On November 6, National Social Science Funds of China (NSSFC) released the 2018 annual directory of projects to be funded, among which two comes from HZAU—i.e., “the Establishment of Ecological Compensation Mechanism for Protecting Arable land and Policy Innovation in the Yangtze River Economic Belt Under the New Situation” by Professor Zhang Anlu in the College of Public Administration and “Strategy Research on the Increase of Total Factor Productivity in China's Agriculture" by Professor Li Gucheng in the College of Economics & Management.

Prof. Zhang’s study is designed for an in-depth study on the ecological protection of the arable land within the Yangtze River economic belt so as to establish a fair and effective ecological compensation mechanism and provide a basis for the policy of protection and sustainable development in this area. Prof. Li's project, combining the TFP theory and the production function method, develops a systematic approach to agricultural productivity, technological progress, capital deepening and household operating efficiency. His paper explores the policies and possibilities to promote agricultural growth and enhance farmers’ well-being from the perspective of input-output, productivity, institutional change and feasible capacity.

Major projects of NSSFC are of the highest caliber among all categories with the largest amount of funding averaging from 600,000 to 800,000 yuan. A total of 303 projects were approved in 2018. NSSFC follows the principle of transparency, fairness and quality over quantity and exercise control over political ideology and academic quality to approve the projects that can serve decision-making, produce practical solutions and bring about theoretical innovation.