Announcement of the 2026 Basic Research Funding Plan

NOTIFICATION
2026 BASIC RESEARCH FUNDING PLAN

Based on Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024, of the Politburo on breakthroughs in the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation;

Based on the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation dated June 27, 2025;

Based on Government Decree No. 265/2025/ND-CP dated October 14, 2025, guiding the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation regarding finance and investment in science, technology and innovation;

Based on Government Decree No. 267/2025/ND-CP dated October 14, 2025, which details and guides the implementation of several articles of the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation regarding science, technology and innovation programs and tasks, and several regulations on promoting scientific research, technology development and innovation;

Based on Decision No. 604/QD-TTg dated April 2, 2026 of the Prime Minister approving the adjustment and supplementation of the Strategy for the Development of Science, Technology and Innovation until 2030;

Based on Decision No. 21/2026/QD-TTg dated April 30, 2026, of the Prime Minister promulgating the List of Strategic Technologies and the List of Strategic Technology Products;

Based on Circular No. 24/2025/TT-BKHCN dated October 30, 2025, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology, promulgating the Classification Table of Science and Technology Fields;

Based on Circular No. 39/2025/TT-BKHCN dated November 30, 2025, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology, which provides detailed regulations and guidance on the preparation of budget estimates, management of use, and settlement of accounts for certain items of state budget expenditure for the implementation of science, technology, and innovation tasks;

Based on Circular No. 44/2025/TT-BKHCN dated November 30, 2025, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology, regulating the management of science and technology tasks funded or commissioned by the Ministry of Science and Technology;

Based on Decision No. 2227/QD-BKHCN dated April 24, 2026, of the Minister of Science and Technology, promulgating the overall plan on science, technology, and innovation for the 5-year period 2026-2030;

Based on Decision No. 2276/QD-BKHCN dated May 1, 2026, of the Minister of Science and Technology, adjusting the tasks and approving the financial plan for the implementation of funding, commissioning, and support in 2026 of the National Science and Technology Development Fund;

The National Science and Technology Development Fund (the Fund) is pleased to announce the 2026 Basic Research Funding Plan, as follows:

1. Scope and target recipients of funding

a) Scope of funding

The fund considers funding for basic research projects in the fields of science and technology as classified in Circular No. 24/2025/TT-BKHCN.

– For the social sciences and humanities, the Fund considers funding proposals in the following fields: Social Sciences; Humanities. During the evaluation and review process for funding, the Fund prioritizes proposals with research content that provides a scientific and practical basis for planning, refining, and organizing the implementation of the Party's guidelines, State policies, and laws as defined in documents and resolutions such as the documents of the 14th National Party Congress, Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW of the Politburo on the development of Vietnamese culture, Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW of the Politburo on the development of the private economy, Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development, Resolution No. 27-NQ/TW of the Politburo on continuing to build and perfect the socialist rule of law state of Vietnam in the new period, Resolution No. 74/NQ-CP of the Government: Issuing the Plan for implementing the rearrangement of administrative units and building a two-level local government organizational model, and Conclusion No. 18-KL/TW on the plan for 2-figure growth. number.

– For the natural sciences and engineering fields, the Fund considers funding proposals in the following areas: Natural sciences; Agricultural sciences; Medical and pharmaceutical sciences; Engineering and technology.

During the evaluation and funding review process, the Fund prioritizes proposals in fields where Vietnam has strengths, such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and emerging interdisciplinary fields; research with the potential to create breakthroughs and develop core technologies, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biology, advanced materials, and other strategic technology fields as stipulated in Decision No. 21/2026/QD-TTg.

b) Type of funding:Basic research (tasks, task clusters). Within the framework of this call for funding, the Fund will not be providing funding for task chains.

c) Eligible recipients of funding:Agencies, organizations, businesses, and individuals engaged in science, technology, and innovation activities in Vietnam or outside Vietnam but with rights and obligations under Vietnamese law and international treaties to which Vietnam is a party.

2. Funding

Maximum funding limit from the state budget:

• The task is of medium complexity:1.5 trillion VND

• The task is highly complex:3,000 million VND

The specific funding for each task is determined based on the objectives, research content, level of scientific risk, expected scientific products and training outcomes, actual research needs, research team capacity, and the expected scientific and practical impact of the task.

The fund prioritizes organizations that take the lead in mobilizing legitimate resources from businesses, organizations, and individuals to participate in matching or co-financing the implementation of the task.

Organizations and individuals proposing projects should refer to the estimated cost estimates in the attached Appendix to determine the expected scientific output and develop a project budget.

3. Criteria and requirements for grant application tasks

The mission duration is 24-36 months. If necessary, the mission may be considered for extension once for a maximum of 12 months.

The proposed task must fully meet the criteria stipulated in Clause 1, Article 7 of Decree No. 267/2025/ND-CP and Clause 1, Article 4 of Circular No. 44/2025/TT-BKHCN.

A task cluster is a group of closely linked component tasks in terms of objectives, research content, and expected outputs, aimed at solving a common scientific problem. These tasks are organized and implemented synchronously to optimize resources and enhance investment efficiency. Each task cluster comprises no more than five component tasks.

