Funding Management of Applied Basic Research：Understanding，Challenges，and Countermeasures

Strengthening applied basic research is a strategic choice to cope with the forward shift of international competition toward fundamental frontiers and is also a responsibility of the National Natural Science Foundation of China in the new era. This paper,based on the related research progress both domestically and internationally,investigates and summarizes key issues such as the concept and connotation of applied basic research,topic refinement,investment mechanisms,and organizational implementation. The study reveals that applied basic research is evolving with a dual emphasis on "cutting-edge advancement" and "strategic needs",characterized by the deep integration of goal-oriented and free exploration approaches,as well as a focus on end-to-end translation from scientific breakthroughs to industrial applications. To this end,China must further refine the top-level design and strategic planning of applied basic research,establish a multi-stakeholder collaborative mechanism for research agenda-setting,continuously improve diversified funding mechanisms,and strengthen the foundational and leading role of science foundations in supporting and managing applied basic research. These efforts will provide solid support for achieving high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology.