From June 15 to 16, 2026, at the invitation of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Dou Xiankang, President of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), headed a delegation to Paris, France to attend the 2026 Meeting of the Heads of International Research Organizations (HIROs). He also took part in the China-France Symposium on Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development on June 16.

The HIROs Meeting brings together presidents and senior officials of leading global biomedical funding agencies and international research organizations. During the meeting, President Dou delivered a speech on behalf of NSFC, focusing on the Foundation’s reform measures and funding priorities in medical research. He noted that to fully implement the guiding principles from President Xi Jinping’s important speech at the Symposium on Strengthening Basic Research as well as his important instructions concerning NSFC’s work, NSFC has pressed ahead with deepened reforms, adhered to the principle of allocating high-quality S&T resources to frontline researchers with robust innovation vitality, and coordinated support for basic research, applied basic research and talent cultivation. NSFC has vigorously boosted clinical research serving people’s health and wellbeing, and actively integrated into the global science, technology and innovation ecosystem. His speech drew wide attention and positive feedback from HIROs members.

This year’s meeting discussed key topics of shared concern among global biomedical research funders, including research data and funding agency data sharing, equitable use of artificial intelligence, cultivation of the next generation of clinical scientists, and clinical trials across countries. At the thematic session of Building the Next Generation of Clinician-Scientists: Revitalizing the Biomedical Research Workforce, NSFC shared its targeted reform practices in health funding, such as setting up an exclusive track for clinicians under the Youth Scientists Fund (Category A) Program and supporting research addressing practical clinical challenges.

On the sidelines of the meeting, President Dou held extensive exchanges with representatives from multiple organizations, namely, INSERM, the UK Medical Research Council (MRC), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), the Swedish Research Council (VR), the Research Council of Norway (RCN), the European Research Council (ERC), the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under India’s Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Wellcome Trust. The exchanges centered on the pivotal role funding agencies play in supporting biomedical research and fostering medical professionals.

During the visit, President Dou also addressed the Sino-French Symposium on Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development, hosted by the Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21. The symposium is designed to deliver on the consensus reached by Chinese and French heads of state and at the 15th Session of the Sino-French Joint Committee Meeting on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, and deepen bilateral S&T exchanges and cooperation in climate change, green low-carbon transition and sustainable development. President Dou stressed that basic research underpins the entire scientific system, holds the key to tackling all technological bottlenecks, and serves as a critical foundation for advancing the green and low-carbon transition. NSFC stands ready to give full play to its strengths in supporting basic research, nurturing talent and advancing international cooperation, work with French scientific counterparts to deepen institutional collaboration and basic research partnerships, and facilitate exchanges among young researchers of the two countries.

Also on the delegation were Wang Yan, Director General of the Bureau of Planning and Policy; Fan Yingjie, Director General of the Bureau of International Cooperation; Chen Qizhen, Deputy Director of the Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21; together with relevant staff from the Bureau of International Cooperation, Department of Health Sciences and the Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21.