According to the Science and Technology Department and Finance Department of Hunan University of Science and Technology (HNUST), the annual research funding of HNUST in 2023 exceeded 200 million yuan for the first time. This milestone includes a significant increase in longitudinal research funding—up by 160% from 2022 and doubled from 2021. The research funding has doubled in a span of just two years.

Research funding is one of the important indicators for measuring the comprehensive research strength of universities. During the past year, HNUST has built four major scientific research platforms and formed eight major scientific teams, leading to a marked increase in the approval of scientific research project, involving more than 10 major and key projects sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

For the purpose of promoting a sustainable and stable increase in research funding, HNUST has established an overall target for research fund acquisition at the beginning of 2023. This target will be pursued by all the schools and sections of HNUST, tailored to the specific circumstance of each discipline. And the amounts of funding will be incorporated into the system of objective assessment, serving as a critical benchmark for evaluating professional titles and for the strategic recruitment of talent. HNUST consistently organizes activities to enhance awareness of global advancements, to keep pace with developed areas and to achieve success in various fields. Furthermore, the leadership is proactively engaging with external resources to address development challenges.

Tang Yayang, Secretary of Party Committee of HNUST, stated that as a local university, HNUST is well-positioned in serving national strategies. Furthermore, we will move forward to strengthen organized scientific research. Aiming at the strategic initiatives that reach to the skies, anchor to the land, and delve into the seas, HNUSTers will strive to make new breakthroughs in bigger platforms, extensive teams, major projects, significant outcomes, and substantial contributions.

(Translated by HE Yingyan and XIAO Suqin)