Decision No. 17/2003/QĐ-BKHCN on the issuance of regulations on the working methods of the Science and Technology Advisory Council for selecting organizations and individuals to lead the implementation of State-funded scientific and technological research topics and experimental production projects.

DECISION OF THE MINISTER

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Regarding the issuance of the "Regulations on the Working Method of the Advisory Scientific and Technological Council for Selecting Organizations and Individuals to Lead the Implementation of Scientific and Technological Research Projects and State-Supported Pilot Production Projects"

Pursuant to Decree No. 54/2003/NĐ-CP dated May 19, 2003 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Science and Technology;

Pursuant to Decision No. 16/2003/QĐ-BKHCN dated July 18, 2003 of the Minister of Science and Technology promulgating the "Regulations on the Selection of Organizations and Individuals to Lead the Implementation of Scientific and Technological Research Projects and State-Supported Pilot Production Projects";

______________________

THE MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 Pursuant to Decree No. 81/2002/NĐ-CP dated October 17, 2002 of the Government detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Science and Technology;

Considering the proposal of the Director of the Department of Economic and Technical Sciences, the Department of Social Sciences and Natural Sciences, and the Department of Planning and Finance under the Ministry of Science and Technology;

Issuing along with this Decision the "Regulations on the Working Method of the Advisory Scientific and Technological Council for Selecting Organizations and Individuals to Lead the Implementation of Scientific and Technological Research Projects and State-Supported Pilot Production Projects".

This Decision shall take effect fifteen days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette and shall replace Decision No. 38/2002/QĐ-BKHCNMT dated July 8, 2002 of the Minister of Science, Technology, and Environment regarding the issuance of the "Provisional Regulations on the Working Method of the Advisory Scientific and Technological Council for Selecting Organizations and Individuals to Lead National-Level Scientific and Technological Research Projects during the 2001-2005 Period".

 DECISION:

 Article 1. The Directors of the Departments of Economic and Technical Sciences, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences, Planning and Finance, the Head of the Ministry's Office, Heads of units under the Ministry, and Heads of related agencies and organizations are responsible for implementing this Decision./.

Article 2.                                                                                                                       Hoang Van Phong

Article 3. On the working method of the advisory scientific and technological council

                                                                                                                         THE MINISTER




selecting organizations and individuals to lead scientific and technological research projects

REGULATIONS

and state-supported pilot production projects

(Attached to Decision No. 17/2003/QĐ-BKHCN dated July 18, 2003
I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
1. The evaluation and selection of organizations and individuals to lead the implementation of national-level scientific and technological research projects and state-supported pilot production projects (hereinafter referred to as Research Projects and Pilot Production Projects) shall be conducted by a Scientific and Technological Advisory Council established by the Ministry of Science and Technology based on the submitted application files.

of the Minister of Science and Technology)

2. Individuals who have registered as the principal investigator of a Research Project or Pilot Production Project and those participating in its implementation shall not participate in the Evaluation and Selection Council for that Research Project or Pilot Production Project (hereinafter referred to as the Council). In necessary cases, members of the Council may be staff members of the organization registering as the principal investigator of the Research Project or Pilot Production Project, but not more than one person and they cannot serve as Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, or reviewing member.

3. The Council will examine and evaluate the application files according to the criteria and scoring scales uniformly prescribed in Article 11 of the "Regulations on the Selection of Organizations and Individuals to Lead the Implementation of National-Level Scientific and Technological Research Projects and State-Supported Pilot Production Projects" issued together with Decision No. 16/2003/QĐ-BKHCN dated July 18, 2003 of the Minister of Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as Regulation No. QĐ16/2003).

4. The organization or individual proposed as the successful candidate to lead a Research Project is the organization or individual whose application file ranks highest, with an average score of at least 70 out of 100 points, including an average score of at least 50 out of 70 points for scientific and practical value.

The organization or individual proposed as the successful candidate to lead a Pilot Production Project is the organization or individual whose application file ranks highest, with an average score of at least 65 out of 100 points, including an average score of at least 45 out of 65 points for technological and economic value.

5. Evaluators and Council members must work objectively, be responsible for their evaluations, adhere to selection discipline, and keep confidential information related to the selection process.

6. If a Council member's score differs by 20% or more from the average score given by other present Council members in the same application file, that member's score will not be accepted. The evaluation result of that application file will be based solely on the scores given by the remaining Council members.

7. A session of the Council for examining and evaluating the selection must have at least two-thirds of the members present, including the Chairperson and/or Vice-Chairperson.

8. The Chairperson of the Council presides over Council sessions. In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson will preside over the session.

9. The Minister of Science and Technology appoints clerks to assist the Council.

II. PROCEDURES AND PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE COUNCIL

Step 1: The Council agrees on the working method

1. The clerk assisting the Council reads the Decision establishing the Council, introduces the composition of the Council and the attending representatives.

2. A representative from the Ministry of Science and Technology outlines the requirements and main contents of the relevant regulations concerning the selection of Research Projects and Pilot Production Projects, including:

- The regulations on determining national-level scientific and technological Research Projects and Pilot Production Projects issued together with Decision No. 07/2003/QĐ-BKHCN dated April 3, 2003 of the Minister of Science and Technology.

