BEIJING - The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) will launch a new project to attract and support urgently needed talents, according to an announcement on Monday.

Titled "New 100-Talent", the project aims to attract 100 scientists worldwide, who are most urgently needed in cutting-edge fields in China and have the potential to make international breakthroughs, according to the CAS.

The project will include financial and support staff to the leading figures who have achieved innovation so that they can continue to yield new findings in science and help cultivate young research fellows.

The young talents under the age of 35 with outstanding potential in research will also be covered by the project, encouraged to carry out independent studies.

Describing the project as an important part of the country's strategy to boost national creativity, Bai Chunli, director of the CAS, said the innovative talents cultivation project launched in 2009 has so far helped brought in 2,300 plus high-level talents from overseas and nurtured more than 3,500 young researchers.

Bai said the CAS will continue to provide incentives to talented individuals in scientific and technological fields help build a talent pool for the country's development.