Objective To explore the management practices of projects supported by National Natural Science Foundation in a large general hospital. Methods We carried out an overall analysis on the data of projects supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China from 2011 to 2016 in West China Hospital of Sichuan University. The characteristics of researchers who were granted the foundation were also studied. Results In the recent six years, there were 767 projects granted by the National Natural Science Foundation in the hospital, with an average of 127 projects a year. The Department of Medical Sciences was the top source of approval for the projects (690 items), and its granted projects covered all the categories set by the foundation committee. Most of the researchers who got the fund were between 25 and 40 years of age (501 projects). Researchers in charge of general projects were mainly professors with an age of (43.54±7.28) years old in average. Researchers in charge of Projects for Distinguished Young Scholars were mainly of medium-grade professional titles, and their average age was (32.01±3.05) years old. Moreover, among these young scholars, the age of male researchers [(31.27±2.23) years old] was significantly younger than that of female scholars [(32.90±3.62) years old](P<0.01). Conclusion It is more and more important for National Natural Science Foundation of China to study the accumulation of early research of young scholars and the leading role of the hospital in basic research, personnel training and discipline construction.