ObjectiveTo understand the current situation and challenges of basic research on respiratory diseases in China.MethodsTo summarize and analyze the application and projects funded in the field of respiratory medicine (Code: H01 and H1615) from National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) during 2010 to 2017.ResultsA total of 2 191 projects of 11 766 applications were funded by NSFC in the field of respiratory medicine and the total subsidy fund reached ￥981 279 000. A total of 1 130 projects of 5 915 applications were funded in the Research Projects, including 1 021 General Program projects, 14 Key Program projects, 16 Major Research Plan projects, 1 Major Research Program project, 2 Program projects of Joint Funds, 30 International (Regional) Cooperation and Exchange Program projects, and 46 Emergency Management Program projects. A total of 1 061 projects of 5 851 applications were funded in the Talent Projects, including 853 Young Scientists Fund projects, 191 projects of Fund for Less Developed Regions, 4 projects of Distinguished Young Scholars, 4 projects of Excellent Young Scientists Fund, and 9 projects of the Research Fund for International Young Scientists. The projects funded were mainly distributed in the field of respiratory inflammation and infection, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary circulation and pulmonary vascular disease. The top three research directions were asthma (19.0%), acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (15.4%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (12.7%), pulmonary circulation and pulmonary vascular disease (12.7%) in sequence. Average funding rate of respiratory tumor (application code: H1615) was 17.2%.ConclusionsSince the Department of Health Science of NSFC was established in 2009, with the increasing of NSFC budget, the basic research in the field of Respiratory Medicine has been developed rapidly. With the efforts of scientific researchers and clinical medical workers, research in the field of respiratory medicine will achieve rapid development in China.