To effectively prepare for the 2026 National Natural Science Foundation project applications and to improve the quality of proposals and the success rate of applications, the School of Food Science and Engineering recently invited Professor Liu Liming from Jiangnan University to give an online special guidance lecture titled 'Key Points and Strategies for Applying to the National Natural Science Foundation.' The lecture was hosted by Professor Liu Jifeng, Vice Dean of the School of Food Science and Engineering. Over a hundred teachers from the School of Food Science and Engineering, School of Biotechnology, School of Chemical Engineering and Materials, and School of Marine and Environmental Sciences participated online, and the live discussion atmosphere was very lively.  

Professor Liu Liming, drawing on his extensive experience in fund letter reviews and panel evaluations, explained the process from the perspective of review experts in four main modules: first, analyzing review rules, emphasizing the importance of proposal quality, and suggesting an application schedule of 'finalize topic in January, refine in February, submit in March'; second, guiding topic selection, pointing out that one should avoid blindly chasing hot topics, but should focus on their own research area and explore innovative scientific problems at the intersections of disciplines and international gaps; third, sharing proposal writing skills, recommending different structures for general and youth projects, and providing detailed explanations on writing requirements and details for core sections such as the basis for the project and key scientific issues; fourth, using real-life examples to warn against common pitfalls in applications like budget planning and expected outcomes, emphasizing that proposals should highlight innovation, feasibility, logical rigor, and formatting standards.  

In the interactive session, attending teachers actively asked questions about 'how to identify key scientific problems,' 'features of interdisciplinary project applications,' and 'the correspondence between research objectives and content,' and Professor Liu Liming provided detailed answers to each. The guidance session was thorough and highly targeted, and participants reported gaining valuable insights and feeling more confident and clear about submitting their fund applications.  

Written by: Zhang Lingling, School of Food Science