CAS, NSFC Join Hands to Support Use of Large Scientific Equipments

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) signed an agreement on February 17 to set up a fund to help universities and science institutes use CAS's large-scale scientific equipments for their research.

The two organizations will each provide half of the initial fund of 40 million RMB. The fund will be open to applications from 2009 to 2011.

It will help researchers to use the second phase construction of the Beijing Electron Positron Collider (BEPCII), Heavy Ion Cooler-Storage-ring Synchrotron System in Lanzhou, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) and Hefei Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

The fund is open to higher education institutions and research institutes nationwide, and will facilitate the integration and sharing of sci-tech infrastructures and increase the efficiency of large-scale scientific facilities, said Bai Chunli, vice president of CAS.

According to source from NSFC, its budget in 2009 could still maintain a 20% increase in spite of the financial crisis and a constrictive financial budget. NSFC financed 1265 projects with a total investment of 680 million RMB from 1999 to 2008.

SOURCE FROM CAS NEWS