How Does the Chinese Government Select and Funding High-Level Talents? An Empirical Study Based on the Resumes of Talents

Based on the textual data of the resumes of 499 high-level talents, this study attempts to explore the factors affecting the selection and funding of high-level talents in western China. From the empirical analysis, we found that (1) the western Chinese government tends to favor the young and native talents, with a high initial academic degree (the degree obtained before working) and final academic degree (the highest degree obtained); (2) the talents with more experience, higher education, national talent titles, and participation in national projects are more likely to receive higher levels of funding; (3) it is easier for talents in universities and research institutes to be entitled as high-level talents and to gain funding than those in enterprises; and (4) talents in the fields of medicine, agronomy, and basic sciences are more likely to be entitled as high-level talents than those in other professional fields.