Scientific and technological innovation, ＂revealing the list＂ breaks through and adds vitality.
The medium and low speed maglev train in the commissioning workshop of CRRC Changke Co., Ltd. Xinhua news agency
[Roundtable Dialogue]
Implement "revealing the list", the chief scientist responsibility system, the fund contract system, amend the law on scientific and technological progress, and speed up the evaluation of scientific and technological talents … … In the first year of the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan", China adhered to the two-wheel drive of scientific and technological innovation and institutional innovation, and the reform of the scientific and technological system continued to benefit and continue to stimulate innovation vitality.
At the 20th Academician Conference of China Academy of Sciences, the 15th Academician Conference of China Academy of Engineering and the 10th National Congress of China Association for Science and Technology, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader emphasized that the reform of science and technology system should be promoted to form a basic system supporting all-round innovation. How to further consolidate the institutional foundation, cultivate fertile soil for innovation and stimulate the vitality of scientific and technological talents? This print specially invites three deputies to have a dialogue on this hot issue in science and technology.
welcome guest
Member Yuan Yaxiang (Member of the Standing Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Academician of China Academy of Sciences)
Representative Hu Shengyun (Deputy Director of Aerospace Sanjiang Science and Technology Committee of China Aerospace Science and Industry Group)
Member Shi Daning (Vice President of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics)
Moderator:Our reporter Yang Shu Cui Xingyi Zhan Yuan
1. Optimize the system and mechanism to improve efficiency.
Moderator: In the past year, China has continuously improved the organization and implementation mechanism of major scientific and technological tasks, and optimized the project application and evaluation, fund management, talent evaluation and incentive mechanism. What changes have you seen?
Yuan Yaxiang:In 2021, the Ministry of Science and Technology launched the key research project of "Mathematics and Applied Research". This is the first time that China has set up a key research project in the field of mathematics, and this key project has released a list of "revealing the list". The list focuses on major application scenarios such as satellite electromechanical system performance prediction, and strives to make breakthroughs in solving related deep-seated mathematical problems that restrict the development of technology. The implementation of "unveiling the list" will undoubtedly promote the cooperation between the mathematics community and enterprises, encourage high-level mathematicians to solve the "stuck neck" problem according to the specific problems of enterprises, and greatly promote the application of mathematics in practice. At the same time, "breaking the four virtues" has gained more recognition, and relevant departments and units have introduced some specific implementation measures; Some projects have realized the fund contract system, which is welcomed by the majority of scientific and technological workers.
Hu Shengyun:In the past year, China Aerospace Science and Technology Sanjiang explored the mechanism of professional title evaluation and salary distribution to those who have made outstanding contributions to the development of the unit, which greatly stimulated the enthusiasm of scientific research personnel and officers to start businesses and formed a good innovation ecology. At the same time, the major changes brought by the fund contract system fully give the scientific and technological team autonomy and greatly promote the development of innovation work. In the past, once the funds were approved, the projects were fixed, which was inconvenient for specific use. Nowadays, project implementation is goal-oriented, and the project leader has the right to decide the use of funds to ensure that the money is used in the cutting edge. At the same time, in the use of funds, there are specialized managers to provide logistics support, so that researchers can devote themselves to the research and development tasks.
Shi Daning:We are delighted to see that we are exploring new scientific research organization mode and scientific research management mechanism, building a good scientific and technological innovation ecosystem of "competing for results, solving real problems and gathering strong teams", and injecting new kinetic energy into tackling key core technologies. In exploring the construction of a more reasonable and effective talent evaluation system, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics is "not broken and not established, but broken and established". For example, an associate professor of our school cooperated with enterprises to successfully develop a consolidated abrasive polishing pad for polishing the screen of smart phones, and put it into production on a large scale, breaking the global monopoly of foreign companies. With this outstanding achievement, he was highly recognized in the evaluation of professional titles and successfully promoted to professor. Recognizing and affirming each teacher’s outstanding contributions and achievements in their respective fields is the direction of the school’s continuous efforts.
2. Create an innovative ecology and overcome difficulties.
Moderator: What practical problems need to be solved to create a good innovation ecology and further stimulate the vitality of science and technology?
