TapTechNews on June 26th, eight departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China have recently jointly issued a notice deploying to develop research assistant positions to recruit college graduates of the 2024 session for employment.
The notice introduced that a research assistant refers to a person who engages in various research project assistant research, laboratory (engineering) facility operation and maintenance, laboratory technology, transfer and transformation of scientific and technological achievements, academic assistants, financial assistants, and postdoctoral research, etc.. Research assistants are an important part of the scientific research team and an important grasp for strengthening the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation. Encouraging all kinds of innovative entities to develop research assistant positions to recruit college graduates for employment is not only a powerful means to promote employment but also an effective way to enhance the innovation capabilities of universities, research institutes, and enterprises, which is of great significance for the development of new productive forces.
The notice clearly defines three main tasks including various units increasing the development of research assistant positions, the National High-tech Zone organizing to develop research assistant positions, and local regions actively developing research assistant positions. TapTechNews attaches the main contents as follows:
(I) Various units increase the development of research assistant positions. The universities and central-level research institutes affiliated to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Education, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, and the central enterprises, etc., actively recruit college graduates to participate in scientific research work in the various levels of scientific and technological plans and various major innovation base platforms built and arranged, and reasonably set up new research assistant positions. Carefully sort out the already developed research assistant positions, make full use of the relevant positions that have not yet recruited graduates and those that have vacancies due to personnel turnover, and recruit college graduates for employment to the maximum extent.
(II) The National High-tech Zone organizes to develop research assistant positions. Give full play to the employment efficiency of the National High-tech Zone agglomeration, mobilize the National High-tech Zone and the research institutions, high-tech enterprises, unicorn enterprises, specialized and new small and medium-sized enterprises, technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises, and technology business incubators in the zone to set up research assistant positions, and organize and guide the units undertaking various levels of scientific and technological plans to reasonably develop research assistant positions, and encourage the establishment of research assistant positions relying on self-organized projects. The development situation of research assistant positions is taken as one of the important reference bases for the annual comprehensive evaluation of the National High-tech Zone.
(III) Local regions actively develop research assistant positions. The local industrial and information technology, education, and science and technology authorities in cooperation with relevant units, in combination with the actual situation, rely on national and local levels of scientific and technol ogical projects and innovation base platforms, and increase the development and implementation efforts towards provincial universities, provincial research institutes, new R & D institutions, high-tech enterprises outside the National High-tech Zone, and provincial high-tech zones, etc.
The notice also mentions giving play to the leading role of the units relying on national scientific and technological plan projects and innovation base platforms. National scientific and technological plan projects include the National Key R & D Program, the National Science and Technology Major Project, the National Natural Science Foundation, etc., and innovation bases and platforms include national laboratories, national key laboratories, national technology innovation centers, national manufacturing innovation centers, national science and technology resources sharing service platforms, university science parks, technology business incubators, and the National High-tech Zone, etc. Strengthen the main responsibility of the units relying on the above projects and base platforms, play a leading exemplary role, and actively recruit college graduates for employment. Encourage various levels of scientific and technological plan projects and base platforms to increase the development of research assistant positions.
The notice also requires strengthening the service guarantee of research assistant positions. Gradually improve relevant policies. The units that set up research assistant positions should sign service agreements according to relevant regulations, and it is encouraged to handle social insurance and housing provident fund for research assistants. For the research assistant positions set up relying on various levels of scientific and technological plan projects, the funds in the labor fee subject of the scientific research project funds can be used for the labor remuneration and social insurance subsidy of research assistants according to relevant regulations. The unit will arrange the surplus funds retained according to regulations for scientific research projects and set up research assistant positions, and the labor remuneration and social insurance subsidy of research assistants can be paid from the surplus funds. The unit should carefully calculate the funding requirements of research assistants and list them according to the facts. Encourage the units that set up research assistant positions to coordinate relevant funding channels, improve the income and comprehensive guarantee level of the positions, and set aside special funds to provide long-term stable support for the research assistant positions.