Recently National Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science published the appraisal results of 2008 Major Project of Invitation for Bid of National Social Science Foundation. 3 major projects of Zhejiang University were sponsored by this program. The amount of the major projects sponsored is the second of all the national colleges and universities. According to the amount of the projects sponsored, the top list is as following:
No.1 Renmin University of China, 4 projects;
No.2 Tsinghua University and Zhejiang University, 3 projects;
No.4 Beijing University, Nanjing University, Beijing Normal University, Xiamen University, 2 projects.

The Major Project of Invitation for Bid of National Social Science Foundation is currently the most authoritative research project in the field of national social science. It is said that the program has always been the focus in the fierce competition of national social science since it was founded in 2005. Many social science research institutes, such as CASS, social science system in the universities, social science system in the party schools, government, pay great attention to it. By March, 2009 only 193 projects have been approved by National Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science. There were 35 projects in 2005, 41projects in 2006, 55projects in 2007 and 62projects in 2008. By the way 46projects came from colleges and universities in 2008.

The 3 major projects of Zhejiang University are respectively ‘the study on the new socialist rural construction in building a well-off society in an all-around way’ by Professor Longbao Wei from China Rural Development Institute, College of Management, ‘the study on the scientific connotation, the support system and the policy choices for agricultural modernization with Chinese Characteristics’ by Professor Wanjiang Yang and Professor Yikang Gu from China Rural Development Institute, College of Management and ‘the study on the reinforcement and improvement in the regulation and conduct of rural development’ by Professor Jianxing Yu from College of Public Administration.