Encouraging projects that lead to high-quality and impactful scientific publications (reflected through indicators such as Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI), Category Normalized Citation Impact (CNCI), or other relevant evaluation indicators); products registered for industrial property/plant variety protection; proposals for concrete solutions contributing to double-digit economic growth; and participation in postgraduate training.

Reputable international journals are scientific journals listed in the Web of Science or Scopus databases; other journals may be considered for accreditation based on recommendations from the Science and Technology Council at the time of application evaluation.

4. Conditions for the lead organization

The organization registering to undertake the task must meet the conditions stipulated in the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation, Article 5 of Decree No. 267/2025/ND-CP, and other relevant regulations.

5. Registration documents

The application dossier for carrying out tasks and task groups shall be prepared according to the forms prescribed in Article 7 of Circular No. 44/2025/TT-BKHCN, including:

– Application form for leading the implementation of tasks or task groups (Form BM-02; Form BM-03) (Fill in the information according to the form on the system);

– Job Description (Form BM-04);

– Scientific profiles of the project leader and research team members (Form BM-06) (Fill in the information according to the template on the system);

– Information on the capacity and facilities of the host organization (Form BM-07) (Fill in the information according to the form on the system);

– Other documents as prescribed in Article 11 of Decree No. 267/2025/ND-CP;

– Detailed budget estimate (To be supplemented by the lead organization after the grant review board proposes funding, according to the Fund's guidelines).

Download the application form here..

6. Application submission methods and deadlines

Step 1:Applications are submitted online through the STM (Science, Technology and Innovation Task Management System) at the following address:https://stm.mst.gov.vn.

Step 2:After submitting the application on the STM System, the host organization chooses one of the two application submission methods below:

Option 1: Submit digitally signed documents via the STM System.

The digitally signed documents include: the application form and the mission statement.

Option 2: Submit paper documents directly or via public postal service to the following address: National Science and Technology Development Fund – One-Stop Service Department, Ministry of Science and Technology, 113 Tran Duy Hung Street, Yen Hoa Ward, Hanoi City.

The envelope clearly states: Application for basic research funding in 2026.

In the case of submitting applications via postal service, the application must bear a postmark from the sending location before the application deadline and must be sent to the Fund within a period of 10 days from the application deadline to ensure the validity of the application is reviewed.

* The fund encourages the submission of documents using digital signatures as directed in Decision No. 240/QD-TTg dated February 4, 2025, of the Prime Minister promulgating the Plan for key administrative procedure reform in 2025.

See the attached Appendix for detailed application instructions.

7. Proposed implementation plan

Deadline for submitting applications: 5:00 PM on August 13, 2026 (Thursday).

Announcement of funding results: expected before October 15, 2026 (Thursday).

We respectfully announce./.

Appendix
Estimated cost estimates to determine the expected scientific output and
Develop a budget estimate for basic research projects in 2026.

I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1. The preparation of budget estimates for basic research tasks shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Circular No. 39/2025/TT-BKHCN dated November 30, 2025, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology, which details and guides the preparation of budget estimates, management, use, and settlement of certain items of state budget expenditure for the implementation of science, technology, and innovation tasks.

2. The budget estimate is developed based on the objectives, research content, complexity of the task, level of scientific risk, expected scientific output package, postgraduate training results, and the necessary resources to carry out the task; ensuring a proportional relationship between the level of state investment and the expected scientific results.

3. When considering funding levels, the Science and Technology Council assesses the overall volume, quality, and potential scientific impact of the research package; it does not base its decision solely on the number of scientific publications. The fund encourages proposals that aim for high-quality research results with significant scientific impact, linked to the training of highly qualified research personnel and the establishment of a scientific foundation to support the development of strategic technologies.

4. The estimated budget levels specified in this Appendix are for reference purposes only, to be used by the lead organization in preparing the budget and by the Science and Technology Council in considering the reasonableness of the proposed funding; they are not expenditure norms or payment rates for individual scientific products, and do not replace current regulations on the preparation, allocation, management, and settlement of funding for science and technology tasks.

5. The lead organization is responsible for developing the research plan and budget estimate linked to the key product milestones of the project. Funding will be disbursed in accordance with current regulations and linked to the achievement of the product milestones committed in the grant agreement.

II. TASK GROUPING

1. Tasks of medium complexity: These are tasks with a relatively clear scientific basis, a high probability of achieving research objectives and expected products; they have a medium level of risk and are primarily aimed at expanding, supplementing, or improving existing scientific knowledge.

Budget ceiling: 1,500 million VND.

2. High-complexity tasks: These are tasks that are groundbreaking, have a novel approach, are interdisciplinary, or aim to solve highly complex scientific problems; they have the potential to generate new knowledge or a scientific foundation for strategic technological development but carry a high level of risk.

Budget ceiling: 3,000 million VND.

The classification of tasks as belonging to the medium-complexity or high-complexity group is considered by the Science and Technology Council based on objectives, research content, interdisciplinary level, scientific risk level, and expected output.

III. ESTIMATED COST STANDARDS FOR BASIC RESEARCH PROJECTS AND TASKS

Unit: million VND