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• Academia Sinica is committed to recruiting and retaining outstanding research talent to achieve the goal of enhancing research standards and technical support. The Guidelines for Academic Research Award Payments (hereinafter referred to as the “Guidelines”) have been established to promote this end through strengthening research performance assessment.
• The Guidelines apply to certified research staff and research specialists at AS.
• The pay grades are specified in the Guidelines according to overall performance in academic (technology) research, academic administration, public service, and behavioral ethics.
• The procedures for annual academic research performance assessment are as follows:
  • The director of each research institute (preparatory office) and research center should organize an Academic Research Performance Assessment Committee to carry out the assessment prior to the end of July. All research fellows and research specialists will be evaluated to determine their assessment levels. After a second round of review by the AS Academic Research Performance Assessment Committee, their grades will be sent to the President for final approval.
  • Research fellows and research specialists serving as Grade 1 adjunct academic or administrative directors at research institutes (preparatory offices), research centers, or the Central Administrative Office should have their academic research performances assessed by the AS President.
  • Research fellows and research specialists assigned as AS’s Academic Research Performance Assessment Committee members who are representatives at the General Assembly should have their academic research performances evaluated by their research institute or center and assessed by the President.

  The aforementioned Academic Research Performance Assessment Committee consists of 13 to 21 members, including the Secretary General, Executive Secretary and Deputy Executive Secretary of the Central Academic Advisory Committee, and Director of Department of Academic Affairs and Instrument Service, who serve as ex officio committee members. The President should appoint the remaining committee members from directors of each research institute (preparatory office), research center, and General Assembly representatives of AS’ three divisions. The President should appoint one Vice President as convener.

• Staff members should receive a research performance assessment at the end of each academic year, which will be processed the next academic year according to the following regulations:
  • Distinction: Staff members will be promoted one grade in base salary rank. If the base salary has reached the highest grade in the same position ranking or has reached seniority salary, staff members will be promoted one grade in seniority salary and receive a stipend of 3-months’ salary. If the maximum seniority salary has been reached, staff members will receive a stipend of 4-months’ salary.
  • Grade 1: Staff members will be promoted one grade in base salary rank. If the base salary has reached the highest grade in the same position ranking or has reached seniority salary, staff members will be promoted one grade in seniority salary and receive a stipend of 1-month’s salary. If the maximum seniority salary has been reached, staff members will receive a stipend of 2-months’ salary.
  • Grade 2: Staff members will be promoted one grade in base salary rank. If the base salary has reached the highest grade in the same position ranking or has reached seniority salary, staff members will be promoted one grade in seniority salary and receive a stipend of 0.5-months’ salary. If the maximum seniority salary has been reached, staff members will receive a stipend of 1.5-months’ salary.
  • Grade 3: Remain at original salary grade.
  • Grade 4: Remain at original salary grade, with joint appointment, adjunct position, adjunct teaching or temporary transfer not allowed for next academic year.

  The total number of staff members assessed as Distinction should not exceed 20% of total assessed staff members. The total number of staff members assessed as Distinction and Grade 1 should not exceed 70% of total assessed staff members.

  For staff members working at AS for more than 6 months but less than 1 academic year, the assessment should be made pursuant to Subparagraph 1 and completed at the end of the academic year. The evaluation will not result in promotion, but academic research awards will be given and stipends calculated according to months of employment. If the year of service cannot be combined due to resignation, retirement, severance, termination of contract before expiration, death, or leave without pay, the evaluation should be made immediately and academic research awards given after approval of evaluation results.

