科研 (kē yán) is a compound meaning 'scientific research' — it specifically refers to research in the natural or applied sciences, often in academic or institutional settings. It is more specific than 研究 (yán jiū), which covers research in any field including humanities, and differs from 调研 (diào yán), which emphasizes field investigation for practical purposes. 科研 is often used as a noun or attributive (e.g., 科研项目).