Guidelines of BNBU Research Grant

The BNBU Research Grant (BNBURG) was established to support both basic and applied research. The University strongly believes that research is an integral part of higher education.

The establishment of BNBURG represents BNBU’s commitment to continuously improving the research capabilities of our staff, thereby better serving our national and local needs for innovation in science and technology, as well as arts and social development. Faculty members are urged to engage students in their research activities, allowing them to experience first-hand the importance of research in knowledge creation, problem solving, and life-long learning 

1.Funding Policy

BNBU encourages staff to seek external funding to support their research and other scholarly activities due to the limited resources available within our university. More importantly, being funded by established funding agencies serves as a form of recognition of your achievements in the field. However, we understand that securing external research funds can be highly competitive. Given the limited budget, the University plans to provide start-up and catalytic funds to support promising projects, thereby paving the way for successful applications for external funding.

2.Categories of Grant

2.1.For New Faculty

2.1.1.Start-up Research Fund (科研启动经费) - RMB 50,000-100,000.

This category provides seed money for new faculty to kick-start their research activities. The final amount of funding will depend on the research track record, the actual needs of the project, and disciplinary factors. The Principal Investigator (PI) will be required to submit a project completion report to RDKTO when the grant period ends.

Eligibility: Full-time new faculty members with a PhD degree, at the rank of assistant professor or above, are eligible to apply for the start-up fund.

Project Duration: Three years.

2.2.For All Faculty

Each staff member is permitted to submit an application for one of the three projects listed below. Individuals are allowed to hold a maximum of one Matching Funds, General Project, or Research Team as the Principal Investigator. There is no limit on the number of grants for which individuals can serve as Co-Investigators. Indeed, staff are encouraged to seek Co-Investigators, especially from other disciplines. Grants for which the completion reports have not been submitted are considered active grants.

2.2.1.Matching Funds for Government Sponsored Projects (配套经费) - RMB 5,000- 200,000.

This category provides a Matching Funds to encourage staff in acquiring external funds. The minimum Matching Funds is 5,000 and the maximum is 200,000. If the obtained grant falls between 5,000 and 200,000, the Matching Funds will be awarded on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

Eligibility:

Full-time faculty members with projects funded by the listed funding agencies will be allocated a certain amount of matching grants. This category is only for projects that have been applied for through BNBU. Projects transferred from external institutions to BNBU are ineligible. Individuals are allowed to hold a maximum of one Matching Funds during the duration of the Government-Sponsored Project.

Project Duration: Same as the Government Sponsored Projects duration.

2.2.2.General Project (面上项目) - RMB 10,000-100,000.

This category is designed to provide funding to support staff who have an established track record in their field of research.

Eligibility:

Full-time faculty members (assistant professor or above) holding a PhD degree who meet the following requirements during the past three years are eligible to apply for the project: 1) PI of a national or provincial research grant, or PI of a sub-project of the Ministry of Science and Technology or another national research grant; 2) Except for dual-hired staff, the affiliation of the national or provincial research grant must be BNBU, including projects formally transferred to BNBU; 3) The requested amount for the General project cannot exceed the funds allocated by the national or provincial research grant to BNBU.

Project Duration: Two or three years.

Expected Research Output(s) of General Project:

Two representative research outputs in the form of: SCI/EI/SSCI/A&HCI journal paper (Q1 or Q2), or paper presented on CCF listed conference, or patent, or book/book chapter published by a renowned publisher, or other types of research output recognized by the review panel.

2.2.3.Research Team (科研团队) - RMB 200,000-500,000.

This category aims to support promising research teams in conducting in-depth studies, especially those of an interdisciplinary nature.

Eligibility:

The eligibility for this category mirrors that of the General project. Additionally, the research team is required to have a double-qualified PI.

Project Duration: Three years.

Expected Research Output(s) of Research Team:

Eight representative research outputs in the form of: SCI/EI/SSCI/A&HCI journal paper (Q1 or Q2), or paper presented on CCF listed conference, or patent, or book/book chapter published by a renowned publisher, or other types of research output recognized by the review panel.

3.Application Procedures

3.1.Eligible staff for the Start-up fund will be informed of the application process by RDKTO at the beginning of the semester.

3.2.Applications for the Matching Funds will be opened after the funds from the Government Sponsored Projects are received by BNBU.

3.3.Applications for the Start-up Fund, General Project, and Research Team should be submitted to the office of the relevant teaching units for the Dean/Director’s endorsement first.

3.4.RDKTO will forward applications to appropriate external and internal peer reviewers for their recommendations.

3.5.RDKTO will organize a panel meeting consisting of both BNBU and external academics with profound research backgrounds.

3.6.The Research Committee will consider the recommendations from the review panels and make the final decision on the funding of the projects.

3.7.The decision, along with comments from the review panel, will be sent to the applicants.

4.Project Management

4.1.Budget Management: The BNBU Research Grant will be provided on a cost-reimbursement basis. Once the project is approved for funding, RDKTO will inform the Finance Office to set up an account for the project. All expenses must strictly adhere to the approved budget. The principal investigator should submit requests for reimbursement of research grant funds to the Faculty and RDKTO for approval.

4.2.Project Management: Investigators of General Project and Research Team projects are required to submit a mid-term progress report to RDKTO for assessment. Investigators who fail to submit the mid-term reports or whose mid-term reports are rated unsatisfactory will have their funding terminated. All projects are required to submit a completion report when the project reaches its due date. Investigators who fail to submit their project completion reports on time or whose completion reports are rated unsatisfactory will be granted a one-year extension. If the re-assessment of project completion still fails, the PI will be barred from applying for BNBURG and the remaining grant will be withdrawn.

4.3.Any publication or publicity of work that is fully or partly funded by BNBURG should acknowledge the support from BNBU, along with the grant number of the funded project. Any work that does not acknowledge BNBU's support cannot be included in the grant completion report as evidence of project accomplishment. Meanwhile, the first affiliation should be with BNBU. For dual-hired staff, one of the affiliations must be with BNBU.

5.Application Period

Start-up Research Fund: At the beginning of each semester.

Matching Funds for Government Sponsored Projects: Available all year round.

General Project: October.

Research Team: Available all year round.