Nanjing Tech University, for a long time, has been insisting on facing the discipline frontier, centering on the major national needs, catering to key issues of regional economic development and gearing to the social and market needs. At the same time, the university has also been adhering to independent innovation, taking a road that can fully display the university's advantages and characteristic development, relying on mechanism and model innovation, recruiting all kinds of talents and actively promoting cooperation among production, learning and research as well as turning technological achievements into actual work. Till now, the university has formed its special research fields and discipline advantages such as new chemical technologies, new materials, biology and medicine, advanced manufacturing, resources and environment, green building, etc.
In recent years, the university, through the modulation of its policies governing scientific and technological enterprises, has succeeded in creating a relaxed scientific research environment, facilitated the transformation of technology and encouraged teachers to take part in innovation and establish business. With an eye to serve the local economic construction, most of the university's scientific research results focus on the actual application. Therefore, the university has established a sound cooperation of production, learning and research with local governments and enterprises.
Since 2006, NanjingTech has undertaken various types of scientific or technological projects totaling more than 4,000 items, of which 3 are projects in the "973" Program, 24 are in the "863" Program, and 154 are supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (2 items from the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars included). More than 100 of the university's scientific or technological research projects have participated in the National Science and Technology Support Projects and the nation's "863"Program, with the total amount of various kinds of science and technology funds reaching 1.8 billion RMB. So far, the university has won more than 70 provincial-level scientific and technological awards, of which 3 are the second prizes of the National Technical Invention, 2 are the second prizes of the National Science and Technology Progress. The university has applied for more than 1200 patents (including 1000 invention patents) and more than 400 patents (including 300 invention patents) have been authorized. In addition, the university has published more than 1400 SCIE papers and 1360 EI papers. Therefore, the university's SCI paper ranking has been uplifted to the 50thplace, and EI paper ranking to the 51st, compared with the 93rdand 64thplaces respectively at the preliminary stage of the nation's Eleventh Five-year Plan;
NanjingTech has newly established 1 Key State Laboratory and 12 key provincial-level laboratories and engineering centers. It has newly added 1 innovative team of the Ministry of Education with the name of Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Team Development Program, 2 innovative teams of Jiangsu Provincial Education Department under the name of "Excellent Scientific and Technological Innovative Teams within Jiangsu's Colleges and Universities" and 1 innovative team under the name of "the National-Defense-related Scientific and Technological Innovative Team". So far, 1 scholar of the school has been crowned as "the Outstanding Scientific and Technological Worker in the National Chemical Industry" by China's Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association, 4 scholars of the school have been listed in the Outstanding Talent Support Program in the New Century organized by the Ministry of Education, 1 scholar of the school won in the third Provincial Competition for Ten Outstanding Patent Inventers in Jiangsu, 1 female scholar has been chosen as Ten Outstanding Women of Science and Technology Innovation of Jiangsu Province, 1 scholar of the school has become one of Nanjing's "Ten Super Stars in Scientific and Technological Innovation", and 2 scholars of the school have been titled as "Advanced Individuals in Scientific and Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Jiangsu Provincial Universities and Related Institutes".
By the end of 2010, the university has in possession of nearly 140 research centers of various kinds, including Key State Laboratory of Material-Oriented Chemical Engineering (MCE), National Engineering Research Center for Biotechnology (NERCB), State Research Center of Heat Pipe Technology, 14 key provincial-level laboratories, and 15 provincial-level engineering research centers as well as a group of integrated development (research) centers which combine production, learning and research.
