New regulations on criteria for considering support for enhancing scientific and technological capacity.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has recently issued Circular 43/2025/TT-BKHCN, which details the criteria, conditions, procedures, and processes for approving funding for activities aimed at enhancing scientific and technological capacity. The Circular was developed to effectively implement Decree 267/2025/ND-CP and to promote the development of scientific and technological potential to serve socio-economic development, ensure security, and facilitate international integration.

This Circular stipulates the content, criteria, conditions, procedures for considering funding, signing contracts, managing and organizing the implementation of support for activities to enhance scientific and technological capacity of the National Science and Technology Development Fund; and support for activities to enhance scientific and technological capacity of the Science, Technology and Innovation Development Fund of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, other central agencies and provincial People's Committees as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 42 of Government Decree No. dated October 14, 2025, detailing and guiding a number of articles of the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation on science, technology and innovation programs and tasks and a number of regulations on promoting scientific research, technology development and innovation.

The circular stipulates the content, criteria, conditions, order, and procedures for supporting activities to enhance scientific and technological capacity.

According to the Circular, the agencies supporting these activities are the National Science and Technology Development Fund or the Science, Technology and Innovation Development Fund of Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, other central agencies, and provincial People's Committees.

The circular clearly states that support for activities aimed at enhancing scientific and technological capacity is intended to develop the national scientific and technological potential; strengthen the capacity and quality of scientific research and technological development of organizations and individuals; and serve socio-economic development, ensure national defense and security, and international integration.

Support must ensure objectivity, democracy, and equality; information on support activities and procedures must be publicly available on the electronic portal of the supporting agency and the national digital platform for managing science, technology, and innovation. It must meet the requirements of development and integration in scientific research, technological development, and innovation. It must ensure that there is no duplicate support for activities with the same content and objectives that have already been funded from the state budget.

Depending on the type of activity aimed at enhancing scientific and technological capacity, funding is provided in one of two ways: A one-time grant from the supporting agency to the supported agency or organization based on the approved research proposal or project description. The supported agency or organization is responsible for approving, managing, and implementing the scientific and technological capacity-building support activities through basic scientific, technological, and innovation projects. Funding is provided to the agency or organization based on the results of the application review.

According to the Circular, the content of support is implemented according to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 43 of Decree No. . For scientific conferences, the criteria include the reputation of the organizing unit, the capacity of the organizing committee, the quality of previous conferences (if any), the level of transparency of conference information through the official website, and the ability to generate follow-up results such as research cooperation, application connection, and technology transfer. The budget estimate must comply with current norms and regulations. Meanwhile, for the development of scientific journals, the Circular requires journals to meet the standards for evaluation and ranking as prescribed, have a transparent process for receiving, reviewing, and publishing articles, ensuring academic quality and scientific integrity.

The review process is conducted based on applications submitted using the prescribed form. The managing agency will establish an independent science and technology council to evaluate the applications, ensuring objectivity. The maximum processing time for applications is 60 days from the end of the application submission deadline, shortening the process and facilitating participation for all units.

Circular 43/2025/TT-BKHCN takes effect from December 15, 2025. The issuance of this Circular is considered a significant step in perfecting the system of mechanisms supporting the development of science and technology, contributing to standardizing management, creating conditions for the scientific community to enhance its capacity and participate more deeply in research and innovation activities domestically and internationally.

Center for Science and Technology Communication

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/quy-dinh-moi-ve-tieu-chi-xet-ho-tro-nang-cao-nang-luc-khoa-hoc-va-cong-nghe-197251211134802313.htm