Published : 2025-08-09
On August 9, 1999, Xu Guanhua (徐冠華), China's Vice Minister of Science and Technology, announced to the media that the State Council of China had approved a reform plan, and as an important part of the reform of the scientific and technological reward system, the Chinese government decided to establish the "Highest Science and Technology Award" (the Award).
After the establishment of the Award, Chinese citizens who have made outstanding contributions in the field of science and technology are eligible to receive a prize of up to five million RMB and a certificate for the Award presented personally by the Chinese President.
Among the five million RMB prize, 500,000 RMB are personal income for the award recipient, and 4.5 million RMB can be used by the award recipient to fund scientific research.
The Highest Science and Technology Award is granted to scientific and technological workers who have made significant breakthroughs in the forefront of contemporary science and technology or have made outstanding contributions to the development of science and technology, or who have created enormous economic benefits through scientific and technological innovation, transformation of science and technology achievements, and the industrialisation of high technology.
The number of award recipients each year does not exceed two.
At the same time as the establishment of the Award, China also established the "China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award," retained the original "National Natural Science Award," "National Technology Invention Award," and "National S&T Progress Award," and increased the award amounts to 90,000 RMB for the 1st prize and 60,000 RMB for the 2nd prize.
Xu Guanhua, then Vice Minister of Science and Technology, pointed out that the guiding principle of the award system reform was to encourage innovation, promote the scaling of new heights in science and technology, establish and improve incentive mechanisms for talent cultivation and utilisation, foster closer integration of research, technological development, and socio-economic progress, facilitate the commercialisation of scientific achievements and the industrialisation of high-tech innovations, and accelerate the advancement of China's strategy of revitalising the nation through science and education.
