Since 2014, numerous science and technology (S&T) policy reforms have been introduced in China for the purposes of transforming the nation into an S&T research leader by 2050. The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) reorganized the previously fragmented S&T programs down to five categories to make the process of R&D to commercialization more efficient and to better expend government funding. The Chinese Academy of Sciences was similarly reorganized, with its over 100 institutes repositioned into one of four categories: centers of excellence, academies for innovation, large facility platforms, and centers for supporting national local environment and resource needs.

Currently, seven professional organizations that are loosely affiliated with MOST have been founded. MOST has also partnered with MOF, the National Development and Reform Committee and other key S&T organizations to establish guidelines for S&T research review and funding. The Strategic Consultation and Comprehensive Review Committee, also a new organization, comprised of academic, government and industry S&T thought leaders, has been instrumental in the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan for boosting S&T through launching numerous national R&D programs. A country-wide information and reporting system has also been established to amass data on S&T programs, budgets, workforces, R&D progress and evaluations to make the S&T operating and managing processes more efficient.

Purchasing equipment had previously been a very bureaucratic process, with little wiggle room in research grant funding once it was approved. A new policy in 2016 was introduced to provide more flexibility in procuring equipment, materials, testing, data processing and overall experiment costs to simplify the process. Also in 2016, a new policy allowing for more freedom for researchers to work with businesses for technology transfer projects was presented. A new definition for national laboratories was also announced, now having specific requirements of size and interdisciplinary scope, as well as a broader investment scale. Currently, professional research organizations have little autonomy, as they are all affiliated with ministries, but many S&T organizations are seeking to redefine and lessen government involvement.

Source: Science