973 Program: Complementing the 863 Program, which
focuses on specific technologies, is the National Basic
Research Program, also called the “973 Program.” The title
“973” is again derived from the timing of the program’s
initiation, at the 3rd meeting of the National Science and
Technology Committee in 1997. Since its inception, a core
focus of the 973 program has been energy, natural resources
conservation, and environmental protection. From 1998
to 2008, the program supported 382 projects with a total
funding level of 8.2 billion yuan ($1.3 billion) (973
Program News 2008), of which 28% went to energy,
natural resources conservation and environmental protection
(Figure 2).