Title: Dear Colleague Letter: U.S.-China Collaboration in Mathematical
        Research
Date: 01/16/09




National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia 22230



Dear Colleague Letter: U.S.-China Collaboration in Mathematical
Research


Dear Colleague:

The Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) of the Directorate for
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) at the National Science
Foundation (NSF) has a long history of supporting basic research in
mathematical and statistical sciences. This letter is to inform the
community of U.S. scientists that DMS has entered into an agreement
with the Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (DMPS) of
the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in
supporting joint projects between U.S.-based
mathematicians/statisticians and China-based mathematicians in all
research areas of mathematical and statistical sciences.

To promote direct collaboration between U.S.- and China-based
researchers in mathematical and statistical sciences, both NSF and
NSFC will consider collaborative research projects that are
innovative and beneficial to both sides. Because face to face
interaction is important to effective collaborations, NSF expects
visits of U.S.-based researchers to Chinese institutions for a
period of two or more weeks, sufficient to establish new and
innovative research collaborations. NSFC also expects visits of
China-based researchers to U.S. institutions for a period of two or
more weeks. The participation of junior researchers is highly
encouraged. NSF encourages U.S. graduate student participation and
NSFC encourages postdoctoral participation from China. Attendance of
workshops/conferences closely related to the collaborative
activities is encouraged during the exchange visits. However,
exchange visits should not be used for participation in
workshops/conferences not related to the collaborative effort.

NSF will accept requests for funding from collaborative teams in the
form of a supplement to an existing award to DMS disciplinary
programs. Supplemental funding requests should be submitted by the
U.S. partners of the collaborative team to the NSF via FastLane, and
such requests should be submitted to the disciplinary programs
designated by the Principal Investigator (PI) before February 16,
2009. The request should also be submitted to NSFC by the Chinese
collaborators before March 31, 2009. See the NSF web site,
http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=DMS for information about DMS
disciplinary programs and their contact information.

In preparing budgets, research partners must adhere to the
"receiving-side pays principle" whereby the sending side covers
international travel costs (e.g., airfare and shuttle/taxi) and the
receiving side bears local living expenses. Supplemental funding
requests will be evaluated independently by NSF and NSFC on the
basis of each agency's review criteria, and jointly according to
the following additional criteria: (1) mutual scientific benefit and
impact, (2) feasibility of the management plan, and (3) contribution
to capacity development through international collaboration for
researchers early in their careers. NSFC review criteria can be
found at http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/english/05rl/index.html, and NSF
review criteria is available at:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09_1/gpg_3.jsp#IIIA

In order to support and promote such collaborations, research
partners may request up to $20,000 U.S. and 80,000 RMB from their
respective national funding agency (NSF or NSFC) per year for no
more than two years. The supplemental funding requests recommended
for support will have an appropriate mix of new collaborations and
enhancement of existing collaborations. Investigators are strongly
encouraged to contact the primary contacts before submitting such
supplements.

Primary Contacts:
Dr. Joanna Kania-Bartoszynska, 703-292-4881, jkaniaba@nsf.gov
Dr. Junping Wang, 703-292-4488, jwang@nsf.gov

Sincerely,
Dr. Peter March
Division Director
Division of Mathematical Sciences
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences
National Science Foundation