Conditions for establishment and criteria for recognition of strong research groups in higher education institutions in Vietnam

Conditions for establishment and criteria for recognition of strong research groups in higher education institutions in Vietnam (Internet image) 

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. Conditions for establishment and criteria for recognition of strong research groups in higher education institutions in Vietnam

According to Article 8 of Decree 109/2022/ND-CP, strong research groups in higher education institutions are established and recognized under the following conditions and criteria:

- Human resources to join a strong research group in a higher education institution include:

+ Prestigious domestic and foreign scientists of the same research orientations of the strong research group who participate in the form of collaborators or other suitable forms of cooperation;

+ Lecturers, researchers and students with the same research orientations from higher education institutions, research institutes and related organizations and individuals.

- Strong research groups in a higher education institution are formed and developed on the basis of existing and active research groups, which have been selected, recognized and supported by the higher education institution as to support mechanisms and resources for development.

- A strong research group in a higher education institution consists of a team leader, 5 key members or more, and an unlimited number of members.

Members of a strong research group must meet the criteria specified in Article 9 of this Decree and not commit one of the prohibited acts under the law on science and technology, and not be in the period of disciplinary action in the form of reprimand or higher or criminal judgment enforcement.

- A higher education institution being the organization leading a strong research group must have facilities and laboratories suitable to the main research orientations of the strong research group; have research cooperation activities with foreign organizations and individuals; have successfully cooperated with enterprises or higher education institutions, other research institutes in scientific research and technology transfer.

- A strong research group in a higher education institution must have a stable development plan with qualified and age-appropriate human resources; have a plan to increase the quantity and quality of scientific and technological products in a period of 5 years; the activities of the strong research group need to be linked with the activities of the departments and laboratories at the organization leading the strong research group and cooperate closely with domestic and foreign organizations and enterprises.

- Strong research groups in higher education institutions can access advanced, modern, breakthrough and interdisciplinary research orientations; have research orientation explanation and development plan for 5 years; and have products of the research tasks in the first 5 years that meet the following criteria:

+ Stable publication and average annual publication of at least 10 articles in scientific journals in the Web of Science (WoS) database for natural sciences and engineering, at least 10 articles in scientific journals in the WoS and Scopus database for the humanities and social sciences; there is an increase in the quality of articles through being published in international journals with high impact and citation indexes;

+ Publish at least 01 monograph or 02 books and textbooks;

+ Training 05 doctorates in the 5-year period of performing the tasks;

+ Granted on average each year at least 01 invention patent or 02 utility solution patents or 02 plant variety patents with widespread social influence;

+ Transferring at least 05 production technologies or commercializing at least 05 scientific and technological products into practice for the community or having 01 national science and technology product recognized in the 5-year period of performing the tasks.

2. Criteria for strong team leaders and research group members in higher education institutions in Vietnam

Criteria for strong team leaders and research group members in higher education institutions in Vietnam according to Article 9 of Decree 109/2022/ND-CP are as follows:

- The group leader is a permanent lecturer of a higher education institution who simultaneously meets the following criteria:

+ Having led 01 national science and technology task or 02 science and technology tasks of ministerial or provincial level which have been tested and accepted as passed or higher in the last 5 years;

+ Being the author of 01 monograph or 02 university books and textbooks;

+ Having an h-index of 10 or more (according to the Scopus database);

+ Being the main author of at least 10 works published in scientific journals in the WoS database or the author of at least 02 inventions or 05 utility solutions, or 02 plant variety patents or being the author of a scientific and technological work winning the first prize at the ministerial or provincial level or the Ho Chi Minh Prize, the State Prize in science and technology;

+ Having successfully supervised at least 02 postgraduate students;

+ Having experience in cooperating with domestic and foreign organizations in implementing scientific and technological activities, trial production or successful commercialization of scientific and technological products in provinces and central-affiliated cities and foreign countries;

+ Fit for work as prescribed by labor law, still eligible for professional work for at least 5 years before retirement age as prescribed by labor law to complete the research orientations.

- The co-leader is a reputable scientist invited from abroad, responsible for the academic content, has a research orientation in line with the research orientation of the group leader, and also meets the standards in Points c, d and dd Clause 1 of Article 9 of Decree 109/2022/ND-CP or has won prestigious international awards in the field of research.

- The group leader will be exceptionally recognized if he/she is a leading scientist who is recognized according to regulations on the utilization of individuals in scientific and technological activities or has won prestigious international awards in the field of science and technology research area and meet the requirements at point m, g Clause 1 of Article 9 of Decree 109/2022/ND-CP.

- Key members are lecturers of higher education institutions or researchers of domestic research institutes, and concurrently satisfy the following criteria:

+ Having a research orientation suitable to the research orientation of a strong research group in a higher education institution and having a commitment to register to join the strong research group;

+ Having led 01 ministerial- or provincial-level science and technology task, which has been tested and accepted as passed or higher in the last 5 years;

+ Having an h-index of 5 or more (according to the Scopus database);

+ Being the author of 01 monograph or 01 university textbook;

+ Being the main author of at least 05 works published in scientific journals in the WoS database or the author of at least 01 inventions or 02 utility solutions, or 02 plant variety patents or being the author of a scientific and technological work winning the first prize at the ministerial or provincial level or the Ho Chi Minh Prize, the State Prize in science and technology;

+ Having successfully supervised at least 01 postgraduate student;

+ Having experience in cooperation in research implementation, pilot production to create scientific products that are applied to serve the community and having at least 01 research cooperation with a domestic or foreign research group.

- Key members are reputable scientists invited from abroad, fully meeting the criteria at Points a, c, dd and e, Clause 4 of Article 9 of Decree 109/2022/ND-CP, or scientists from enterprises or other organizations which fully satisfy the criteria at Points a, c, dd and g, Clause 4 of Article 9 of Decree 109/2022/ND-CP.

- The key member will be exceptionally recognized if he/she is a leading scientist, talented young scientist who is recognized according to regulations on the utilization of individuals in scientific and technological activities or has won prestigious international awards in the field of research.

- Other key members are lecturers, researchers and students of domestic and foreign higher education institutions or research institutes, and concurrently satisfy the following criteria:

+ Having a research orientation suitable to the research orientation of a strong research group in a higher education institution and having a commitment to register to join the strong research group;

+ Having had a scientific work published jointly with the group leader or key members in an international scientific journal or in a prestigious domestic scientific journal.

- Members who are scientists from enterprises or other organizations need to fully satisfy the criteria in Article g, Clause 4 and Point a, Clause 7 of Article 9 of Decree 109/2022/ND-CP.

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