The National Fund for Scientific Research (NFSR) (Dutch: Nationaal Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NFWO), French: Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS)) was once a government institution in Belgium for supporting scientific research until it was split[when?]The means to achieve this, is to finance excellent scientists and research projects after an inter-University competition and with an evaluation by foreign experts.On 1 October 1927, in a speech at Cockerill in Seraing, King Albert I strongly emphasized the importance of scientific research to the economic development of Belgium.This led to the creation within the University Foundation of the National Fund for Scientific Research on 2 June 1928.Financial support initially came from the public, and from the Solvay family that gave 100 million Belgian francs.