• Research fellows (senior research specialists), associate research fellows (associate research specialists) and assistant research fellows (assistant research specialists with doctorates) who receive Distinction in their academic research performances should be assessed according to the following criteria:
  • Attain highly acclaimed research results and technology achievements awarded by exceptional domestic or international academic organizations.
  • Attain major research results and technology achievements with notable contributions recognized by the scholarly community.
  • Attain research results and technology achievements assessed as excellent by relevant units.
  • Participate in academic administration or public service at Academia Sinica and achieve excellent results.
• Research fellows (senior research specialists), associate research fellows (associate research specialists) and assistant research fellows (assistant research specialists with doctorates) who receive Grade 1 in their academic research performances should be evaluated according to the following criteria:
  • Publish monographs that make significant contributions to the scholarly community.
  • Publish research papers (technology reports or products) that make significant contributions to the scholarly community.
  • Lead or engage in exceptional research.
  • Serve as Director or Co-Director of exceptional research projects.
  • Participate as keynote speaker at major international academic conferences.
  • Receive prominent academic awards.
  • Participate in academic administration or public service at Academia Sinica and achieve exceptional results.
  • Make notable contributions to assisting research work at institutes (preparatory office) and research centers.
  • Serve with distinction on editorial boards of leading international academic journals.
• Research assistants (including assistant research fellows and assistant research specialists without doctorates) and assistants (including research technicians) who receive Grade 1 in their academic research performances should be evaluated according to the following criteria:
  • Conduct research independently and obtain results.
  • Execute research projects or assist in establishing data bases and achieved results.
  • Assist in team research at research institutes (preparatory offices) and research centers and achieve satisfactory results.
  • Participate in academic administration or public service at Academia Sinica or individual research institutes (preparatory offices), research centers and achieve satisfactory results.
• Staff members who receive Grade 2 in their academic research performances should be evaluated according to the following criteria:
  • Publish monographs that make significant contributions to the scholarly community.
  • Publish research papers (technology reports or products) that make significant contributions to the scholarly community.
  • Lead or engage in satisfactory research.
  • Serve as Director or Co-Director of satisfactory research projects.
  • Participate in academic administration or public service at individual research institutes (preparatory offices), research centers and achieve results.
  • Assist in team research at research institutes (preparatory offices) and research centers and achieve results.
• Academic research performance should be evaluated as Grade 4 if the staff member meets one of the following criteria:
  • No important academic publications or service to the field within 6 years, reviewed and confirmed by the research institute (preparatory office) council or research center council.
  • Violation of the Code of Ethics for Academia Sinica Research Fellows and Research Specialists and no important academic publications or service to the field within 3 years, and penalized with contract termination before term expiration or academic research performance assessment no higher than Grade 2.

  Staff members under the following circumstances are not subject to aforementioned regulation 10-(1):

  • Received prominent domestic or international academic awards in the past 6 years.
  • Undertook large-scale or complicated research that required a longer period to obtain results, confirmed by research institute (preparatory office) or research center and approved by AS.
  • Permitted to remain at original position and salary pay while conducting advanced study.
  • Unable to undertake research due to sickness or special reasons confirmed by research institute (preparatory office) or research center and approved AS.
• Staff members who receive Grade 4 in their academic research performances for 2 consecutive years should have their contract terminated before term expiration after approval of the second assessment.
• Distinguished Research Fellows should be evaluated according to the Guidelines, and receive Grade 1 as the highest assessment level.
• Academic research performance assessment results of research staff members and research specialists should be processed starting from next academic year, unless otherwise prescribed in the Guidelines.
• Newly recruited staff members (excluding distinguished research fellows) may be recommended by the director of a research institute (preparatory office) or research center to receive the Initial Employment Academic Research Award. The Initial Employment Academic Research Award is up to 45% of the monthly salary, to be disbursed monthly for no more than 3 years.
  Awardees receiving the Initial Employment Academic Research Award should be reviewed by a relevant committee of AS and approved by the President; they should not receive other academic research awards.
  Staff members who received this award will not receive it again if they leave the position and then return.
  Awardees receiving the Initial Employment Academic Research Award should regularly submit research progress reports during the award period, and they will continue to receive the awards after the reports are evaluated and approved by the relevant committee.
• Research fellows, associate research fellows and assistant research fellows who meet one of the following criteria may apply for the Presidential Scholars Program 3 months before the end of the academic year. They will receive the award after review by the relevant committee of Academia Sinica and approval by the President.
  • Received Distinction in their academic research performances the previous academic year, and twice during the past 3 academic years.
  • Received Presidential Scholars Program during the past 3 academic years.

  The number of approved Presidential Scholars Program recipients each academic year should be no more than 5% of the total number of current research fellows, associate research fellows, and assistant research fellows who have not received the Presidential Scholars Program or Initial Employment Academic Research awards.

  The Presidential Scholars Program will be disbursed the next academic year, after approval, at up to 50% of the monthly salary, to be disbursed monthly for 3 years. Presidential Scholars Program recipients should not receive other academic research awards.

  Recipients of the Presidential Scholars Program or Initial Employment Academic Research awards may apply for the Presidential Scholars Program again the following academic year after the end of payments.

  Awardees receiving the Presidential Scholars Program should regularly submit research progress reports during the award period, and they will continue to receive the awards after the reports are evaluated and approved by the relevant committee.

• When the amendments to these Guidelines take effect on January 1, 2024, staff members who are still receiving the Initial Employment Academic Research awards and the Presidential Scholars Program may have their ratio of award payments re-assessed based on the increase rate before and after the upper limit of the award payment ratio is revised, and have their payment period extended to 3 years.
• The total budget stipulated by the Guidelines should be covered by AS’s science and technology budget.

(These Regulations are drafted in both Chinese and English. If there is any inconsistency between the two, the Chinese version shall prevail.)