A total of 203 projects from Wenzhou in East China's Zhejiang province will receive funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China this year, according to local media reports.
The NSFC is the primary national-level channel for funding high-level basic research. The number of approved projects and funding allocated by the NSFC serve as important indicators for assessing a region's basic research capabilities. They also serve as significant benchmarks for evaluating the talent nurturing and research standards of universities and research institutions.
Among the 203 projects funded by the NSFC in Wenzhou, Wenzhou Medical University secured the highest number with 124 projects, an increase of seven compared to the previous year. This achievement places the university second among all universities in Zhejiang province.
Following closely behind is Wenzhou University, which obtained 34 NSFC-funded projects. Notably, Professor Wang Jun from the College of Civil Engineering and Architecture was awarded the prestigious National Outstanding Youth Science Fund, a recognition often given to leading figures in China's scientific research community.
Additionally, the city's three research institutions collectively obtained 45 projects. The Oujiang Laboratory acquired 24 projects, while the Wenzhou Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences secured 20. Additionally, the Wenzhou Advanced Manufacturing Research Institute of Huazhong University of Science and Technology achieved its first-ever NSFC project approval.
The number of Youth Science Fund projects serves as a crucial benchmark for assessing a city's innovative potential and long-term prospects. It is worth noting that over 60 percent of the approved projects from Wenzhou fell into this category.
