The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is a leading international organization for cutting-edge research at the forefront of particle physics, hosting the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's highest-energy hadron collider. The four large detector experiments (ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb) leverage the most advanced detection technologies to capture and study microscopic phenomena, providing a premier platform for the development of advanced particle detection technologies. CERN, which brings together more than 12,000 researchers from over 70 countries, has become a prime example of international cooperation. Since 1997, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) has been supporting Chinese researchers to participate in these significant LHC experiments. In 2024, NSFC sets up the "NSFC-CERN Large Scientific Infrastructure International Cooperation Research Program", following the organizing mechanism of the NSFC Major Research Plan program. The program, with a special focus on detector upgrades and physical research, provides different levels of funding through cultivation projects, key projects, integration projects, etc. This program aims to provide sustainable support to Chinese teams to participate in the international cooperative research at CERN, and contribute to the scientific innovation, technological development, talent cultivation, and international cooperation in the fields of particle physics and nuclear physics.
I. Scientific Objectives
This program is dedicated to developing advanced particle detection technologies for the four large detector experiments (ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb) on the CERN LHC and promoting cutting-edge research in particle and nuclear physics. The goals include: to precisely measure the properties of the Higgs boson to understand the origin of mass of elementary particles; to accurately test the Standard Model of particle physics, search for new physics beyond the Standard Model, and understand the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the universe; and to gain a deeper understanding of the non-perturbative aspects of quantum chromodynamics, the phase transitions, and new states of strongly interacting matter.
II. Core Scientific Issues
1. Precise measurement of the Standard Model and the properties of the Higgs boson.
2. New physics beyond the Standard Model and the mechanisms of charge-parity (CP) symmetry breaking.
3. The essence of strong interactions and the internal structure of hadrons.
4. Properties of quark-gluon plasma under extreme conditions of high temperature, high density, and low chemical potential.
5. Advanced particle detectors and key detection technologies.
III. Project Settings and Funding Areas for 2024
1. Detector Upgrade Projects:
1) Key projects for the CMS experiment detector upgrade, including the development of the GEM detector for the muon spectrometer upgrade and the crystal time-of-flight detectors for the minimum ionizing time detector upgrade in the barrel section.
2) Integration projects for the CMS experiment detector upgrade, involving the utilization of large-area radiation-resistant silicon sensors to develop high-granularity calorimeters capable of detecting energy, timing, and three-dimensional position.
3) Key projects for the LHCb experiment detector upgrade, targeting the upstream tracker upgrade in the LHCb magnetic field and preliminary research on high-voltage CMOS chip design based on advanced manufacturing processes. Development of software and algorithms for the electromagnetic calorimeter upgrade and simulation studies of its performance and key physical processes.
4) Key projects for the ALICE experiment detector upgrade, focusing on the development of high time-resolution Time-of-Flight detectors using Low-Gain Avalanche Detector (LGAD) technology to meet the requirements of the ALICE 3 upgrade project.
5) Integration projects for the ATLAS experiment detector upgrade, focusing on the development of resistive chamber plate RPC detectors for the muon spectrometer upgrade and silicon microstrip ITK-strip detectors for the inner tracker upgrade.
2. Physical Research Projects:
1) Cultivation projects for conducting cutting-edge physics research related to final states involving muons and the study of muon spectrometer performance in the ATLAS Experiment at LHC Run-3.
IV. Basic Principles for Project Selection
To ensure the achievement of the overall objectives, this program encourages:
1. Technical research and development of key detectors closely related to the overall objectives.
2. Physical research closely related to the overall objectives.
3. Research with international impact that aligns with the development of international cooperation.
4. Original and innovative research ideas and exploratory studies with unique features.
V. Funding Plan for 2024
1. About one cultivation project is to be funded. NSFC budget is up to 600,000 RMB per project (direct costs) for a duration of 3 years, from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027.
2. About five key projects are to be funded. NSFC budget is up to 3 million RMB per project (direct costs) for a duration of 4 years, from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2028.
3. About three integration projects are to be funded. NSFC budget is up to 7.5 million RMB per project (direct costs) for a duration of 4 years, from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2028.
VI. Application Requirements and Notices
1. Eligibility Criteria:
1) Applicants must have experience in undertaking basic research projects.
2) Applicants must hold senior academic ranks (titles).
3) Postdoctoral researchers, individuals currently pursuing graduate degrees, and individuals without an affiliation or whose affiliation is not a NSFC host institution are not eligible to apply.
2. Limits of Parallel Application:
1) As the Principal Investigator, an applicant shall not apply for more than one project to this program in the same year.
2) The total number of NSFC projects that researchers with senior academic ranks (or titles) can apply for or undertake (as the PI or major participants) is limited to two projects. Applications for cultivation projects and key projects shall be counted within the number limits, while applications for integration projects are not counted within the number limits.
3) More requirements can be found in the NSFC 2024 Guide to Programs.
3. Application Requirements:
Applicants and their host institutions shall carefully read and follow the guidelines provided in this call text, the NSFC 2024 Guide to Programs, and the Notice on the Application and Completion of NSFC Projects in 2024.
1. No hard copy of the application is needed. Applications must be submitted electronically between September 29, 2024, and October 10, 2024, by 16:00.
1) Applicants shall submit a completed online application to the NSFC’s Grants System (http://grants.nsfc.gov.cn). The procedure is to log into the Grants System as the PI, click the “online submission” button, then click the “new application” button, select "Science Fund for Global Challenges and Sustainability (面向全球的科学研究基金项目)”, and then "Large Scientific Infrastructure (CERN)（重大科学基础设施（CERN））"， and choose one project type from "Cultivation Project-Physical Research （培育项目-物理研究）", "Key Project-Detector Upgrade (重点支持项目-探测器研制)," or "Integration Project-Detector Upgrade (集成项目-探测器研制)," based on the specific research content of the application.
2) The number of collaborative institutions for cultivation projects and key projects shall not exceed two, and for integration projects, shall not exceed four.
3) Applicants should independently formulate the project titles, scientific objectives, research content, technical route, and corresponding budget based on the core scientific issues and funding areas of this program. Physical research projects should take an interdisciplinary approach and make significant contributions to the core scientific issues and the overall objectives of the program. Applications that do not meet the requirements will not be accepted.
4) Applicants shall complete and submit electronic application forms and attachment materials online according to the instructions and outlines provided in the NSFC’s Grants System. The main part of the application shall be written in English. Applications that do not meet the requirements will not be accepted.
5) For detector upgrade projects, applicants must submit a certificate of collaborative research signed by the spokespersons of the respective experiments of CERN using the attached template. Applications that do not meet the requirements will not be accepted.
6) Applicants must submit the English CVs of the applicant and major participants in the attachments.
2. The host institutions should verify each item of the electronic application package via NSFC’s Grants System and submit all proposals and supplementary documents to NSFC before 16:00 on October 10, 2024. Late applications will not be accepted. The host institutions should upload a list of all the applications within 24 hours after the application deadline.
3. To monitor the progress of the projects and promote coherent research activities, the Steering Committee and Working Group of the program will organize annual meetings of the funded projects or regular workshops to facilitate communication and coordination. The PIs should participate in such workshops/meetings and make a budget for relevant costs, and are also responsible for coordinating their international research partners to participate in such activities.
4. Contact Information
Division III, Department of International Programs:
· Wu Congcong, Li Wencong
· Tel: 010-62325143, 62327014
· Email: wucc@nsfc.gov.cn, liwc@nsfc.gov.cn
NSFC Grants System technical support:
· Tel: +86-10-6231 7474
Annexes
· Template of the certificate of collaborative research
