On September 29, the Chinese Academy of Sciences held a press conference in Beijing to formally launch its "Frontier Science Breakthrough Program" and the first batch of projects under it. The 10 initial projects focus on frontier questions such as the synthesis of new elements, the nature of dark matter and dark energy, microscopic measurement of chemical bonds, and artificially synthesized cells.

The program is designed to marshal the country's strongest research teams into systematic, institutionalized efforts aimed at global scientific frontiers and China's long-term development needs, with the goal of producing a steady stream of major original results.

First Projects Target Four Categories of Frontier Questions

According to the Academy, the first batch of projects centers on what it calls the "four extremes."

The first is the synthesis of new elements, exploring new elements and forms of matter under extreme conditions. The second is the nature of dark matter and dark energy, advancing research into the universe's basic composition and evolution. The third is microscopic measurement of chemical bonds, aimed at a more precise understanding of the microstructure of matter and the mechanisms of chemical reactions. The fourth is artificially synthesized cells, probing the fundamental rules governing how living systems are built, operate, and evolve.

The Academy also released a list of fields it intends to prioritize in the next round, with support concentrated on materials science, life sciences, Earth system science, and space science. The aim is to deliver globally significant original results in areas tied to people's livelihoods and China's long-term development.

Major Research Infrastructure Paired With AI

Zhou Qi, vice president and Party group member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the program will concentrate on major scientific questions capable of reshaping research paradigms and opening up new frontiers.

In carrying out the program, the Academy will lean on its major research infrastructure, opening up its large scientific facilities for shared use while building out AI platforms and research networks, so that different disciplines, research teams, and experimental facilities can work together more efficiently.

AI is set to play a significant role. On one hand, it can help researchers process vast volumes of experimental data, identify patterns, and generate hypotheses. On the other, it can link models, datasets, and experimental equipment across fields, speeding up the analysis and validation of complex scientific problems.

By combining major scientific facilities, AI platforms, and multidisciplinary research teams, the projects are meant to shift from isolated breakthroughs to systematic efforts spanning institutions and disciplines.

Research Evaluation to Emphasize Originality and Long-Term Breakthroughs

Beyond the research projects themselves, the program will also advance reforms to research management and evaluation.

On project organization, the program encourages scientists from inside and outside the Academy, and from around the world, to help define major scientific questions and contribute original ideas. That work will draw on platforms such as the Xiangshan Science Conferences to hold open discussions on key frontier questions, bringing more non-consensus, interdisciplinary, and high-risk research into view.

On evaluation, the program will pilot assessment mechanisms suited to research aimed at extreme breakthroughs, reducing excessive intervention in preset goals and processes, and moving away from judging projects purely by paper counts, short-term output, and interim metrics.

In basic research and frontier exploration, major breakthroughs often take years and can involve repeated failure. The new evaluation approach will place more weight on the importance of the scientific question, the value of original ideas, and long-term breakthrough potential, while working to make "tolerance for failure" a practical reality in research.

Building Original Innovation Capacity Through Organized Efforts

Compared with conventional research programs, the Frontier Science Breakthrough Program puts greater emphasis on aligning national strategic goals, major scientific questions, and research resources.

The Academy plans to make fuller use of its multidisciplinary strengths, pooling talent, platforms, and research resources to organize major research tasks more efficiently. The program will also be more closely linked to initiatives such as the Strategic Priority Research Program and the basic research youth team program, tying together basic research, strategic technology efforts, and talent development.

Over the longer term, the program is concerned not only with whether individual projects deliver results, but with testing new ways of organizing and evaluating research suited to major original work, strengthening China's capacity for sustained innovation in basic science and strategic frontier fields.