The National Taiwan Science Education Center was established in 1956, and has been responsible for promoting science education to schools and the general public. In 1960 NTSEC began holding the National Primary and High School Science Fair. After many years, there have been many accumulated projects and the contents are becoming richer year by year. For the past 4 decades many research-oriented students have been nurtured, and large quantities of science research results have been accumulated. The National Primary and High School Science Fair is a competition of many levels, with projects winning local exhibitions before excellent works are selected to participate in the nationals. Up to now there are over 20,000 projects every year from various schools, and after preliminaries over 5,500 projects are sent to the nationals.

Over 200,000 students and teachers participate in scientific research each year, and thus the effects of the science fair are widespread and significant. The National Primary and High School Science Fair has the mission of nurturing correct attitudes, methods, concepts and interest in students. To complement the policy of multiple admission channels to higher education facilities and changes in the Grades 1-9 curriculum, in 2000, former Under-Secretary of Government Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ms. Hsun-lu Fan held a redesign and guidance committee to conduct reforms in the National Primary and High School Science Fair. The changes began in 2002, with expectations of encouraging students and teachers to conduct research together on curriculum material and deepen the scientific experience of daily life while accumulating related topics of local Taiwan for teaching materials. Through the initial curiosity of students, this will nurture a general environment of observing and conducting research in science.