(2) The application materials fail to comply with the requirements as mentioned in the annual directory of funded projects; or

(3) The number of funded projects as applied for by the applicants is in excess of that as prescribed by the fund management organ.

Article 13 The fund management organ shall employ the experts that have a fairly high academic level and good professional ethics in the same field to evaluate the applications for funded projects. The fund management organ shall formulate the specific measures for employing evaluation experts.

Article 14 As regards the applications for funded projects that have been accepted, the fund management organ shall randomly choose three or more experts from the database of experts working in the same field for a communication-based evaluation, and then organize the experts for a meeting-based evaluation; and with respect to the applications for funded projects that are temporarily brought forward because of specific demands of national economic and social development or other specific circumstances, the fund management organ may carry out only a communication-based evaluation or a meeting-based evaluation.

An evaluation expert that finds it difficult to render an academic judgment or is too busy to make an evaluation for the applications for funded projects shall timely inform the fund management organ, and the fund management organ shall choose another evaluation expert for evaluation as required by these Regulations.

Article 15 With respect to an application for funded projects, an evaluation expert shall render an independent judgment and evaluation in terms of scientific value, innovation, social influences as well as the feasibility of research schemes, and bring forward the evaluation opinions thereof.

When giving the evaluation opinions about the applications for funded projects, an evaluation expert shall also consider the research experiences of the applicants and participants, the rationality of the plan for using the funds, the information on other grants for the research topics, the information on the implementation of the funded projects by the applicants as well as the necessity for continuous subsidies.

The evaluation opinions as brought forward through the meeting-based evaluation shall be determined by voting.

Article 16 As regards an application for a funded project on which most of evaluation experts in the communication-based evaluation believe that the fund may not be granted but this project involves many innovations, a meeting-based evaluation may be performed if two evaluation experts that participate in the meeting-based evaluation have signed recommendation for it, unless it is an application for a funded project that is temporarily submitted because of special demands or circumstances as prescribed in Article 14 of these Regulations.

The fund management organ shall publicize the recommendation opinions that are brought forward by evaluation experts.

Article 17 The fund management organ shall determine the research projects to be funded in accordance with these Regulations and the evaluation opinions brought forward by experts, and may not deny the evaluation opinions brought forward by experts on the ground that it has different academic viewpoints from those of evaluation experts.

Where the fund management organ determines to grant a fund, it shall timely inform the applicant and the supporting institution in written form, and publicize the basic information on the applicant, the name of the supporting institution, the name of the project for which an application for funded projects has been submitted, and the amount of the fund to be granted; in case it determines not to grant a fund, it shall timely inform the applicant and the supporting institution in written form, and explain the reasons.

The fund management organ shall sort out the evaluation opinions of experts and provide them for the applicant.

Article 18 Where an applicant does not satisfy with the decision on refusal to accept his application or to fund his project as made by the fund management organ, he may submit a request for reexamination to the fund management organ in written form within 15 days upon receipt of the circular. The different opinions on the academic judgment of evaluation experts as held by an applicant may not be deemed as the reasons for requesting the reexamination.

The fund management organ shall complete the reexamination within 60 days as of receipt of a reexamination request as submitted by an applicant. Where the fund management organ deems that the former decision complies with these Regulations, it shall maintain the former decision and inform the applicant in written form. Where the fund management organ deems that the former decision does not comply with these Regulations, it shall annul the former decision, organize evaluation experts to evaluate the application for the funded project as submitted by the applicant again, make a decision, and inform the applicant and the supporting institution of the result in written form.

Article 19 In the evaluation of funded projects, a personnel of the fund management organ or an evaluation expert shall apply for withdrawal in case of any circumstance as follows:

(1) The personnel of the fund management organ or the evaluation expert is a close family member of the applicant or participant or has any other relation which may affect the fair evaluation;

(2) The funded project as submitted by an evaluation expert himself is the same as or similar to the one as submitted by the applicant; or

(3) The evaluation expert and the applicant or participant work for the same legal person entity.

The fund management organ shall, according to the application, make a decision on whether to withdraw or not upon examination, or may directly make such a decision without an application.

An applicant for funded projects may provide a name list of three or less evaluation experts that are not suitable for evaluation, and the fund management organ shall consider the said name list upon the actual circumstance when selecting evaluation experts.

Article 20 Any personnel of the fund management organ may neither apply for or participate in the application for the National Natural Science Funds, nor may he interfere in the evaluation of evaluation experts.

Any personnel of the fund management organ or evaluation expert may neither reveal the basic information with respect to evaluation experts, evaluation opinions, evaluation results or other information on the evaluation that has not been revealed.

Chapter IV Grant of Funds and Implementation

Article 21 A supporting institution and a project principal shall fill in a project plan in light of the evaluation opinions of evaluation experts and the amount of fund as determined by the fund management organ within 20 days as of the receipt of a circular on the grant of fund as issued by the fund management organ, and submit it to the fund management organ for examination and approval.

When filling in a project plan, a supporting institution and a project principal may not alter other contents in the application form except that they do so under the evaluation opinions of evaluation experts or the amount of fund as determined by the fund management organ.

Article 22 As regards the research projects to be funded in this year, the fund management organ shall apply to the competent authority of finance of the State Council for budgetary allotments to funded projects in a timely manner in accordance with the Budget Law of the People's Republic of China and other related provisions of the state, except for those funded projects that are temporarily brought forward because of the specific demands or other specific circumstances as prescribed in Article 14 of these Regulations.