Decision No. 562/QD-TTg dated April 25, 2017 of the Prime Minister on approving the Program on development of basic sciences in the fields of chemistry, life science, earth science and marine science during 2017-2025

THE PRIME MINISTER

Decision No. 562/QD-TTg dated April 25, 2017 of the Prime Minister on approving the Program on development of basic sciences in the fields of chemistry, life science, earth science and marine science during 2017-2025

Pursuant to the June 19, 2015 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the June 18, 2013 Law on Science and Technology;

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 46/NQ-CP of March 29, 2013, on the Program of Action to implement Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW of November 1, 2012, of the

6th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (XI^thCongress), on development of science and technology to serve the national industrialization and modernization in the context of a socialist-oriented market economy and international integration;

At the proposal of the Minister of Science and Technology,

DECIDES:

Article 1.To approve the Program on development of basic sciences in the fields of chemistry, life science, earth science and marine science during 2017-2025 (below referred to as the Program), with the following principal contents:

I. VIEWPOINT

1. The State plays the leading role in the development of basic sciences, considering investment in basic sciences as long-term investment with a view to heightening the position of Vietnamese science in the region and the world on the basis of taking into full play advantages, natural resources, and natural and environmental conditions of Vietnam.

2. To develop basic sciences as a foundation for absorbing and mastering state-of-the- art technologies and modem scientific achievements from around the world in combination with baseline surveys and application in the solution of practical problems to serve socioeconomic development and safeguarding of the sea and island sovereignty.

3. To develop basic sciences through intensifying and expanding international cooperation and in connection with tasks of universities, contributing to improving the quality of human resources in the field of science and technology and forming research universities.

II. OBJECTIVES

1. General objectives:

To raise the potential of basic sciences in the four fields of chemistry, life science, earth science and marine science; by 2025, to strive to lift the position of Vietnamese science to the advanced level in the region, with researches directed toward absorbing and mastering advanced technologies in these fields in order to serve socio-economic development and ensure national defense and security.

2. Specific targets:

a/ To build a contingent of highly qualified scientists who can contribute to improving the human resources training quality up to international standards. To develop promising young researchers’ groups in tertiary education institutions, contributing to forming research universities and striving to form between 15 and 20 strong research groups in each field by 2025;

b/ To raise the position of Vietnamese science in the region and the world, striving for the target that by 2025 some fields will attain the 3rd or 4th ranking among the Southeast Asian nations. To increase the number of Vietnamese scientific works published in prestigious international scientific journals (on the list of SCOPUS database) by 20-25% year on year, and 10-15% for marine science;

c/ To develop a number of key interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary and application- oriented basic researches in order to absorb and master advanced technologies to serve production and life.

III. TASKS AND SOLUTIONS

1. To set forth priority orientations for basic research and application-oriented basic research in the four basic sciences through 2025, with a vision toward 2030, in the following main areas:

a/ Chemistry:

- Organic chemistry;

- Pharmaco-chemistry;

- Inorganic chemistry;

- Theoretical and physical chemistry;

- Polymer and material chemistry;

- Analytic chemistry.

b/Life science:

- Research into life at the molecular level;

- Research into life at the histological and cellular levels;

- Research into life at the body level;

- Research into life at the population and ecological levels.

c/ Earth science:

- Geology;

- Geophysics and physics of the Earth;

- Geography;

- Meteorology and climate;

- Hydrology and water resources.

d/ Marine science:

- Oceanography and air-sea-land interactions;

- Marine chemistry;

- Marine biology and ecology;

- Marine geography, geology and geophysics;

- Marine mechanics and works.

2. The State shall place orders for national-level tasks following the priority research directions with specialized scientific and technological institutions in order to turn out applied products for production and life.

3. To build basic research capacity for tertiary education institutions (universities and research institutes providing doctoral training): To invest in key ministerial or sector- level laboratories for each basic science, organize basic research tasks to be performed by young doctoral researchers and potential research tasks, form strong research groups associated with these laboratories. To reward pupils and students who win prizes at national and international contests and competitions.

4. To increase the training of postgraduate human resources (masters and doctors) under a number of training programs approved by the Prime Minister (the Scheme on training of doctoral lecturers for universities and colleges during 2010-2020 under Decision No. 911/QD-TTg of June 17, 2010; the Scheme on state-funded overseas training of officials during 2013-2020 under Decision No. 599/QD-TTg of April 17, 2013), training and retraining of specialists by group and postgraduate training (the Scheme on state-funded domestic and overseas training of human resources for the fields of science and technology under Decision No. 2395/QD-TTg of December 25, 2015) and through scientific and technological tasks at all levels or international cooperation.

