Suzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau is calling for proposal on the 2025 Suzhou Soft Science Research (General Projects).

You could visit it’s official website for more information: https://www.suzhou.gov.cn/szsrmzf/bmwj/202503/66fb9b40867a46cf8051b4f62164d372.shtml

What to fund: The selection process will be organized through a competitive merit-based approach. Applicants should propose their own research topics based on the guidelines (see attachment). Upon government approval, applicants then proceed with the research and submit a research report (applicants do not need to submit the report at this moment). The Municipal Science and Technology Bureau will organize experts to review the research reports, select the best projects for funding support. The funding for each project shall not exceed 80,000.00 RMB, and the grant will be disbursed in a lump sum upon project approval.

• Research on Issues Related to Innovation Platform Services Empowering Industrial Development
• Research on Issues Related to the Cultivation and Growth of Technology Enterprises
• Research on Issues Related to Industrial Technology Breakthroughs
• Research on Issues Related to the Aggregation of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Talent
• Research on Issues Related to Accelerating the Transformation of Innovation Outcomes
• Research on Issues Related to Technology Finance Empowering Industrial Development
• Research on Issues Related to Expanding Open Innovation Cooperation
• Research on Issues Related to Optimizing the Innovation Ecosystem

Quota Requirements and Project Requirements:

• The PI should possess the necessary research capabilities and organizational skills to complete the project. They must apply through their actual workplace, where they have a fixed employment relationship. Researchers under the age of 35 (born after January 1, 1990) are encouraged to take the lead in project applications.
• The project proposal should closely align with the selected research topic and provide detailed information, including the project overview (justification for initiation, research content, objectives, methods, and empirical design), research conditions and foundation, expected outcomes and applications, implementation plan, and funding details.
• The PI should not have any ongoing Suzhou municipal-level soft science research projects and can only apply for one project. As a main participant in a project, they may participate in at most one additional project. The total number of projects applied for and ongoing for the main participant must not exceed two.
• Soft science research projects that have been funded at the national or provincial level cannot be submitted for the municipal-level soft science research projects with the same content.
• The project research report should focus on the innovation-driven development needs of Suzhou, and include the following contents: research objectives, current situation analysis, case studies, empirical research, and policy recommendations. The empirical research and case study sections should account for more than 50% of the total length. The policy recommendations should be highly actionable and feasible. The data cited or provided in the report should primarily be from 2024 and must ensure authenticity and authority. The research report should be approximately 10,000 words, with an abstract of around 500 words.
• The submission deadline for the project research report is May 31, 2025.
• The quota for this project is 2 for DKU. If more than 2 PIs apply for this project, DKU will conduct an internal reviewing to determine.

Application Process:

1. Please send RSO all the applications by 4pm, Thursday, March 27, 2025.
2. RSO will review all the documents and help with stamping process. And then, please submit your application through https://sst.suzhou.gov.cn/.
3. After Suzhou S&T Bureau approves the application, then the PI could proceed with the research and research report.

Language: Chinese

Internal Deadline: 4:00 pm, Thursday, March 27, 2025.

If you are interested in applying for this funding opportunity, please send your proposals to RSO by the internal deadline. Shall you encounter any difficulties or have any questions regarding the application process (including the requirements, completing forms, or clarifying any details), please feel free to reach out to Research Support Office Duke Kunshan research-support@dukekunshan.edu.cn.

See attachment