Notice on the Solicitation of Topics for 2020 Major Projects of the National Social Science Fund of China
To the Social Science Work Offices (Planning Offices) of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government; the Social Science Planning Office of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps [1]; the Bureau of Scientific Research of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS); the Department of Scientific Research of the Central Party School (National Academy of Governance); the Department of Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education; the National Office for Educational Science Planning; the National Office for Arts Science Planning; and the Military Social Science Planning Office:
To effectively carry out the bidding and tendering work for the 2020 National Social Science Fund Major Projects, and to widely solicit opinions and suggestions from experts and scholars in the social sciences community, notice is hereby given regarding the public solicitation of research topics:
Scope of Solicitation. The solicitation of topics this time shall focus on the major strategic deployments of the Party and the state and the decision-making needs of practical departments. Centering on accelerating the construction of a disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system [2] for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, and promoting the creative transformation and innovative development [3] of fine traditional Chinese culture, a batch of applied and interdisciplinary topics shall be proposed across different disciplines and fields that possess significant value for decision-making reference and practical guidance. Simultaneously, a batch of foundational topics of major academic innovation value and significance for cultural inheritance shall be proposed.
Basic Requirements. The proposed topics for Major Projects must adhere to the correct political orientation, possess clear research objectives, a distinct sense of "problem-awareness," substantial academic weight, and strong innovative value, embodying the principles of limited scale and prominent emphasis. The phrasing of the topics must be scientific, rigorous, standardized, and concise, generally without sub-titles (reference may be made to Major Projects approved in previous years). Topics should avoid repetition with already approved projects of the Marxist Theoretical Research and Construction Project [4], National Social Science Fund Major Projects, various National Social Science Fund special projects (such as the research specials for "forgotten" or unique disciplines [5] and national history), Ministry of Education Major Key Projects in Humanities and Social Sciences, and other national-level major projects. Any topic with the same or similar content provided in the past will not be recommended again.
Solicitation Targets and Quantity of Topics. Solicitation is primarily directed toward units including CASS, key universities directly under the Ministry of Education, the Central Party School (National Academy of Governance), provincial academies of social sciences and Party schools, provincial key universities, key research bases, and key military academies and research institutions. Each key university directly under the Ministry of Education shall submit 8–12 topics; each institute of CASS and each provincial-level key scientific research unit shall submit 3–5 topics.
Generation and Submission of Topics. Submitting units should combine their own research advantages and characteristics, organize experts and scholars to conduct thorough argumentation and refinement, and have the academic committee of each unit sign a recommendation opinion to ensure the scientific and standardized nature of the topics. Renowned experts and scholars are encouraged to rely on long-term academic accumulation, rich preliminary results, and personal academic originality to propose weighty and valuable Major Project topics. For each topic, the newly revised "National Social Science Fund Major Project Topic Recommendation Form" must be filled out, including a textual explanation of approximately 3,000 words. This should focus on discussing the academic basis, background, current research status, research content, and primary logic of the recommended topic.
Selection and Adoption of Topics. Our office will organize experts and scholars in relevant fields to conduct anonymous reviews of the solicited topics. Based on the voting and recommendations of the experts, a portion of the topics will be selected for inclusion in the 2020 National Social Science Fund Major Project bidding scope. The proposers and recommending units of topics officially included in the bidding scope must commit to agreeing that the proposed topics will undergo public bidding and fair competition, and that no intellectual property disputes exist.
Submission Timing and Specific Arrangements. Starting from 2020, National Social Science Fund Major Projects will implement online topic solicitation through the National Social Science Fund Scientific Research Innovation Service Management Platform. The solicitation system will be open from January 10 to March 5. During this period, the topic recommender may log in to the official website of the National Office for Philosophy and Social Sciences, enter the "Topic Solicitation" module of the "Social Science Fund Scientific Research Innovation Service Management Platform," and submit a registration application using real-name information. After approval by the responsible unit, they can log in to the system and upload the Topic Recommendation Form and the Recommendation Opinion of the Academic Committee as required (those who already have platform accounts do not need to register again). The system will close automatically after the deadline, and topic recommendations will no longer be accepted. Responsible units, local social science management departments, and delegated management institutions in Beijing shall review and control the submitted topics level by level, selecting the best among the excellent and prioritizing quality over quantity within the established quotas. Responsible units should strengthen the organizational guidance and service work for online topic recommendation within their own units and provide necessary technical support to ensure that recommenders successfully submit online materials within the specified time.
The "Topic Solicitation System" on the homepage of the National Social Science Fund Scientific Research Innovation Service Management Platform is the sole network platform for this topic solicitation. The network topic recommendation methods and process management shall be governed by this system. For inquiries regarding the topic solicitation system and technical issues, please consult the technical staff. Landline: 400-800-1636, Email: support@e-plugger.com.
National Office for Philosophy and Social Sciences January 9, 2020