To upgrade the registration system in the management of the findings and results derived from national S&T programs and to streamline the public announcement system for S&T findings, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology has recently published the Interim Regulations on Strengthening the Management of the Results of the National S&T Programs.
The Regulations has clearly defined the responsibilities and obligations of different parties in the course of managing S&T results produced by the national S&T programs. The institutions contracted to the national S&T projects, the management institutions under the authorization or consignment of the Ministry of Science and Technology for partial management of and organizing the implementation, the planning and management departments within the Ministry of Science and Technology, the S&T results management bodies and news and publication authorities shall observe the following stipulations:
1) Practice the reporting system on major national S&T results, ensuring timely and effective knowledge of the outputs from the national S&T program. The Regulations reiterate that all the projects under the national S&T programs shall strictly observe the results registration system. The project implementor shall report, through planning and management channels, the major findings or results to the results management body under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
2) Practice the public announcement system on major national S&T results. The Ministry of Science and Technology is responsible for the public announcement of the major national S&T results and associated management. The Ministry may initiate the public announcement of the major national S&T results at regular basis or when necessary. The past practice that some project implementors announced the major results without communicating with the Ministry of Science and Technology nor with the approval of the latter shall be changed for the purpose of safeguarding our national security and interests.
3) Further regulate the publication of academic reports, papers and monographs related to the national S&T programs. Authors are requested to acknowledge the financing of the national S&T programs. The project implementors are in the meantime requested to be well informed of the publication of academic reports, papers or monographs under the project and report the publication of the major results in the forms of academic reports, papers and monographs to the Ministry of Science and Technology.
4) Major projects shall be associated with the relevant intellectual property management authorities. And the intellectual property rights derived from the projects shall be clearly defined between the state and the project implementor.
5) Further strengthen the management of the scientific data, the archives and the instruments prepared under the national S&T programs. The utmost goal is to lay the foundation for changing the situation of blockading technology, resources and information among agencies and institutions; to promote resources sharing and to open the state procured instruments and equipment for social service.
6) Strengthen the construction of the information platform for the national S&T results dissemination and the public awareness of these results. Enhance the influence of the national S&T results, creating the climate favoring results diffusion, application and industrialization. (Newsletter of Ministry of Science and Technology No.338, July 30, 2003)
