The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) recently announced the result of grant applications for 2023. Researchers at the University of Macau (UM) received grants for their research projects in various fields, including materials science, financial technology, nanomedicine, Chinese medicine, integrated circuits, environmental engineering, and economics. Among the applications submitted by UM, one project received a grant from the Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Hong Kong and Macao) and 11 from the Young Scientists Fund. Among the applications submitted by the Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute (ZUMRI), three projects received grants from NSFC’s General Program and two from the Young Scientists Fund.

Sun Pengzhan, assistant professor at UM’s Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, was awarded a grant from the Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Hong Kong and Macao). He is also the only scholar in Macao to receive the grant this year. Scholars who submitted applications through UM and received grants from the Young Scientists Fund included Yang Endong, assistant professor in the Faculty of Business Administration; Tao Yubo, assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences; Peng Yatao, assistant professor at the Institute of Microelectronics; Li Rihui, assistant professor at the Institute of Collaborative Innovation; Zhang Kaile, research assistant professor at the Institute of Collaborative Innovation; Qian Guangsheng, research assistant professor in the Faculty of Science and Technology; Zhou Liqiang and Shao Fangyuan, research assistant professors in the Faculty of Health Sciences; Guan Zheng, research assistant professors in the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City; and Feng Ruibing and Li Guodong, research assistant professors at the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences. In addition, among the applications submitted by ZUMRI, Yang Yibai, associate professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences, and Luo Li and Cai Zhongya, assistant professors in the Faculty of Science and Technology, received grants from NSFC’s General Program; while postdoctoral fellows Wan Qian and Lou Yaying received grants from the Young Scientists Fund.

In recent years, the university has launched several schemes under the UM Talent Programme, including the UM Research Assistant Professor scheme, the UM Postdoctoral Fellow scheme, and the UM Macao Fellow scheme. The schemes have attracted a number of young scholars to join the university to conduct academic research. Currently, 12 scholars at UM have been awarded grants from the Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Hong Kong and Macao), and UM’s application success rate for the Young Scientists Fund has reached 50 per cent for two consecutive years.