Objective:To analyze and discuss the implementation of the National Science Funds for Distinguished and Excellent Young Scientists in the past 10 years, and propose suggestions for future developments.Methods:The application and funding data of the National Science Funds for Distinguished and Excellent Young Scientists from 2010 to 2019 were collected. Both the distribution in each subdivision field and the age, gender, title and academic rank of the awardees were analyzed. The funds received before the Distinguished Young Scientists and the funds got after Excellent Young Scientists were discussed respectively.Results:There were Distinguished Young Scientists in field of medical imaging each year with an average funding rate of 10.3%(15/145). The funding rate of Excellent Young Scientists in field of medical imaging was higher than the average in the years of 2012-2014 and 2019. The application amounts of molecular imaging, MRI and medical imaging data processing and analyzing reached the top three positions. As far as the funding amount was concerned, ultrasound (4), molecular imaging (4) and MRI (3) for Distinguished Young Scientists, and medical imaging data processing and analyzing (6), molecular imaging (5) and MRI (4) for Excellent Young Scientists were in the first three priorities respectively. As far as the application and funding of the two projects were concerned, there was obvious difference among different supporting institutions. Certain similar growth characteristics remained for the project directors. Good accumulation of scientific achievements was demanded for the Distinguished Young Scientists. The Excellent Young Scientists grew well after being awarded.Conclusion:The National Science Funds for Distinguished and Excellent Young Scientists promote the development of medical imaging and help to cultivate the young talents.

Objective:To analyze the key projects in medical imaging and biomedical engineering area funded by national natural science foundation of China (NSFC) in the past ten years, so as to provide reference of application for scientific researchers.Methods:The funded projects through fund code H18 (medical imaging and biomedical engineering) of NSFC during 2010 to 2019 was analyzed. The funded fields, geographical distribution, research direction, applicants, supporting institutions, and the characteristics and trends of key researches were summarized.Results:A total of 68 projects were funded under H18, including 58 in projected area and 10 in non-projected area. The average funding rate was 19.0% (68/358) in the last ten years. Institutions of higher learning received 51 grants while scientific research institutes had 17. Thirty-seven supporting institutions received H18 key project funding, among which 22 received 1 grant and 15 received 2 or more. There were 51 (75%) male project leaders and 17 (25%) female leaders. The age of project leaders ranged from 35-66 years. Among the project leaders of H18 key funded projects, 52 leaders were approved once, and 8 were approved twice. The average interval between two approved key projects was 5.8 years.Conclusions:Since the establishment of the Department of Health Sciences in 2009, the sum of the fund and the number of the funded key projects in imaging medicine and biomedical engineering field have increased year by year. With the joint efforts of the majority of clinical workers and scientific researchers, research in this domain will achieve rapid development in our country.

Objective:To investigate the current funding landscape of medical artificial intelligence (AI) projects in National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) from 2015 to 2019.Methods:From 2015 to 2019, AI-related projects in NSFC Medical Science Department were collected. Comprehensive analysis was performed in the projects information including year, title, supporting institution, fund type, research findings, etc.Results:NSFC has funded a total of 278 projects related to artificial intelligence, with the total funding amount of 139 million yuan. The number of projects and the funding amount were increasing year by year. Among these, 90% (249/278) were general programs and young scientist funds; 53% (148/278) of the projects were regionally distributed in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong; 66% (184/278) of the projects were imaging-related researches; the projects mainly focused on diseases with high incidence in China, including neoplastic diseases, cardiovascular and nervous system diseases.Conclusion:The AI-related projects funded by NSFC are characterized by rapid growth in number and fund amounts, wide coverage of disciplines, and diverse types of research diseases. However, the unbalanced distribution of regions, research fields, and supporting institutions demands more attention in future.

Objective:To analyze the application and funding status of various projects of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) from 2013 to 2022, and explore the challenges faced by basic research and clinical transformation in this field.Methods:From 2013 to 2022, application and funding information of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging projects (secondary code H2704, H2706) from five departments of Medical Science Department of NSFC were retrospectively collected. The number of applications, number of funding, funding direction, funding intensity, distribution of supporting units and research hotspots of various projects in this field were analyzed.Results:From 2013 to 2022, the total number of applications of various projects in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging reached 5 387, and the total number of grants reached 899. The number of applications and grants showed a steady growth trend. The overall funding intensity increased from 48.935 0 million yuan in 2013 to 59.495 4 million yuan in 2022, with the increase of 21.58%. Among all supporting units, Shanghai Jiao Tong University topped the list for both the number of applications (440) and the number of grants (82), Xiamen University ranked the first in terms of overall funding rate (25.42%, 30/118), and Peking University ranked the first in terms of total funding intensity (41.897 1 million yuan). Research hotspots focused on the construction of tumor targeted molecular probes and precise imaging of tumor internal molecular components.Conclusion:In the past decade, the number of related projects and total funding of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging supported by NSFC have steadily increased, and the types of funded projects are diverse and interdisciplinary, promoting the innovative development of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging disciplines in China.

The mini-review stemmed from a recent meeting on national aging research strategies in China discusses the components and challenges of aging research in China. Highlighted are the major efforts of a number of research teams, funding situations and outstanding examples of recent major research achievements. Finally, authors discuss potential targets and strategies of aging research in China.
Aging ; Animals ; Biomedical Research ; China ; Humans