Lee Yuan-tseh recalls that Wu worked to establish the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Science and the Institute of Molecular Biology. He also revamped the Academia Sinica's organizational charter, which had not been revised in 60 years, initiating an evaluation system for hiring and promoting researchers, freeing the academy of some of its structural limitations, and raising the level of Taiwan's scientific development.
中研院院長李遠哲亦提及，吳大猷在任職中研院院長時，陸續推動設立原子與分子科學及分子生物等研究所；並翻修六十多年未修的中研院組織法，引進研究人員續聘與升級的評審制度，使中研院突破瓶頸，提昇台灣的科學發展。