我国地质学基础研究人才战略

基于地球系统科学对地质学基础研究人才的需求, 对我国40余所高校、8个中国科学院研究所的地质学人才存量、结构、培养状况和147名国家杰出青年科学基金获得者、407名青年基金项目负责人进行了问卷调查.调查发现全国现有4418人从事地质学基础研究工作, 年龄峰值为41~45岁, 人数随年龄降低而大幅度减少; 地质类博士毕业生占全国当年博士毕业总人数的比例从1993年的8.76%下降到2003年的4.7%.研究结果表明, 我国现有青年地质学人才数量呈急剧下降趋势, 未来5~10年地质学基础研究人才远不能适应地球系统科学发展、国民经济建设和人类社会进步的需要.为了加强地质学基础研究人才队伍建设和规划, 实现从地学大国走向地学强国的战略目标, 提出了设立“国家自然科学育才基金”、创新地质学青年拔尖人才培育模式和改善人文环境等措施. 

Strategy of Young Talent in Geological Fundamental Studies in China

To meet the requirements of Earth System Science (ESS) development in China, a state-of-the-art study has been carried out. The average age, academic degree and discipline distribution of geologists, and issues related to geoscience education have been statistically studied, based on reclaimed questionnaires from over 40 universities, 8 research institutes of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 147 persons who have been funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) as outstanding young scientists, and 407 project principals of NSFC youth fund projects. In China, 4 418 people are now engaged in the basic research of geosciences, with peak ages between 41 and 45 years. The number sharply decreases for geologists younger than 40 years. The ratio of the number of Ph D graduates in geology over the total number of Ph D graduates in China decreased from 8. 76% in 1993 to 4.7% in 2003. If the decline in the number of young geologists remains unchanged, the human resource in fundamental geological research would be not enough to meet the needs of the development of ESS and the progress of economy and society. In order to achieve the strategic goal for China to develop faster in geoscience studies, strategic measures are proposed on how to improve funding, the training and evaluation system and the socialacademic environment for young geologists.