As early as 1955 the Chinese government promulgated Interim
Regulations of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Awards for Science,
establishing awards for important scientific and technological
achievements. In 1984, the government set up the Awards for
Scientific and Technological Progress. Five national awards were
established in May 1999, covering science and technology, natural
sciences, technical invention, scientific and technological
progress, international cooperation in science and technology.
These are presented by the President of China at the annual
National Science and Technology Awards Ceremony.?
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In February 2004, CAS academician and global environment expert Liu
Dongsheng and CAE academician and spaceflight technology expert
Wang Yongzhi won the National Top Science and Technology Award. The
manned spaceflight project, a national key project and the largest,
most complex and technically demanding project in China's
spaceflight history, took the Special National Award for Scientific
and Technological Progress. Nineteen national awards were given for
natural sciences, 19 for technical invention and 215 for scientific
and technological progress.
Local governments and non-governmental organizations have also
established science and technology awards. Many enterprises and
organizations in China and abroad have established regular science
and technology awards; granted directly to individuals engaged in
sci-tech research. These awards fire the enthusiasm of scientists.
Today, awards approved by the relevant government department
include the Dupont prize for innovation, the Li Siguang prize for
geology, the Zhan Tianyou prize for civil engineering, the General
Motors prize for China's scientific and technological achievements,
and the Bayer prize for young scientists.