The Chinese Academy of Sciences Hefei Institute of Physical Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the "Hefei Institute") is one of the largest comprehensive scientific research institutions under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is located on the Science Island, Shushan District, Hefei, with an area of 2.65 square kilometers. It consists of seven research units: Anguang Institute, Plasma Institute, Solid State Institute, Intelligent Institute, Strong Magnetic Field Center, Nuclear Energy Safety Institute, and Health Institute. Six achievement transformation platforms have been jointly established with local governments. There are currently about 2700 employees, including more than 300 leading talents such as academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, high-level talents at home and abroad, recipients of the National Outstanding Youth Fund, chief scientists of the National Key Research and Development Program, and key technical talents. There are 5 postdoctoral mobile stations, 19 doctoral programs, and 21 master's programs, with approximately 3100 graduate students currently enrolled. We have over 30 national or provincial key laboratories and research centers, as well as more than 10 large-scale experimental platforms.

The research directions of Hefei Research Institute include plasma physics, magnetic confinement fusion engineering, atmospheric environment optical remote sensing, laser and optoelectronic science and technology, strong magnetic field science and technology, environmental science and engineering, advanced nuclear energy, biophysics, translational medicine, advanced diagnostic and treatment technology, materials science and engineering, artificial intelligence and robotics, smart agriculture technology, etc., and have achieved many significant scientific research results.

As a large comprehensive research base with strong scientific research capabilities, Hefei Research Institute is a national innovation talent training demonstration base, a national demonstration international science and technology cooperation base, and a national innovation and entrepreneurship demonstration base. Two national major scientific facilities have been built and put into operation, namely the fully superconducting tokamak nuclear fusion experimental device and the steady-state strong magnetic field experimental device. The third major scientific device, the comprehensive research facility for key systems of fusion reactor hosts, is currently under construction. In addition, pre research work is being carried out on atmospheric environment stereo detection facilities and strong light magnetic integration experimental facilities.

In 2014, Hefei Research Institute and University of Science and Technology of China jointly applied to establish the "Hefei University Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences", which was completed with "excellent" results in 2016. On this basis, Hefei Research Institute actively promoted Anhui Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences to jointly apply for Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, which was officially approved in 2017. It was jointly built by the People's Government of Anhui Province and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Hefei Research Institute is one of the core construction units of Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center.