences.

3. Eligible grantees
– Vietnam’s scientific and technological organizations; foreign organizations that are capable of conducting scientific research and currently operating in Vietnam; foreign organizations that are collaborating with Vietnam’s scientific and technological organizations in joint research.
– Individual Vietnamese-citizen scientists; foreign scientists that are collaborate with Vietnam’s scientific and technological organizations or with individual Vietnamese scientists.

4. Eligibilities for host organizations, participating researchers and requirements on research outcomes
1. Eligibilities for host organizations:
a) Must be a registered scientific and technological organization whose expertise matches with the project(s) being proposed;
b) Fulfill all responsibilities of a host organization for the project(s) awarded by NAFOSTED grants.
2. Eligibilities for Principal Investigator:
a) Possess relevant research expertise to the project being proposed and are employed by a registered scientific and technology organization. If the principal investigator is not currently employed by any scientific and technological organization, he/she must be supported by a reputable Vietnam’s scientific and technological organization that agrees to be the host institution;
b) Possess research abilities and skills that match the requirements of the project being proposed, including: holding PhD degree or associate professor/professor title, and having relevant research results published on prestigious international journals (*) (download the list of prestigious international journals here) in the last 5 years from the submission date;
c) Commit sufficient time to complete the research being proposed as per regulations. In case the PI is overseas for business trip, his/her time abroad must not exceed 1/3 of the total project conduction time;
d) Abide by conditions for PI registration and participation as per regulations.
3. Project member/researchers must obtain proper and technical competencies and skills for their proposed research, including:
a) Key researcher(s) and scientific secretary: achieved PhD degree or associate professor/professor title and having relevant research outcomes published on prestigious international or national journal in the last 5 years from the submission date.
If member are master-degree holders, they must have relevant research outcome(s), including at least 1 publication on prestigious international journal(s) in the last 5 years from the submission date.
b) PhD students participating in the proposed project must be working on relevant dissertations and acquire dissertation-approval decision in 24 months from the submission date.
c) Technicians and other support staff.
4.  Requirements for the research outcomes
Research outcomes include at least 2 articles published on prestigious international journals and 1 article published on prestigious national journal.
PI must be the first author of at least 1 article published on prestigious international journals.
Any publication(s) issued on journals belonging to the prestigious ISI list (**) (download the prestigious ISI list here) is considered equivalent to 2 publications issued on other prestigious international journals;
(*): Prestigious international journals are scientific journals selected from SCI (Science Citation Index) and SCIE (Science Citation Index Expanded) lists by Institute for Scientific Information (U.S.), and approved by NAFOSTED Management Council in consultation with NAFOSTED field Scientific Committees.
(**): Prestigious ISI journals are top-notch scientific journals specifying in each field, selected from the list of prestigious international journals, and approved by NAFOSTED Management Board in consultation with NAFOSTED Scientific Committees.
(***)  Prestigious national journals are approved by NAFOSTED Management Board in consideration of NAFOSTED Scientific Committees’ recommendations.
Detailed regulations can be found in Circular No. 37/2014/TT-BKHCN dated12th December 2014 by the Ministry of Sciences and Technology governing the administration of basic research funding program of National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/37242014TT-BKCN-26/)

6. Timeline
Receiving proposals: From 8:30am 1 June 2016 to 5:00pm 15 July 2016
Merit review and evaluation: From July to September 2016
Announcing the list of grantees: October 2016
Refining proposals and signing contracts: November 2016

7. Application (including electronic and printed proposals)
Electronic proposals must be prepared on OMS by filling standard forms including:

1. Basic Research Registration Form (in English and Vietnamese)
2. Project Proposal (in English and Vietnamese) (Download the form here).
3. Scientific CV of PI and other members (in English and Vietnamese)
4. Evidences of research achievements (including at least 1 article done by PI on a prestigious international journal in the last 5 years)

Printed proposals (1 set in Vietnamese and 1 set in English) comprise:

1. Research registration form printed from OMS and approved by the host or supporting organization
2. Project Proposal approved by Head of host or supporting organization
3. Scientific CV of PI and each member (in English and Vietnamese) printed from OMSand approved by Head of host or supporting organization (unless the project members are employed in host organization).
4. Evidences of research achievements of PI and decision(s) of accepting PhD student (1 copy).

In addition, project leader must print 2 Proposal checklist to recheck and use as submission confirmation. Download the checklist.

