China is setting up funds to open an easier channel for science talents to join in large-scale natural science research projects, aiming to make efficient use of its talent pool, science bodies said on Tuesday.

Researchers at Chinese universities or research institutes can apply through the fund, titled "Joint Fund on Major Scientific Equipment Research," to join some cutting-edge programs of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China's top natural science research body.

Chen Yiyu, President of the National Natural Science Foundation, one of the fund's cofounders, said that the fund is aimed to help avoid overlapping research projects and break boundaries between research institutes and fields.

The foundation, together with CAS, will initially inject 40 million yuan (nearly $6 million) into the fund from 2009 to 2011.

"Major scientific equipment" refers to equipment that needs huge financial investments, large-scale project construction and continuous research after setup.

Bai Chunli, Executive Vice President of CAS, said that some of the academy's important projects, such as the Beijing electron-positron collider and the heavy ion accelerator in northwestern China's Gansu Province, would be on the offer list.

The fund would start accepting applications at the beginning of March, the founders said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2009)