HKUST(GZ) Successfully Held the 2024 NSFC Project Application Experience Sharing Session
With the start of the 2024 NSFC project application, HKUST(GZ) held the 2024 NSFC Project Application Experience Sharing Session on January 24, 2024, to help the research teams deeply understand the application process and master the effective skills of writing application materials. The Sharing Session was held both offline and online, attracting about 150 faculty members and administrators. At the beginning of the Sharing Session, the Research Department (RD) introduced the essential parts of the 2024 NSFC application guidelines in detail and emphasized the timeline for the application process, providing clear guidance for research teams to carry out their application work.
Four 2023 NSFC awardees from four Hubs were invited to share their successful experiences applying for the Young Scientists Fund and the General Program.
Assistant Prof. CHEN Mojun of the Thrust of Smart Manufacturing pointed out the importance of choosing an appropriate research topic and analyzed the key points of writing each section of the application materials. He believed that a moderate length of precise description would make the application more concise and persuasive.
Assistant Prof. ZONG Zhirui of the Thrust of Microelectronics illustrated that choosing a proper application code is significant for being evaluated correctly. He also introduced how to translate solid industry work experience into a competitive advantage for natural science research topics and suggested close communication with peers for more information and advice.
Assistant Prof. LI Chaosu of the Thrust of Urban Governance and Design shared his experience of twice applying for the General Program. He considered that the General Program significantly differs from the Young Scientists Fund in the requirements and is the extension of the latter’s work. He suggested the applicants should prepare more adequately to apply for the General Program and be able to “talk” to the evaluation experts via the proposals.
Associate Prof. CUI Ying of the Thrust of Internet of Things explored the distinctions between project application and paper publication with her own project application experience in the past ten years. She also suggested that faculty members focus on academic accumulation and actively integrate into the academic circle during the interim period, from being awarded the Young Scientists Fund to applying for the General Program. She also said the applicants should pay more attention to the proposal’s title and abstract, clarify the research content’s structure, and make the proposal feasible and convincing.
This Sharing Session is another important NSFC tutorial activity after the One-on-One Tutoring Session for 2024 NSFC Project Application held on December 28, 2023. At the Tutoring Session, the RD invited experienced experts from different research fields to deliver one-on-one tutoring to over 50 faculty members divided into 6 groups, which gave constructive suggestions on modifying proposal drafts and enhancing the quality.
Prof. YIN Jian (Associate Dean of the School of Artificial Intelligence, Sun Yat-sen University), Prof. CHEN Weineng (Associate Dean of the School of Computer Science & Engineering, South China University of Technology), Prof. CHENG Lianglun from the Guangdong University of Technology, Prof. MAI Kancheng from the School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Researcher CHEN Shuisen from the Guangzhou Institute of Geography, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, and Researcher ZHENG Hui from the Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, tutored the applicants of the Artificial Intelligence group, the Mathematics and Computer Science group, the Automation group, the Geographic Information group, the Materials Chemistry group, and the Molecular Cell Biology group, respectively.
Through organizing the One-on-One Tutoring Session and the Sharing Session for the NSFC project application, our faculty members have a deeper understanding of preparing applications, reading guidelines, refining abstracts, proposal bases, research content, research objectives, key research questions, and other aspects. Meanwhile, for the convenience of all faculty members to access the NSFC regulations quickly, the RD systematically compiled the HKUST(GZ) 2024 NSFC Project Application Manual and uploaded it on the RD Website, aiming to provide systematic textual guidance for the applicants. In addition, the RD also created an online chat room to answer various questions that faculty members meet when they apply for 2024 NSFC projects, providing full support for project applications. We look forward to our faculty members’ excellent achievements in the 2024 NSFC project application, jointly promoting the prosperity and development of scientific research in HKUST(GZ).
