Analysis of major programs in the field of health science funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China between the years 2010 and 2018.

Background: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) plays an important role in supporting scientific research. The Major Program is one of the most important types as it improves the capability of indigenous innovation in China's basic research efforts. Thus, numerous scientists and researchers are concerned about its application and funding aspects.

Methods: The information and data of the Major Program were collected from guide books and annual reports released between the years 2010 to 2018 via the NSFC official website. We conducted further analysis to discover any regularities and tendencies.

Results: From 2010 to 2018, a total of 21 areas in the field of health science were funded by the NSFC and eventually 87 projects were approved, totaling 32.8 million CNY. The applicants funded were from 43 host institutions, 70 were males and 17 were females, and the applicants were aged between of 35 and 77 years. Of all the applicants funded, 86 had senior title while only 1 had deputy senior title. The collaboration of institutions was common in the applications.

Conclusions: Several characteristics of the Major Program could be found based on the analysis, which may be beneficial for the applicants in the future.