Since 1951, NIGPAS has published more than 9,000 research papers in national and international scientific journals, 400 volumes of monographs, established more than 1,500 new genera and more than 12,000 new species. More than 200 scientific research projects have received awards from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, provincial, and national ministry level-governments, among which 27 projects have won national awards.

In recent years, a series of internationally celebrated research achievements have been made by researchers of the Institute, especially on the early evolution of life and Cambrian explosion, biological radiations, extinction and recovery during major geological periods, global stratotypes, and the origin and evolution of land plants. This research has been published in the most prestigious international scientific journals, including “Lichen-like symbiosis 600 million years ago” (Science, 2005), “Phosphatized polar lobe-forming embryos from the Precambrian of Southwest China” (Science, 2006), “Doushantuo embryos preserved inside diapause egg cysts” (Nature, 2007), “Complex embryos displaying bilaterian characters from Precambrian Doushantuo phosphate deposits, Weng’an, Guizhou, China”(PNAS, 2009), “An earlyEdiacaran assemblage of macroscopic and morphologically differentiated eukaryotes”(Nature, 2011), “Calibrating the End-Permian Mass Extinction”(Science, 2011), “Permian vegetational Pompeii from Inner Mongolia and its implications for landscape paleoecology and paleobiogeography of Cathaysia”(PNAS, 2012), “Diverse transitional giant fleas from the Mesozoic era of China”(Nature, 2012) and “Amphibious flies and paedomorphism in the Jurassic period”(Nature, 2013). Studies on the “global Permo-Triassic boundary stratotype” received the National Natural Science Award (2nd class, 2002; collaborative); our work on the “Chengjiang fauna and Cambrian explosion” won the 2003 National Natural Science Award (1st class); our achievements on the “Cambrian and Ordovician Global Standard Stratotype-section and Points (GSSP’s) and chronostratigraphic subdivision” won the 2008 National Natural Science Award (2nd class) and the studies on the “Lopingian Series in China and end-Permian mass extinction” won the 2010 National Natural Science Award (2nd class).