A total of 164 ECNU projects were approved to be financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China this year, according to the latest list unveiled by the foundation. Totaling at 467 million yuan, the money will go to 101 general projects, 57 youth scientific research projects, three key projects and one state-level major scientific research instrument development project.
In China, the number of projects funded by the foundation along with the amount of financial aid are important indicators to judge a research institution. The foundation has been a major source of finance for ECNU's scientific research.
This year, the university held training sessions to mobilize eligible researchers to submit applications to the foundation and offer guidance on this matter.
ECNU's traditional disciplines have gained momentum in the number of applications and approved projects over recent years. The Chemistry and Molecular Engineering School has stood out among others in the number of applications and approvals of key projects and talent projects granted by the foundation. The school saw two projects funded by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and another two by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Fund in 2017, one by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Fund and one by the National Major Scientific Research Instrument Development Program in 2018, and two by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars this year.
This year, the School of Life Sciences ranked first in ECNU in terms of the number of projects to receive financial aid and the amount of money involved.
With an aim to promote cross-disciplinary integration, the university encourages researchers to cooperate with their peers from outside ECNU and conduct cross-disciplinary research.
The Faculty of Economics and Management, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, and School of Data Science and Engineering made headways in lodging applications and the number of financed projects this year. The Faculty of Economics and Management also saw a group of key projects approved for financial aid this year.
Some veteran scientists in ECNU also made breakthroughs in their fields, such as Ma Longsheng with the State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy who was approved for financial support from the National Major Scientific Research Instrument Development Program this year. Besides joining an exclusive group of 13 recipients from all over China, Ma has won several previous awards, including a second prize of the National Natural Science Award and the Rabi award from IEEE-IFCS.
The National Natural Science Foundation of China conducted a trial this year in order to classify applicants into four categories - original projects, creative frontier projects, demand-pulling groundbreaking projects and cross-accommodating projects. Among all approved ECNU projects, 76 percent fall into the second category.
In the future, the university will strive to enhance the competitiveness of scientific research and pick higher-quality projects as entries for grant approval by the foundation.
Editd by Siyuan Zhang Proofread by Joshua Mayfield Reviewed by Wenjun Guo