Yuan Yaxiang:In the field of basic research, how to create an environment for the majority of scientific and technological workers to study with peace of mind, concentration and comfort is very important. At present, scientific and technological workers will still be influenced by some red tape, and they still have to spend a lot of energy on many evaluations and appraisals. The phenomena of quick success and quick success and impetuous style of study still exist; In discipline construction, pure basic research that is difficult to be directly applied is often difficult to get real attention; In the aspect of evaluation system, the practice of paying too much attention to quantity, not distinguishing basic research from applied research, and not distinguishing subject fields still exists; The scientific nature of scientific research management system and mechanism also needs to be further improved.
Hu Shengyun:The key to scientific and technological innovation lies in talents. In the aerospace industry, many scientific research projects have long periods, high risks, high difficulties and good prospects, which require a stable scientific research team to devote themselves to their work and make bold innovations. Aerospace enterprises should actively explore the salary distribution system and talent evaluation mechanism with market competitiveness, not judge heroes by academic qualifications, qualifications and other standards, but take the ability level as the evaluation core, and fully mobilize the enthusiasm of scientific and technological talents. In addition, while striving for training opportunities in major projects for talents, we should strengthen care for the families of scientific and technological talents, provide help in children’s education and medical security, and let scientific and technological personnel devote themselves to research work.
Shi Daning:Colleges and universities shoulder the important mission of the main position of talent training, the main force of basic research and the source of major scientific and technological breakthroughs, but there are still shortcomings and deficiencies in innovation and ecological optimization. First, the personnel training and scientific research effectiveness evaluation system is not perfect, and the multi-dimensional effectiveness evaluation system, which is guided by innovative value, ability and contribution and reflects connotation development and characteristic development, is still not perfect; Second, while giving researchers greater autonomy in human and financial resources, they need to find a better balance between "liberalization" and "management" and guide researchers to make good use of all kinds of scientific research policies; Third, some major scientific research projects still have insufficient incentives for researchers. For example, projects such as the National Natural Science Foundation, major national science and technology projects, and national key R&D plans can all be charged to indirect expenses without setting an upper limit. However, there are still some scientific research projects that do not have indirect expenses, and the performance expenditures of researchers cannot be charged.
3. Build a strong country in science and technology and pool wisdom.
Moderator: Promoting the reform of the science and technology system and forming a basic system to support all-round innovation are very important for accelerating the construction of a powerful country in science and technology and realizing high-level science and technology self-reliance. What suggestions do you have for this?
Yuan Yaxiang:We should follow the development law of science and technology, on the one hand, learn from foreign advanced practices, and on the other hand, promote the reform of science and technology system based on national conditions, long-term and overall situation. In the implementation of reform measures, we should proceed steadily, and major reform measures should organize expert groups to fully listen to different opinions. In the process of promoting the reform of science and technology system and mechanism, we should not only consider facing the main battlefield of economic construction, but also consider the development of disciplines, and pay equal attention to basic science and applied science.
Hu Shengyun:This year’s National People’s Congress, I mainly focus on self-reliance and self-improvement through science and technology. It is necessary to give full play to the positive role of competition mechanism and market mechanism in the process of self-reliance and self-improvement of science and technology, pool wisdom, improve efficiency, and help us quickly master core technologies and solve the "stuck neck" problem. To further stimulate the vitality of scientific and technological innovation, it is urgent to cultivate leading talents in scientific and technological innovation, build a sound policy system, scientifically formulate long-term talent training plans, make every effort to create a good innovation ecology, and make continuous efforts to promote the country’s high-level scientific and technological self-reliance.
Shi Daning:First of all, it is necessary to speed up the construction of an efficient scientific research management system for tackling key core technologies, optimize the management mode of major scientific research tasks, strengthen the overall planning of innovative resources, improve the way of resource allocation, maximize the advantages of all parties, and form an overall synergy to promote key core technologies; Secondly, we should adhere to the evaluation orientation with quality, performance and contribution as the core, and establish and improve a classified evaluation system that respects the laws of scientific research activities; Thirdly, we should explore the income distribution mechanism guided by knowledge value and adopt a more flexible salary system to provide a stable guarantee for scientific research. In addition, it is necessary to deepen the integration of science and education, concentrate on training high-level innovative talents, speed up the training of basic disciplines and talents in short supply, and conserve the vitality of scientific and technological innovation for the future.