“Diversified investment” enhances China’s strength in the basic research field of meteorological science and technology: A policy interpretation to the Meteorological Joint Fund

Abstract

<p indent="0mm">The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) has been dedicating itself to optimizing the “diversified investment” funding mechanism since its establishment in 1986 by constantly deepening the collaboration with other government departments, provincial governments and industrial sectors and encouraging them to set up the joint funds with NSFC to support basic research in the agreed scientific areas. By 2021, nearly 9500 projects were supported by the Joint Funds Program, successfully enhancing the macro-control role of the science fund. In December 2020, the NSFC signed an agreement with the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) to establish the Meteorological Joint Fund (MJF) to strengthen cutting-edge research to satisfy the demand for national and social development in meteorological services and build China’s innovation ability in atmospheric sciences. In January 2021, the call for MJF was initially issued online, attracting extensive attention from the atmospheric science community in China. Then, the NSFC received 69 eligible applications. According to the relevant rules, the reviewing procedure included both mail review and panel review. Fourteen key projects were funded based on peer review, with a success rate of 20.3%. The research period was <sc>4 years,</sc> and the average annual funding intensity was 662000 CNY/a, exceeding that of the conventional key programs of the NSFC. To ensure the operation of funding work, the NSFC approved the establishment of the MJF Management Committee (MJFMC). Additionally, an academic experts group (EG) was established by MJFMC to strengthen the top-level design of the fund. The main responsibilities of EG include (1) drafting the annual call for JMF, (2) providing academic suggestions for the projects funded, and (3) other tasks assigned by MJFMC. During their tenure, the experts cannot serve as PIs or Co-PIs for any submitted MJF proposals. Each expert can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms, with two years per term. Additionally, at least one-third of the original members could not be re-elected for the next term. The annual call drafted by EG and proved by MJFMC includes three areas, i.e., “numerical weather model development”, “theory and method of disastrous weather monitoring and forecasting”, and “artificial intelligence for meteorology applications”, respectively. Together with their affiliated research directions, these three areas reflect the frontiers in meteorological science and technologies. In addition to drafting the annual call, EG plays an important role in the peer review of the submitted proposals and in proposing insightful suggestions for the implementation of the projects funded in their kick-off meeting. To promote the development of the basic research of atmospheric sciences, some ideas of the reform measures for MJF management in the future are put forward, that is, identifying the funding strategy, increasing the fund volume, encouraging knowledge transfer to end users, and fostering more talents with the potential to grow into strategic and leading scientists. A three-step funding strategy was proposed based on the analysis of the atmospheric sciences’ funding layout and development trend. In the early stage of MJF, approximately 40 key projects will be funded as soon as possible to fill the funding gap in the field of weather forecasting. Then, in the mid-stage, MJF calls for about 5 integrated projects to integrate and refine the achievements by previously funded key projects. Finally, it is recommended that about two Basic Science Center projects be awarded for promoting the establishment of the China Research Center of Atmospheric Sciences to attract high-level academic leaders and outstanding talents who work together to tackle the deeply cross-disciplinary scientific issues in a relatively long term with stable financial support. The efforts to establish MJF reflect the consensus of the broad atmospheric sciences community on building China’s strength in meteorological science and technology, as well as the NSFC’s funding orientation in the new era of China. Along with implementing the reform measures, MJF will be destined to make significant contributions to reinforce the cooperation between the NSFC and CMA, foster scientific and technological talents, and improve China’s native innovation capabilities in meteorology and its related fields.