On August 26, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) released the review results for project applications in the 2026 centralized funding round. Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences has secured a historic high in NSFC project approvals, obtaining a total of 250 funded projects. The approved projects include 1 Key Project, 1 Key International Cooperative Project, 70 General Projects, 176 Young Scientists Fund (Category-C) Projects, and 2 Foreign Scientist Research Fund Projects. Compared with the figure for the same period in 2025, the total number of approved projects has increased by 62.3%, ranking The University & Academy among the top-tier universities in Shandong Province for four consecutive years. Other projects submitted during the centralized application period are currently pending review and approval.
The 2026 NSFC project approvals reflect a sound development momentum featuring consolidated foundations, expanded coverage and sustained growth potential. The successful acquisition of both a Key Project and a Key International Cooperative Project marks a pivotal breakthrough for The University & Academy in exploring major frontier scientific research areas. The number of General Projects has risen by 18.6% year on year, further solidifying the institution’s foundation for basic research. Most notably, approvals for Young Scientists Fund (Category-C) Projects have skyrocketed by 91.3%, demonstrating the vigorous vitality and robust development potential of the university’s young research talent team. The continuously optimized project structure and steadily improved international research capabilities have laid a solid groundwork for the high-quality development of The University & Academy in the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
In recent years, The University & Academy has fully implemented the national innovation-driven development strategy and Shandong Province’s strategic deployment of “forging ahead and taking on pivotal responsibilities”. Adhering to the goal of developing a first-class university, the institution has optimized the top-level design of scientific research and advanced organized research in a systematic manner. Centering on major national scientific and technological tasks and frontier basic research priorities, it has optimized the layout of superior disciplines, boosted in-depth interdisciplinary integration between clinical medicine and basic disciplines, rationally allocated research resources, improved supporting service systems, and stimulated endogenous innovation momentum. Meanwhile, the university has further expanded opening-up and international cooperation, built high-end academic exchange platforms, cultivated a collaborative innovation ecosystem, and steadily strengthened its capacity to undertake major national scientific research missions, providing solid support for national and regional scientific and technological innovation development.
This remarkable achievement in NSFC project applications fully embodies the coordinated development of The University & Academy’s scientific research strength, talent workforce and innovation ecosystem. Moving forward, anchored in national strategic demands, the institution will continue to prioritize basic research and original innovation, further deepen the integration of clinical and basic disciplines, advance breakthroughs in key core technologies, and cultivate high-caliber innovative talents. By comprehensively enhancing its core competitiveness and innovation efficiency, The University & Academy will make greater contributions to the construction of a science-empowered province and a powerful science and technology nation.
Contributor: Scientific Research Office
Correspondent: Lei Wang
Editor-in-Charge: Shan Jiang Reviewed by: Yanjun Liu
