华人科学家致信《科学》讨论中国科研资助

华人科学家致信《科学》讨论中国科研资助

各种因素影响华人科学家回国；应多关注国际合作研究

11月5日出版的《科学》杂志的“通信”栏目刊登了加拿大艾伯塔大学张小川副教授的题为《资助华人合作研究》（Funding for Chinese Collaboration）的文章。

文章说，施一公与饶毅之前为《科学》撰写的社论点明了中国国内科研经费分配的各种问题。中国存在许多昂贵科研设备闲置，科研人员工资水平受限制等现象。目前，中国又下大力气投入了几十亿元人民币来吸引海外华人科学家归国效力。但是，他们中却有很多人在实际操作和家庭等因素的影响下，很难回国从事研究。

中国应该关注并资助那些海内外华人之间的合作研究。这种方式其实最能节省成本，而且对那些无法回国的科学家来说，也是最切实可行的。对此类合作研究的不重视，只会使中国错失吸引海外华人科学家为祖国科教做贡献的良机。

（科学网 张笑/编译）

Science 5 November 2010:
Vol. 330. no. 6005, p. 756
DOI: 10.1126/science.330.6005.756-a
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Letters
Funding for Chinese Collaboration
In their Editorial "China's research culture" (3 September, p. 1128), Y. Shi and Y. Rao describe an example of the rampant problems in China's research funding allocation, namely the selection of recipients for "megaproject grants." I often hear stories about very expensive equipment left packed in hallways or labs for years without being used. The funding agencies often have very strict guidelines for using the funding on salaries, even though a research group's ability to hire the talent they need is often the most important factor in the success of the research program.
China's funding strategy for overseas Chinese scientists is also problematic. As part of an Asia-wide trend, China has been trying to recruit talents from overseas (1). To attract established overseas Chinese researchers with advanced education from western countries, China has devoted billions of Chinese yuan to talent programs [such as the Thousand Talent program (2) recently established by the central government] that require overseas scholars to relocate to China to accept prestigious fulltime positions. However, many recipients of these awards cannot relocate because of practical and family obligations.

China should focus instead on grants that fund collaborative research between overseas Chinese scholars and their peers in China. Collaborative programs are more cost-effective and more practical for those who cannot relocate. One such program is the Joint Research Fund (JRF) for Overseas Chinese Scholars and Scholars in Hong Kong and Macao, administered by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). In 2006, a mere 0.7% of the NSFC budget was allocated to this worthy program (3). In 2008, the maximum grant was reduced from 400,000 Chinese yuan over 3 years to 200,000 Chinese yuan over 2 years (4, 5). By dedicating such a small budget to this program and others like it, China misses an opportunity to engage overseas Chinese scholars and benefit from their contributions to the country's research and education.

Scott X. Chang

E-mail: scott.chang@ualberta.ca

Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada.

References

1. A. S. Huang, C. Y. H. Tan, Science 329, 1471 (2010).[Abstract/Free Full Text]
2. Thousand Talent program [www.1000plan.org (in Chinese)].
3. National Natural Science Foundation of China, Financial Statistics of NSFC in 2006 (www.nsfc.gov.cn/english/11st/index.html).
4. National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fund for Talented Professionals (NSFC, 2008), p. 17; www.nsfc.gov.cn/english/06gp/pdf/2008/051.doc.
5. National Natural Science Foundation of China, Funds for Talented Professionals (NSFC, 2007), p. 145; www.nsfc.gov.cn/english/06gp/pdf/2007/031.pdf.