To enhance the quality of applications for the 2026 National Natural Science Foundation projects and provide precise support for young faculty members in achieving research breakthroughs, the Faculty of Medicine held its first National Natural Science Foundation project application guidance session on November 11. The session adopted an interactive format featuring "presentations by each applicant followed by targeted multi-expert feedback."
The event invited a panel of seasoned experts, including Professor Jin Hongchuan, a recipient of the Ministry of Education’s New Century Excellent Talent award, a Distinguished Expert of Zhejiang Province, and Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotherapy; Professor Qiu Shuang, a recipient of Zhejiang University's "Qiu Shi Young Scholar" award and the Provincial Outstanding Youth Fund; Professor Chen Xiao, a recipient of the National Excellent Youth Fund and the Provincial Outstanding Youth Fund, and Executive Director of Zhejiang University’s Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Center; and Professor Zhou Yiting, Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Zhejiang University’s School of Basic Medical Sciences. Twenty young faculty members from the Faculty of Medicine (including the School of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Public Health, and College of Pharmacy) took the stage in turn. Within the allotted time, they presented via PowerPoint on their projects' research background, rationale, methodology, innovative features, and feasibility. The presented projects spanned multiple cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields, including neuroscience, oncology, and immunology.
The most notable highlights of the guidance session were its "targeted" approach and "practical" nature. Moving beyond one-way knowledge dissemination, the session created a highly interactive environment that closely simulated formal review processes. Based on each faculty member’s presentation, the experts provided in-depth, targeted critiques and constructive suggestions covering the refinement of scientific questions, the logic of technical approaches, the presentation of innovative points, and techniques and strategies for proposal writing. This "one-on-one" consultation directly addressed the challenges and gaps in project conceptualization and application, transforming the guidance into a genuine "accelerator" for project optimization. Many participants noted that this innovative guidance model "exceeded expectations," as the experts' feedback was not only highly pertinent but also sparked new research ideas, providing clear direction for refining their applications.
The successful hosting of this event represents a significant initiative by the Faculty of Medicine in fostering research talent and building its academic ecosystem. By establishing a platform for in-depth exchanges with experts from leading institutions, the session not only laid a solid foundation for subsequent National Natural Science Foundation applications but, more importantly, systematically honed the young faculty members' abilities in research conceptualization and project presentation. This effort injects sustained momentum into the Faculty’s goal of building a high-level, sustainable research talent pipeline. The Faculty of Medicine will continue to promote such targeted guidance activities, reinforcing its research talent foundation and empowering its connotative development and long-term advancement.
