Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for strengthening the strategic, forward-looking and systematic layout of basic research and supporting scientists and researchers in delivering more original innovations. Xi made the remarks in a recent instruction on work related to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

Noting the NSFC's positive role in advancing basic research and nurturing innovators over the past four decades, Xi urged the foundation to seize opportunities presented by the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation.

The NSFC was set up in February 1986 and has become a major channel for national funding of basic research.

Since its establishment during China's drive to revive basic research in the 1980s, the NSFC has acted as a catalyst for a research ecosystem featuring government leadership and multi-source participation.

The creation of the foundation followed proposals from leading scientists to introduce peer review and competitive mechanisms, marking a shift from planned allocation of research resources to merit-based selection.

Over 40 years, the NSFC has funded about 880,000 projects with total funding of 460.8 billion yuan (about $66.7 billion) and supported around 4.8 million participant researchers.

Its funding budget expanded from 80 million yuan in 1986 to 39.5 billion yuan in 2025, forming a structured system covering all career stages and 18 project categories.

The foundation has also helped foster a diversified funding model involving local governments, industries, enterprises and social capital, supporting both frontier exploration and national strategic needs.

The NSFC has played a catalytic role in enabling major original breakthroughs and long-term talent development. Landmark achievements supported by the foundation include iron-based superconductors, the quantum anomalous Hall effect and nano-confinement catalysis.

Quantum physicist Pan Jianwei said NSFC support allowed him to pursue high-risk research early in his career, laying foundations for later breakthroughs in quantum information. Similar experiences among scientists illustrate how stable funding enables long-term exploration and helps outstanding young researchers emerge.

China has seen major improvements in global research output under the foundation's long-term support. The country has ranked first globally for five consecutive years in both high-level international journal papers and international patent applications.

In fields including quantum technology, life sciences, materials science and space science, researchers have delivered a series of major original achievements, reflecting the foundation's role in strengthening systemic research capacity.

As China advances toward higher-level scientific and technological self-reliance, the NSFC is expected to further strengthen basic research, enhance funding effectiveness and consolidate the scientific foundations for building a world-leading science and technology powerhouse.

(With input from Xinhua)