The topic is to solve the problem and study the subject matter of the problem. It can be summarized into various forms, which can be papers, reports, patents, monographs and so on. Therefore, a scientific paper report can be a part of a project, but it is not the same as a project.
The project usually needs a research team to complete, with 5 to 6 participants, each of whom is responsible for part of the work and needs a whole to cooperate. The project needs to be applied first, and the project can only be started after it is approved.
Papers don't need approval, and they can start with good ideas, which is very flexible. It takes 1 to 2 years from declaration to project end.