Application and funding status of oral and craniofacial sciences research projects funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China from 2010 to 2021

Abstract

Objective: Based on the application and funding status of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in the field of oral and craniofacial sciences (H15), we analyzed the current status of basic research of the Oral and Craniofacial Sciences (OCS) in China, and provided the references for the sustainable and efficient funding of basic research and scientific frontier exploration in the field, supporting the construction of talents and teams, and enhancing the development of OCS in China. Methods: The data of both applied and funded grants of H15 in NSFC from 2010 to 2021 were analyzed, including the number of applications and funding, the amount of funding, the funding rate, the research direction and the supporting units. The status of basic research of H15 was summarized. Results: From 2010 to 2021, H15 received 15 060 applications and funded 2 569 grants. The overall funding rate of H15 was 17.06%, and the total funding amount was 114.030 5 million yuan. The applications and funded projects of H15 were mainly focused on the General Projects and Youth Science Fund Projects, accounting for 90.33% (13 604/15 060) and 88.71% (2 279/2 569) of the total number of applications and funded projects, and 78.05% 89 002.5/114 030.5 of the total funding amount. In terms of talent training, the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars received 65 applications, and 6 were founded, with a funding rate of 9.23%. The National Science Foundation for Outstanding Young Scholars received 85 applications, and 13 were founded, with a funding rate of 15.29%. In recent years, the number of applications has gradually increased and the number of grants has remained relatively stable. Among the nine sub-categories of H15, the top three in terms of the number of applications and grants were H1502, H1504, and H1507. H1502 (repair and regeneration of oral and craniofacial tissue and organ defects) received 2 760 applications, and 510 were funded. H1504 (periodontal and oral mucosal diseases) received 2 475 applications, and 419 were funded. H1507 (restoration of tooth defects and loss, and correction of dental deformities) received 2 270 applications, and 367 were funded. Peking University and Sichuan University ranked first and second with 1 092 and 1 001 applications, respectively. The top five recipients were Sichuan University (327 items), Peking University (260 items), Wuhan University (204 items), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (198 items) and the Fourth Military Medical University of the People's Liberation Army (193 items). The funding rates were 32.67%, 23.81%, 23.02%, 21.69% and 29.11%, respectively. Conclusions: Under the support of NSFC, the basic research of oral and craniofacial sciences has been developed in an all-round way. In recent years, the talent training of all echelons has increased year by year, the research direction and geographical coverage is comprehensive, and project support organization has its own research focus and discipline advantages, making contributions to the realization of the goal of healthy China and the progress of world medicine.