The Baotou municipal bureau of finance recently sought a 4.05-million-yuan ($599,339) fund from North China's Inner Mongolia for natural science projects, promoting the development of basic research and the steady improvement of the city.

A total of 49 projects in Baotou funded by the natural science foundation passed the project review of the autonomous region and have been successfully implemented.

The fund helped these projects to carry out basic scientific research. There are 33 projects by four colleges and universities, including Baotou Teachers' College, Baotou Medical College, Baotou Light Industry Vocational Technical College, Baotou Railway Vocational and Technical College, eight projects by medical and health institutions, including Baotou Central Hospital, Baogang Hospital and others and eight projects by the Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute and enterprises.