On November 25, the School of Automation and Electrical Engineering hosted a guidance session on 2026 applications to the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The session featured Professor Zhang Yanjun, a doctoral supervisor at Beijing Institute of Technology and a recipient of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars. Zhang Jifeng, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Zhongyuan University of Technology and Dean of the School, attended alongside early-career faculty with doctoral degrees. Yan Li, Vice Dean of the School, chaired the session.
Professor Zhang Yanjun explained the evaluation principles and review expectations for National Natural Science Foundation projects. He focused on how to identify innovative research topics, formulate project titles, write abstracts and research rationales, define research objectives and technical routes, and refine scientific questions and innovation points.
Drawing on his own application and review experience, he offered detailed suggestions on common issues in proposal preparation. He encouraged young faculty members to sharpen their research questions, improve logical coherence, clarify the relationship between scientific problems and technical routes, and present the originality and feasibility of their work convincingly.
The guidance session provided practical support for faculty members preparing foundation-project applications. It strengthened their understanding of proposal quality requirements, enhanced confidence in future applications, and contributed to the School's efforts to improve the level of its scientific research projects.
