Operating Guidelines for the Tsungming Tu Award of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)

Amended and promulgated pursuant to document Ke-Bu-Ke-Zi No. 1030044014 on June 20, 2014

Article 1

The Ministry of Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as the “MOST”) has determined these Operating Guidelines in order to establish the Tsungming Tu Award (hereinafter referred to as the “Award") as a means of recognizing the outstanding research achievements, tremendous contributions to society, and enthusiasm for international academic cooperation of scholars and experts abroad, and thereby enhancing Taiwan’s participation in international cooperation and its international academic status.
 

Article 2

MOST will sign cooperation agreements with prominent international academic awards organizations to recognize the outstanding scholars and experts of signatory countries through the mutual award of prizes.

MOST grants the Award to recipients from signatory countries in order to encourage recipients to engage in research cooperation with scholars and experts in Taiwan.
 

Article 3

The Award is awarded annually. Each signatory country may have a maximum of three recipients.
 

Article 4 Cash prize and categories:

Each recipient will be granted a cash prize of from US$50,000 to US$100,000, a certificate, and a trophy.

Article 5 Eligibility:

5.1 Nominators must possess the applicant qualifications of a Principal Investigator (PI) in the “Guidelines for Funding of Specific- topic Research Projects by the Ministry of Science and Technology.”

5.2 Nominees shall be prominent international figures or scholars or experts with signatory country nationality who have important academic findings or achievements. Priority consideration will be given to young scholars. 
 

Article 6 Applicant Institutions:

6.1 Public and private colleges and universities, and national research institutions.

6.2 Academic research institutions recognized by MOST.
 

Article 7 Application:

7.1 Nominators shall fill out and submit the following forms on the MOST website, and include an official letter from the nominator's Applicant Institution to file an application with MOST; nominees shall not file applications themselves:

1. English recommendation application form.

2. Three to five of the nominee's representative written works or full information concerning the results of application of intellectual property based on the nominee's research and development results.

3. Directory of the nominee's written academic works.

7.2 Incomplete applications shall not be accepted.
 

Article 8 Review:

MOST shall conduct a two-stage written material and meeting review process.
 

Article 9 Timeline:

9.1 Nomination period: During the period of September 1-30 each year.

9.2 Review period: Prior to January 31 of the following year.

9.3 Announcement and notification: Prior to February 28.

9.4 Award ceremony: During March or April.

Under special circumstances, the timeline announced by MOST shall take precedence.

Article 10

Nominees shall come to Taiwan to accept the Award after they have been notified by MOST that they are recipients. MOST shall provide a subsidy for one roundtrip business class airline ticket.

Article 11 Cooperative research activities of recipients:

11.1 Recipients of this Award are encouraged to come to Taiwan for exchange activities consisting of cooperative research or teaching for at least six months, and the research period can be completed in stages.

11.2 Recipients' nominators shall propose and implement the cooperative research activities in which the recipients participate.

Article 12 Subsidies for cooperative research activities:

12.1 Expenses for cooperative research conducted by recipients and domestic experts and scholars may be added to the project funding for the fiscal year after the participating domestic experts and scholars apply for added research expenses in accordance with “Guidelines for Funding of Specific- topic Research Projects by the Ministry of Science and Technology.”

12.2 MOST shall provide subsidies for recipients to take 50-hour Mandarin courses while they are in Taiwan to take part in cooperative research.

12.3 MOST shall provide subsidies for the roundtrip business class airfare of recipients' spouses and each child under the age of 18 when recipients conduct research in Taiwan for more than six consecutive months. Such subsidies shall be provided only once.

The subsidies specified in Subparagraph 2 and Subparagraph 3 of the foregoing paragraph shall be included within the added research expense items in Subparagraph 1. Settlement and case conclusion procedures for added research expenses shall be handled as required by the “Guidelines for Funding of Specific- topic Research Projects by the Ministry of Science and Technology.”

Article 13

The Award will only be granted to the same recipient once.

Article 14

Other matters that are not mentioned in these Operating Guidelines shall be handled in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.