Completing the process of reviewing and signing contracts for science, technology and innovation tasks in international cooperation

The Ministry of Science and Technology is seeking comments on the draft Circular regulating the order and procedures for reviewing and signing contracts for assigning science, technology and innovation (S&I) tasks within the framework of international cooperation, in order to create a unified legal corridor for the implementation of cooperation programs and topics with foreign organizations, agencies and enterprises.

According to the draft, the Circular details the stages of developing, approving, managing and organizing the implementation of international cooperation tasks, from plan notification, review and order of tasks, to contract evaluation, adjustment and liquidation. In particular, this process is implemented uniformly on the national digital platform for science, technology and innovation management, helping to digitize all data and minimize administrative procedures in task approval.

The draft Circular also clearly states the criteria for international cooperation tasks, including: Being consistent with the State's international cooperation orientation; having a commitment to co-fund or support resources from foreign partners; ensuring intellectual property rights and national security; bringing practical benefits, improving research capacity, mastering core technology and developing high-quality human resources.

The draft Circular clearly states the criteria for international cooperation tasks. Illustrative photo.

To enhance transparency, the draft Circular clearly stipulates the international cooperation task code according to the international standard ISO 3166-1, allowing for synchronous management and data retrieval by country, year and task order. The process of developing funding plans and ordering tasks is conducted on the basis of bilateral and multilateral cooperation strategies and agreements, as well as practical proposals from ministries, branches, localities and enterprises.

Another important content is to develop and sign an international cooperation agreement between the task management agency and foreign partners. This document must specifically stipulate the principles of contribution, intellectual property rights, information security, task assessment methods and effective time, ensuring compliance with Vietnamese regulations and international practices.

The process of reviewing, ordering, appraising and approving tasks is designed according to the principles of publicity, competition and based on scientific quality and cooperation efficiency. Registration dossiers are submitted online via the public service portal or national digital platform, with full forms, task descriptions, cooperation commitments and plans for mobilizing counterpart resources. The task management agency organizes a Funding and Ordering Review Council and a Funding Appraisal Team to make objective assessments, and negotiate with foreign partners to agree on a list of tasks to be jointly implemented.

Based on the appraisal results, the task management agency shall approve and sign a science and technology research contract with the host organization, ensuring maximum financial support according to regulations. In case of need to adjust or supplement the contract content, the implementation shall comply with the procedures and forms issued with the Circular.

The draft Circular is considered an important step in standardizing the management process of international cooperation tasks on science, technology and innovation, contributing to strengthening international integration, promoting knowledge exchange, technology transfer and improving the efficiency of resource use in scientific research in Vietnam.

Center for Science and Technology Communication

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/hoan-thien-quy-trinh-xet-duyet-va-ky-hop-dong-nhiem-vu-khcndmst-trong-hop-tac-quoc-te-197251030223238571.htm