The Ministry of Science and Technology and another nine ministries on May 9 jointly issued the Pilot Implementation Plan for Empowering Scientific and Technological Achievements Ownership or Long-term Use Right to Scientific Researchers.

It aims to deepen reform of the right to use, dispose and profit from scientific and technological achievements.

The plan also aims to further stimulate scientific researchers' enthusiasm for innovation and to promote the commercialization and industrialization of scientific and technological achievements.

The plan proposes that 40 colleges and universities and scientific research institutions be selected from different fields -- and that researchers at these pilot institutions will have the rights to their achievements for not less than 10 years.

They will carry out pilot projects, as well as explore mechanisms and modes for granting the long-term use of rights to achievements to researchers.