- Regulation No. QĐ16/2003 and these regulations.

3. The clerk assisting the Council reads the Minutes of the Opening of the Application File for Selection (Form B2-1-BBHSTC), announcing the number and list of application files meeting the conditions to be reviewed and evaluated by the Council.

- Regulation number QD 16/2003 and this regulation.

3. The clerk reads the Minutes of the Opening of the Registration File for Selection (Form B2-1-BBHSTC) and announces the number and list of Files meeting the conditions to be reviewed and evaluated by the Council.

A valid file is a file that meets the conditions stipulated in Articles 5, 6, 7, and 8 of Decision No. QĐ 16/2003. Files lacking legal documents proving the ability to mobilize funds from other sources as specified in Point 6 of Clause 6 of Decision No. QĐ 16/2003 will still be considered valid but will not be awarded points for mobilizing funds from other sources.

4. The Council discusses and exchanges views to thoroughly understand the principles, methods of examination and evaluation, evaluation criteria, and scoring methods for applications to select the main implementers of Research Topics and Science and Technology Projects according to Decision No. QĐ 16/2003 and this Regulation.

5. Members of the Council receive the applications for selection to prepare written comments and evaluations using the corresponding forms below:

- Form B2-2-PNXCN for Scientific and Technological Research Topics,

- Form B2-2-PNXXH for Social Sciences and Humanities Research Topics,

- Form B2-2-PNXDA for Science and Technology Projects.

The Council assigns two members who are deeply knowledgeable about the research fields of Research Topics and Science and Technology Projects to provide critical reviews and evaluations of all applications for selecting the main implementers of Research Topics and Science and Technology Projects. When necessary, the Council may recommend the Ministry of Science and Technology to invite experts outside the Council who are deeply knowledgeable about the research fields of Research Topics and Science and Technology Projects to review and evaluate the applications.

Experts or Council members responsible for critical reviews must study and analyze each piece of information declared in the application for selection, write comments and evaluations, explain the scoring of each criterion according to the scale stated on the Comment Sheet of this Regulation, and submit the written comments and evaluations to the Council's secretary.

6. The Council agrees on the working date to examine and evaluate the applications for selecting the main implementers of Research Topics and Science and Technology Projects (organized after receiving the Comment Sheets of the applications belonging to these Research Topics and Science and Technology Projects from the experts/Council members who have reviewed and critically evaluated them).

Step 2: The Council evaluates and selects applications

1. The Council listens to experts and Council members responsible for critical reviews reading their comments and evaluations of each application for Research Topics and Science and Technology Projects.

The Council may ask questions of the experts/Council members who have reviewed and critically evaluated the applications regarding each evaluation criterion related to each application.

After answering the Council members' questions, non-Council experts complete their tasks and do not continue attending the Council's evaluation meeting.

The Council's secretary reads the written comments of absent members (if any) for the Council to study and refer to.

2. The Council discusses and evaluates

The Council exchanges views and discusses each application according to the criteria already defined and votes to evaluate.

3. The Council elects the Counting Committee and votes

The Counting Committee consists of three Council members (one of whom is elected as the head).

The Council votes to score each application according to the corresponding forms below:

- Form B2-3-PTCCN for Scientific and Technological Research Topics,

- Form B2-3-PTCXH for Social Sciences and Humanities Research Topics,

- Form B2-3-PTCDA for Science and Technology Projects.

Each Council member scores each application by giving points according to the scale specified on the form.

Valid ballots are those that give points equal to or lower than the maximum points recorded on the corresponding form for each evaluation criterion.

4. Summarize the evaluation results

The Counting Committee reports the counting results to the Council according to Forms B2-4-KPTVHĐ and B2-5-KPĐGTC.

In cases where there are at least two applications with an average total score of 70/100 points or higher, and among which, the average score for scientific and practical value is at least 50/70 points for Research Topics, or two applications with an average total score of 65/100 points, and the average score for technological and economic value is at least 45/65 points for Science and Technology Projects, the Council ranks these applications in priority order according to the principles set out in Article 13 of Decision No. QĐ 16/2003, specifically as follows:

- Average total score in descending order;

- Prioritize the average score for scientific and practical value for applications with the same average total score;

- Prioritize the Chairman's score (or the Deputy Chairman's score, in case the Chairman is absent) for applications with the same average total score and the same average score for scientific and practical value;

For applications with the same average total score, the same average score for scientific and practical value, and the same Chairman's score, the Council recommends the Ministry of Science and Technology to make a decision.

5. The Council approves the Minutes of the Council's work and recommends organizations and individuals who have been selected.

The Council discusses and recommends additional or necessary amendments to the contents mentioned in the Research Topic Description or Science and Technology Project Description, and suggests funding for implementing the Research Topic or Science and Technology Project, or highlights points to note during the completion of the application by the selected organization or individual.

The Council's Minutes are prepared according to Form B2-6-BBHĐTC.

6. Ministries, agencies equivalent to ministries, agencies under the Government, People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities may apply this Regulation to study, develop, and issue regulations on the working methods of Councils selecting organizations and individuals to undertake science and technology tasks within their jurisdiction./.