Notice: 
Electronic proposals shall be used for merit review and evaluation.
International experts shall evaluate the English version of electronic proposals.
Any proposal differing from its OMS version shall be refused by NAFOSTED.
Please read Guide on how to use OMS promptly

8. Proposal submission
NAFOSTED Administration Office (Room 407)
4^th Floor, No 39, Tran Hung Dao street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

9. Applicable legal documents
– Circular No. 37/2014/TT-BKHCN dated on 12th December 2014 by the Ministry of Science and Technology governing the administration of basic research funding program of National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/37242014TT-BKCN-26/)
– Decision No. 31/QĐ-HDQL-NAFOSTED dated on 30th March 2016 by NAFOSTED Management Board approving prestigious ISI journal list and the list of prestigious international journal in natural sciences and engineering (https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/31QD-HDQL-NAFOSTED-31/)
– Decision No. 73/QD-HĐQL-NAFOSTED dated on19th May 2016 by NAFOSTED Management Board approving the list of prestigious national journal in natural sciences and engineering
(https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/73QD-HDQL-NAFOSTED-33/ )
– List of NAFOSTED basic research orientations in natural sciences, promulgated along with Decision No. 04/QD-HĐQLQ dated on 24th December 2010 by NAFOSTED Management Board (https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/04QD-HDQL-6/)
– Joint Circular No. 55/2015/TTLT-BTC-BKHCN  dated on 22rd April 2015 by Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Science and Technology guiding norms for constructing and allocating cost estimates and settlement for scientific projects using state budget.
(https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/552015TTLT-BTC-BKHCN-28/)
– Joint Circular No. 27/2015/TTLT-BKHCN-BTC dated on 30th December 2015 by Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Science and Technology regulating funding allocation for conducting scientific projects using state budget in accordance with Decree No. 95/2014/ND-CP governing the investment and financial administration of science and technology activities.
(https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/272015TTLT-BKHCN-BTC-32/)
– Joint Circular No. 01/2010/TT-BTC dated on 6th January 2010 by Ministry of Finance governing the allowances for welcoming and receiving foreign delegation into Vietnam, and for organizing international workshops/conferences in Vietnam.
(https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/012010TT-BTC-12/)
– Circular No. 97/2010/TT-BTC dated on 6th July 2010 regulating travel expenses, conference organization by state agencies and public non-trading agencies.
 (https://www.nafosted.gov.vn/vi/archives/view/972010TT-BTC-11/)

10. Guidelines on preparing proposal budget
1. NAFOSTED provides guidelines on how to apply Joint circular No. 55/2015/TTLT-BTC-BKHCN of 22rd April 2015 of Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Science and Technology guiding norms for constructing and allocating cost estimates and settlement for scientific projects using state budget as below:
1.1.      Labor costs: Are calculated on workday basis of each member and converted to month unit. A workday equals to 8 working hours; or more than 4 working hours per day. A working month is equivalent to 22 workdays.
1.2.      Labor costs for hiring domestic and foreign experts to work on a project: Is not generally applicable under basic research.
1.3.    Fixed asset purchase and repair costs: Previously, NAFOSTED only funds for small and necessary research devices that are directly used for project activities. During merit review and evaluation, NAFOSTED prioritizes the host organizations that fully meet requirements on physical facilities and equipment to proceed their proposed research.  Any subcontracts for purchasing equipment must comply with regulations specified in Joint Circular No. 16/2015/BKHCN-BTC dated on 1st December 2015 by Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Science and Technology governing the administration and use of assets supported by State grants. Equipment purchase is possible only if there are no substitute hiring/renting services available, or due to inefficient asset maneuver.
1.4.      Sending delegations abroad: Is not generally applicable under basic research. If there is an urge need for sending delegations abroad, the research team must prepare a separate proposal and submit to “NAFOSTED support program for national science and technology competency enhancement” in accordance with Circular No. 09/2015/TT/BKHCN dated on 15th May 2015 by Ministry of Science and Technology.
2.     Applying Joint circular No. 27/2015/TTLT-BKHCN-BTC dated on 30th December 2015 by Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Science and Technology regulating funding allocation for conducting scientific projects using state budget in accordance with Decree No. 95/2014/ND-CP governing the investment and financial administration for science and technology activities as below:
PI should demonstrate their intentions for applying partly or full administrative expense allocation in Project Registration Form (Form NCCB 01 and NCCB 01E).
NAFOSTED shall consider the accounting framework of full administrative expense allocation if a proposal meets the following conditions:
(1) Host organizations, PI explain and propose to apply full administrative expense allocation for their proposals;
(2) Total budget withdrew from State budget used for repairing, and purchasing fixed assets and sending delegations abroad shall not occupy more than 15% of total state budget for the whole project and shall not exceed VND 1 billion.
(3) NAFOSTED Scientific Committee(s) approves that the project(s) can apply full administrative expense allocation after merit review and evaluation;

11. Notices

• PI of basic research projects that are currently being funded by NAFOTED but about to complete (by contract) before December 2016 and submit project closeout files prior to 1st June 2016 are eligible to apply for Round I/2016.
• A host or supporting organization is a registered scientific and technological organization with independent legal standing, legal seal and its own No. 3713 account at Vietnam State Treasury.
• It is required to prepare proposals in compliance with NAFOSTED regulations. Any proposal lacks requisite information or fails to comply with standard forms shall be refused for review.
• Round II/2016 for basic research proposals in natural sciences and engineering is going to open from October to December 2016.