HomeGuidelines for Sponsored, Commissioned or Collaborative Research Projects at Academia Sinica
Approved on March 15, 2012
Made on April 11, 2012
Amended on October 9, 2012
Amended on September 16, 2015
Amended on March 6, 2018
Amended on May 24, 2021
Amended on June 23, 2022
Made on April 11, 2012
Amended on October 9, 2012
Amended on September 16, 2015
Amended on March 6, 2018
Amended on May 24, 2021
Amended on June 23, 2022
- To manage sponsored, commissioned or collaborative research projects by research fellows and research
specialists (hereafter referred to as “Researchers”) and to ensure research quality, Academia Sinica (hereafter
“AS”) has established these Guidelines.
The Guidelines are not applicable to research projects funded by AS or by Taiwan government agencies. - Terms in the Guidelines are defined as follows:
- Sponsored Research Projects: Research projects executed by AS Researchers funded by external agencies/institutions (excluding Taiwan government agencies) for the promotion of research and development of science and technology.
- Commissioned or Collaborative Research Projects: Research projects from external institutions commissioned to AS Researchers or executed in collaboration with AS Researchers for business or research purposes.
- Unless otherwise regulated by law, AS Researchers may be sponsored or commissioned by the following domestic or
international institutions to conduct research, or to participate in collaborative research projects:
- Government agencies, public and private schools.
- Non-profit businesses or organizations.
- For-profit businesses or other organizations approved by AS to participate in research and development projects.
- Researchers undertaking commissioned or collaborative research projects shall ensure that it does not interfere with their performance in their AS-supported activities, which should be carried out at professional level.
- The research project shall be reviewed and passed by the respective Institute (Preparatory Office) or Research
Center, and reported to the Central Office of Administration for approval before starting the tendering process
and signing the contract.
Institutes (Preparatory Offices), Research Centers and the Central Office of Administration should review whether the research project goals are in accordance with the following principles:- AS’s goals for academic development.
- Reasonableness of the project goals.
- Reasonableness of budget, time and labor, and materials required for reaching the project goals.
If Researchers fail to get approval from AS for a research project in collaboration with external agencies at the time of application, the Researchers must report it to Central Office of Administration and their affiliated institute (preparatory office) or research center for review once the research project is confirmed.
- If the research project involves human experiments, collection and use of human specimens, human embryos, human embryo stem cells, or involves infectious biological material, genetic reorganization, field testing of transgenic plants or animal experiments, Researchers must have the relevant materials reviewed by the appropriate AS committee before contract signing.
- If the Researcher is commissioned or undertakes collaborative research projects, the contract must be signed in the name of AS. The principal investigator shall countersign on the contract and fulfill the contractual obligations. The approved project proposal should be attached to the contract. The contract shall specify the number of copies to be retained by both parties. Each party shall submit the copy to relevant unit.
- The following research expenses shall be budgeted based on the rules of the funding source and actual need:
- Personnel expenses:
- Employment expenses.
- Allowance for the principal investigator.
- Execution expenses for project participants (such as postdoctoral scholars, assistants, students entitled to scholarships, etc.). The amount budgeted monthly per person for per project should not exceed 25% of the salary or scholarship. In addition, the monthly total from all Sponsored Research, Commissioned or Collaborative Research Projects shall not exceed the salary or the scholarship. However, the said expenses shall not be budgeted if the funding sources for Collaborative Research Projects include Taiwan government agencies, public schools, non-departmental public bodies, or foundations donated by the government.
- Operating expenses (equipment user fees, materials fees, printing fees, attendance fees, review fees, travel expenses, etc.)
- Equipment expenses.
- Relevant taxes and other government fees.
- Administrative expenses.
The aforementioned fees should be budgeted in accordance with the standards of the Executive Yuan and/or relevant AS procedures.
- Personnel expenses:
- Unless otherwise approved by AS or regulated by Taiwan government agencies, the budget of the research project
shall include administrative expenses according to the following criteria:
- For for-profit businesses or organizations:
- Sponsored Research Project: 15% of the total project budget.
- Commissioned Research Project: 20% of the total project budget.
- Collaborative Research Project: 20% of the total project budget.
- For government agencies, public and private schools, and nonprofit businesses or organizations:
- Sponsored Research Project: 15% of the total project budget.
- Commissioned Research Project: 15% of the total project budget.
- Collaborative Research Project: 15% of the total project budget.
- For for-profit businesses or organizations:
- Unless otherwise regulated in Paragraphs 2 and 3, one-third of the administrative expense shall be distributed
to AS, and two-thirds shall be distributed to the project execution unit.
If the research project is executed both at the Researcher’s primary appointment unit and Biomedical Translation Research Center (the joint appointment unit), the distribution of the administrative expense shall be decided by AS.
Each project execution unit of the Division of Life Sciences shall allocate 5% of the distributed administrative expense to the Library of Life Sciences. - The administrative expenses shall be used in accordance with Point 4 of the “Guidelines for Using the Administrative Expenses Derived from Sponsored, Commissioned or Collaborative Research Projects at Academia Sinica.”
- Public funds shall not be used to provide a tender bond, security or punitive damages, if any, required for a research project.
- The research project shall not be approved or may be terminated if:
- It is incompatible with the Researcher’s work performance or expertise.
- It may have a negative effect on the Researcher’s work performance.
- It may harm the image of AS.
- It may divulge official secrets.
- It may result in corruption.
- It may result in improper profits at work.
- It may lead to embezzlement of funds or misappropriation of AS’s property.
- It may violate academic ethics.
- It may harm another person’s safety or health.
- The recruitment of staff, expenditures and reimbursements of funds for the research project shall conform to contractual and statutory requirements.
- The Researcher should carry out the research project in accordance with the contract and submit research results to AS as scheduled for performance management and publicizing outcomes.
- Any matter not specified in these Guidelines shall be handled in accordance with other laws and regulations.
