The hub of innovation helping China’s young scientists

When conducting research on the frontiers of basic science, young scientists often struggle to garner the funds to take their ideas forward.

To tackle this challenge, the Science and Technology Committee of Shanghai Municipality (STCSM) in China has created a ‘Basic Research Special Zone Plan’ (BRSZP) — a grant-giving scheme — which is supporting young scientists to develop their careers, develop innovative ideas and unlock their full potential.

Lighting the way

“Joining BRSZP alleviates some of the pressure we face, allowing us to embrace failure,” says Tianquan Lin, 38, a materials scientist at the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, a beneficiary of the programme.

For a long time, Lin was unable to pursue his dream because of a lack of funding. He wanted to create a stable, all-weather and portable power supply device by integrating solar cells and batteries, but funding on the scale he needed was only available to renowned scientists with an established track record.

To make the best use of intermittent sunlight as an energy source, Lin is now working on creating a device that integrates photovoltaics and batteries into one system. “With the funding from the BRSZP, we are working day and night to make our dream a reality,” Lin says.

The first group of institutions to benefit from BRSZP comprises Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the Shanghai branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences — but more institutions are expected to be added to the scheme in coming years.

The Shanghai municipal government has allocated an annual 60 million yuan (US$8.4 million) to these three institutions since the programme was launched in 2021.

Disruptive innovation

When deciding on which projects to fund the BRSZP has described disruptive innovation as its primary criterion. As a result, BRSZP allocates grant funds to young researchers who are testing ideas and concepts on the edges of current scientific understanding.

“BRSZP provides significant support for young scientists. It encourages them to try new methods and technologies, channeling their efforts into solving significant scientific problems,” says Bin Zhou, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Branch. He is one of the 37 scientists from the institute selected for BRSZP grants.

Zhou studies genetic lineage tracing technology to investigate the origin and fate of cells during tissue homeostasis and diseases, a technique that allows researchers to uncover the mechanisms and regulatory processes involved. The research involves prolonged experiments and a great deal of uncertainty, demanding significant investment.

With BRSZP support, Zhou and his team established the technology that enables the tracing and genetic manipulation of cells that are neighbouring during the embryonic development process.

Currently, they are upgrading and optimizing this technology with the aim of labeling neighbouring cells in adult tissue organs and figuring out their function in tissue repair and regeneration.

“In the future, it could be widely applied in various research fields such as developmental biology, stem cell biology, oncology, and immunology,” Zhou says, “enabling a much better understanding of the fate of cells.”

Complex modeling

Physicist, Weibin Chu, is another young researcher who has used BRSZP support to make a major breakthrough. He is studying the complex modeling of materials and systems at Fudan University’s Institute of Computational Physical Sciences. Chu works on increasing the accuracy and scale of simulations aimed at predicting the atomic properties of materials that become temporarily energized after absorbing external energy by several orders of magnitude.

To realize this goal, close collaboration was needed between multiple teams in algorithm development, high-performance computing and software/hardware development. It would not have been possible to run tests on this scale and of such complexity without substantial and ongoing funding.

Prior to receiving the grant, Chu, 31, says that at his age he “could barely even imagine such a large amount of funding.” He has so far been awarded three million yuan (US$420,000) from the programme.

Chu says that BRSZP is particularly important for young researchers engaged in fundamental research as they often face significant pressures and little support in their working lives.

Risks and results

“Fundamental research carries substantial risks and may not yield immediate results, making it difficult to obtain adequate resources and support,” Chu desays. The project funding has allowed him and his research team to make their “own contribution to fundamental scientific research”.

Shanghai has also provided a unique and favourable environment for Chu to work on his research. After finishing his studies in the United States, he chose Shanghai for its abundance of prestigious universities and world-class research institutions. Through the BRSZP project, he now has had the opportunity to collaborate closely with the top mathematicians at Fudan University.

“We aim to develop a comprehensive and realistic computational method using AI. Our ultimate goal is to apply this method to material simulation and design, such as in energy conversion, electronics, and catalysis,” Chu adds.

The flexible and forward-thinking research environment in Shanghai, along with initiatives such as BRSZP, are particularly important as they provide further support for basic research, says Zhou. “It is crucial in speeding up the establishment of the city as a source of innovation”.