The establishment of the popular science fund aims to encourage Chinese scientists in the field of basic research to take part in the promotion of science among the public, according to officials from the committee.

Projects combining scientific research, promotion and education, and projects pushing forward exchanges between scientists and the mass media will be granted funding support by the committee.

New technology in popular science exhibition, science popularization theoretic research, investigation into China's science popularization environment, and high-quality popular science publications will be funded.

Priority will be given to science popularization projects among minority ethnic groups and in the west and remote areas, officials said.

The SNSFC, established in Beijing in 1986, aims to use research funds to coordinate and provide funds for research in basic and applied science in accordance with State policies.

China has increased its natural science funding by 20 percent annually since 1996.

China allocated 1.04 billion yuan (about 125 million US dollars)to natural science research in 1999, compared with 80 million yuan in 1986.

With the support of the Natural Science Fund, China has made rapid progress in mathematical mechanization theory, distribution of substances in the universe, modern astrophysics, genome research and evolution studies.

(www.21dnn.com.cn 12/01/2000)