Developing a Competency Model for Outstanding Researchers in China

Abstract

Outstanding researchers are the first resource for national science and technology development, and competency is one of the important reasons affecting the performance of outstanding researchers. Currently, there is a lack of strong explanations for the competency of outstanding researchers in China. Therefore, this study uses grounded theory method to code biographies of 17 Chinese scientists layer by layer to construct the competency model for Chinese outstanding researchers. The results show that: the competency model of Chinese outstanding researchers includes five dimensions, including internal research motivation, research knowledge reserve, creative consciousness and thinking ability, research quality, research skills and self-development, and 32 competencies, including research interest, research work ambition and enterprise, etc. The model is of great significance for establishing and improving the long-term mechanism of training, selection, evaluation and professional development of outstanding researchers in China.