Notice from the National Natural Science Foundation of China on the Remaining Funds of Completed Projects

Guoke Jincai Letter [2021] No. 20

Relevant units:

    According to the spirit of the "Several Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Reforming and Improving the Management of Central Financial Research Funds" (Guobanfa [2021] No. 32), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (hereinafter referred to as NSFC) hereby notifies the following matters related to the surplus funds of completed projects:

    1. In order to encourage supporting units and researchers to use project funds reasonably and compliantly, there is no longer a requirement for the proportion of funds remaining at the end of the funding period for natural science foundation projects completed in 2021. Researchers should arrange funding expenditures reasonably according to the needs of scientific research activities. The supporting units should dynamically supervise the use of funds and provide real-time warnings and reminders. By reminding and urging scientific researchers to make good use of research funds in accordance with regulations, they should avoid sudden spending and excessive surplus.

    2、 For natural science foundation projects that have been completed in 2018 and beyond, the two-year recovery policy will no longer be implemented for the surplus funds that have been reserved for use by the supporting units according to regulations. The supporting units should coordinate and arrange the surplus funds for direct expenditures on basic research, give priority to the research needs of the original project team, strengthen the management of surplus funds, improve the mechanism for activating surplus funds, and accelerate the progress of fund utilization.

Finance Bureau of the National Natural Science Foundation of China

Planning Bureau of the National Natural Science Foundation of China

September 30, 2021