973 Program (Chinese: 973计划) or also known as National Basic Research Program is a basic research program initiated by the People's Republic of China to achieve technology and strategic edge in various scientific fields and especially the development of the rare earth minerals industry.
[4] Natural Science Foundation of China is also involved in coordinating the research with the program.
[5] Over the years the program has dedicated funding to areas such as agriculture, health, information, energy, environment, resources, population and materials.
[1][5] The central government has in the past funded projects for a term of no more than five years.
Two years after the project has been implemented, it will be assessed by a special panel and allocate funding accordingly.