5. To reward scientists who have published their basic scientific research papers internationally on the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), Science Citation Index (SCI) and Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE); to financially sponsor scientists to participate in domestic and international scientific conferences in the fields specified in Decree No. 99/2014/ND-CP of October 25, 2014, on investment in development of scientific and technological potential and promotion of scientific and technological activities in tertiary education institutions.

6. To build basic science laboratories in tertiary education institutions. To procure large, modem and special-use equipment and devices for common use, and invest in observatories and data processing centers in specialized institutes. To formulate plans to build or charter oceanographic research ships.

7. To upgrade specialized journals and publish some journals in English. To organize national symposiums and international scientific conferences and workshops in Vietnam.

8. The National Science and Technology Development Fund shall prioritize and provide more and more funds for basic researches in chemistry, life science, earth science and marine science after obtaining approval of specialized councils in these fields.

9. To intensify international cooperation: Bilateral cooperation (with the Basic Research Foundations) of the Russian Federation and other countries with advanced basic sciences in East Asia, the EU and North America; to undertake multilateral cooperation, concentrating on UNESCO’s programs, such as International Basic Sciences Program (IBSP); Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), International Hydrological Program (IHP), International Geo-science and Geo-parks Program (IGGP), etc., and other relevant international cooperation channels.

10. To integrate this Program’s tasks and solutions into programs on training of highly qualified human resources and national scientific and technological programs approved by the Prime Minister; programs and tasks of conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources through 2025, with orientations toward 2030 (the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1671/QD-TTg of September 28, 2015), the master plan on the network of biotechnology institutes, research centers and laboratories through 2025 (the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1670/QD-TTg of September 28, 2015).

IV. FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM

1. Funds for the implementation of the Program will come from the following sources:

- State budget allocations for research and potential development investment tasks assigned by the State;

- The National Science and Technology Development Fund for basic researches;

- Lawful revenues of tertiary education institutions;

- International cooperation aid and financial assistance of businesses, organizations. and individuals and funds lawfully raised from other sources.

2. Annual budget estimates shall be prepared in accordance with the Law on the State Budget and incorporated in annual budget estimates of the ministries and sectors in charge of the program’s tasks.

Article 2.Implementation organization

1. The Ministry of Science and Technology shall assume the prime responsibility for implementing the Program, and has the following tasks:

a/ Approving priority orientations for basic researches and application-oriented basic researches in the four fields through 2025, with a vision to 2030;

b/ Planning and organizing activities of the Program to ensure the accomplishment of the tasks and achievement of the objectives of the Program;

c/ Performing task 1 and task 2 specified in Section III as well as the tasks and solutions set forth in this Decision; coordinating with related ministries and sectors in making development investment, enhancing scientific and technological potential and providing scientific and technological information for international integration in the four fields; basing itself on the specific tasks of the Program to formulate and implement schemes and project under plans and current regulations;

d/ Stepping up the participation in UNESCO’s International Basic Sciences Program, assisting the national MAB Committee in implementing the Lima Action Plan for UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (2016-2025);

dd/ Organizing inspection and evaluation of implementation results; holding preliminary and final reviews of and drawing experience from the implementation of the Program in order to adjust the Program in response to practical requirements and in line with global development trends.

2. The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology shall assume the prime responsibility for performing tasks 6, 7 and 9 specified in Section III as well as the tasks and solutions set forth in this Decision; cooperating with the Russian Federation Basic Research Foundation, intensifying the operation of IOC Vietnam, and chartering oceanographic research ships.

3. The Ministry of Education and Training, National University of Hanoi, National University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Health and Ministry of National Defense shall perform tasks 3, 4, 5 and 6 specified in

Section 111 as well as the tasks and solutions set forth in this Decision for their attached universities and research institutes.

4. The Ministry of National Defense shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with other ministries and sectors in, planning the use and operation of military ships for marine investigation and survey.

5. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall assume the prime responsibility for promoting activities of UNESCO’s 1HP and IGGP in Vietnam.

6. The Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations shall perform task 7 specified in Section III as well as the tasks and solutions set forth in this Decision.

7. The National Science and Technology Development Fund shall assume the prime responsibility for performing task 8 specified in Section III as well as the tasks and solutions set forth in this Decision.

8. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and Ministry of Finance shall, within the ambit of their functions and tasks, assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology and related ministries and sectors in, arranging investment funds and allocating non-business science and technology and education budgets for the implementation of the Program.

9. The ministries, sectors, the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations and related agencies shall base themselves on the specific tasks of this Program to formulate and implement schemes and projects under plans and current regulations.

Article 3.This Decision takes effect on the signing date.

Article 4.Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government- attached, agencies, and chairpersons of provincial-level Committees shall implement this Decision.-

For the Prime Minister

The Deputy Prime Minister

Vu Duc Dam