Scientific research projects are the university’s foundation to cultivating high-quality talented people and building a high-level of discipline. Various science and technology programs are an important source of the university’s scientific research projects and funds. They include the national science and technology support plan, 863 and 973 programs, the Natural Science Foundation, major national science and technology projects, and ministerial, provincial and municipal science and technology programs. In addition, the industry-university-research cooperative research project for regional economic developmental needs is also an important part of the scientific research projects of the university. Military scientific research projects will become a new research field at the university, after it qualified for military confidentiality at the end of June this year.

In 2013, the university established 376 science and engineering research projects, involving 195 million yuan in funding, up 84 percent as compared with the previous year. There were 78 national projects, with 161 million yuan in funds; seven national major projects, with 122 million yuan; 89 provincial and municipal projects with 12.7 million yuan of funds; and 209 crosscutting projects, with funding worth 21 million yuan.