HomeGuidelines for Academia Sinica Sustainability Science Research Program
Approved on February 24, 2021
Amended on January 18, 2024
Amended on January 18, 2024
- The Academia Sinica (AS) Sustainability Science Research Program (SSRP) has been established to adjust to global trends and support national policy on sustainable development by encouraging mission-oriented transdisciplinary research that combines the natural sciences, life sciences, humanities and social sciences and engages stakeholders. By progressing from knowledge to action, the SSRP seeks optimal solutions for sustainability problems. With clearly defined milestones, the SSRP research is designed to focus on applicability and engage with the international community. These Guidelines have been established to promote this end.
- The eligibility criteria for the SSRP projects are as follows:
- Project Principal Investigators (PIs) must be AS full-time Research Fellows of any rank, or AS jointly-appointed research fellows of any rank with an AS full-time Research Fellow serving as a Project Co-PI.
- Subproject PIs should be Assistant Research Fellows or above.
- In order to promote sustainable science exchange and collaboration between AS and domestic/foreign universities, colleges and research institutions, full-time employees of academic or research institutions outside AS may be invited to serve as Subproject PIs (or Co-PIs). At least one third of Subproject PIs within a project must be AS Research Fellows of any rank.
- SSRP projects may be classified into the following two categories according to the project period and stage:
- General Research Projects: The project period is three years; open to application based on topics selected for that year.
- Top-down Research Projects: The project period is one year in principle; applicable to urgent and promising sustainable issues; initiated aperiodically based on AS policy demands.
- SSRP projects may be classified into the following two categories according to the project scale:
- Multi-component Team Research Projects (McTRP): An McTRP includes one main project and two to five subprojects. The Project PI shall be responsible for assembling a research team, and overseeing subprojects in cooperative research to achieve overall project objectives.
- Team Research Projects (TRP): A TRP is proposed and carried out by one Project PI and one or multiple Co-PIs. The Project PI shall oversee funding allocations and project progress.
- To apply for an SSRP project, the applicant should submit the following documents to AS:
- Research proposal
- Applicant’s curriculum vitae and list of recent publications
- Other required documents according to the requirements for that year
- SSRP proposals are reviewed in three stages: first round review, panel review, and final budget review.
- First Round Review:
- Based on the selected topics for that year, AS will appoint Center for Sustainable Science (CSS) advisory committee members as well as other experts and scholars to form the Annual Review Committee.
- Annual Review Committee members will recommend panel reviewers for each proposal.
- After consultations with the referees, proposals will be submitted to relevant domestic and foreign experts and scholars for written peer review.
- The panel reviewers will summarize the written peer review results and if necessary send them to the applicants for rebuttal.
- Panel Review:
- The panel reviewers will conduct a final written peer review.
- The Annual Review Committee will convene an Expert Panel Review Meeting in order to recommend proposals for each topic.
- Final Budget Review: The Central Academic Advisory Committee (CAAC) will approve proposals for each topic during the SSRP Project Resolution Meeting according to written peer review results and referee review recommendations.
- First Round Review:
- A Project Execution Agreement should be submitted prior to commencing a project. Project execution and evaluation should be processed in accordance with the Agreement.
During the project, annual progress report should be submitted for review by the SSC and the CAAC, with review results of the first year report serving as a reference for third year funding.
Research groups are required to attend SSC seminars on a regular basis, and upon project completion present research results at a seminar while also submitting a final report describing all deliverables. The final report will be reviewed, with review results serving as a reference for future AS program applications. - In cases where an AS Project PI (inclusive of Project Co-PI) or a non-AS project participant is found to be in violation of academic ethics or conflict of interest regulations, the “Code of Ethics for Academia Sinica Research Fellows and Research Specialists” will apply.
