On February 29, the National Natural Science Foundation of China released the "Top Ten Progress in Chinese Science" for 2023. What are the characteristics of the top ten latest developments? What's the significance? The relevant person in charge of the National Natural Science Foundation of China accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from Xinhua News Agency.

Reporter: What are the characteristics of the “Top Ten Progress in Chinese Science” in 2023?

Answer: The scientific research results selected for the 2023 "Top Ten Progress in Chinese Science" are oriented to the world's scientific and technological frontiers, highlight originality, reflect multi-disciplinary intersection, and present the following characteristics:

Judging from the distribution of subject fields and research results, the "Top Ten Progress in Chinese Science" in 2023 is mainly distributed in the scientific fields of life sciences and medicine, artificial intelligence, quantum, astronomy, chemical energy, etc. The research results fully reflect the "four aspects" The strategic orientation reflects the expansion of research directions to macro, micro and extreme conditions, and reflects the formation of a new paradigm in basic research promoted by big data and intelligence.

From the perspective of selection principles and procedures, the 2023 "Top Ten Progress in Science in China" adheres to the principle of relying on experts and is recommended by a third party. It does not require the application and defense of the person who completed the results. The final selection is made by more than 2,100 high-level experts and scholars in the field of basic research. More than 430 academicians of the two academies participated in the voting, ensuring the scientificity, fairness and representativeness of the selection results. In particular, this year, the Advisory Committee of the National Natural Science Foundation of China organized experts to review and check the results that were finally selected into the "Top Ten Progress in Chinese Science" in 2023, which improved the authority of the selection results.

Judging from the main completing units and personnel, in addition to universities and scientific research institutes, three technology companies have been shortlisted for the "Top Ten Progress in Chinese Science" in 2023, including Huawei Cloud Computing Technology Co., Ltd. and Syngenta Group , Beijing Qihe Shengke Biotechnology Co., Ltd., etc., reflecting the increasingly important role that enterprises play in innovation. This year, an important result in the field of life sciences jointly researched by the University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology was selected, reflecting the increasingly prominent role of Hong Kong and Macao’s scientific and technological strength in the national science and technology innovation system.

In addition, many of the selected results were completed through joint research by universities, scientific research institutes, etc., reflecting the unique advantages and outstanding results of organized scientific research relying on the national strategic scientific and technological strength. In terms of main completion personnel, 45% are under the age of 45, and 72% have received funding from the National Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars or Innovation Group Projects. It can be seen that young talents have become a new force in carrying out basic research. The National Natural Science Foundation of China Science funds play an increasingly important role as the main channel in supporting basic research and cultivating scientific and technological innovation talents.

Reporter: What is the significance of holding this selection and release event?

Answer: The "Top Ten Progress in Science in China" selection activity aims to publicize the major progress made in basic research in our country, stimulate the scientific enthusiasm of the majority of scientific and technological workers, promote the scientific spirit and the spirit of scientists, and create a strong scientific research atmosphere in the whole society. The scientific research achievements selected as the "Top Ten Progress in Chinese Science" in 2023 are breakthroughs and landmark achievements in their respective fields. These important achievements are the epitome and representative of the gratifying progress made in basic research in our country.

In a sense, the innovation environment is more important than the innovation itself. Basic research is characterized by instant inspiration, random methods, and uncertain paths. Therefore, we must maintain strategic focus on basic research and vigorously create a good innovation environment that encourages originality, tolerates failure, and is conducive to the production of major original results.

Promoting the major scientific and technological achievements selected and released in the "Top Ten Progress of Chinese Science" in 2023 is also an important science popularization activity for the whole society. It is a popular science expression of scientific and technological resources and helps to improve the scientific literacy of the whole people.

Reporter: Taking this selection and release event as an opportunity, what new measures will the National Natural Science Foundation of China take to strengthen basic research, especially to cultivate high-level scientific and technological talents?

Answer: Strengthening basic research ultimately depends on high-level talents. We must take the release of the "Top Ten Progress in Chinese Science" in 2023 as an opportunity to adhere to the goal-oriented and free exploration of "walking on two legs", stabilize the fundamentals of basic research, improve support for non-consensus and transformative innovative research, and expand understanding Natural boundaries open up new cognitive territories; it is necessary to improve the establishment, review and management mechanisms of major projects, understand the basic theories and technical principles behind the "stuck neck" technology, and allocate precious scientific resources to those with the most vitality and innovation potential frontline scientific researchers.

To strengthen basic research and lay a solid foundation for self-reliance in high-level science and technology, the key is to raise real scientific questions in terms of research content, combine basic research with talent training in terms of talent teams, improve the diversified investment mechanism in terms of research investment, and in terms of innovation subjects Give full play to the leading role of the national strategic scientific and technological strength and create an innovative culture of "bravely venturing into no man's land" in the scientific research environment.

Specifically, the first is to move the funding port of the National Natural Science Foundation forward and pilot-fund outstanding undergraduates and doctoral students to carry out basic research. Explore and build a systematic and full-chain talent team support and training mechanism that starts from undergraduates and runs through the entire career of scientists.

The second is to optimize the funding mechanism of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. Highlight the attributes of the project, conduct a graded evaluation of the project completion when the funding period expires, and continue funding for those with excellent evaluation results. A maximum of 15 years of long-term stable funding of nearly 30 million yuan will be provided, and superior resources will be concentrated to cultivate high-level leading talents.

The third is to build an international basic research cooperation platform, establish a global scientific research fund, and carry out international scientific research funding. This includes funding scientific research projects jointly conducted by Chinese and foreign scientists, supporting overseas scientists to work in China for a long time, encouraging outstanding foreign doctoral students to study in China or engage in scientific research, etc., to accumulate more original innovations and make new and greater contributions to the development and progress of human civilization.