This guide has been developed to assist nominators and nominees in understanding the eligibility conditions, application requirements, procedures, and points of attention regarding nomination for the Tengchong Science Award.
I. About the Tengchong Science Award
Origin & Purpose:
The Tengchong Science Award is a non-profit award jointly initiated by Academician Gu Binglin (former President of Tsinghua University), Academician Xu Zhihong (former President of Peking University), and Academician Rao Zihe (former President of Nankai University). The award aims to encourage scientists to pursue truth, pioneer innovations, achieve major breakthroughs in key scientific and technological fields, scale the heights of science and technology, and make outstanding contributions to human societal development.
Focus Areas:
The Tengchong Science Award primarily focuses on fields such asBiomedicine and Medicine(Holistic Health),Agriculture and Environmental Ecology(Biodiversity, Ecological Environment, Modern Agriculture), andTechnology and Information Science(New Materials, Green Energy, Advanced Manufacturing, Digital Economy, and Artificial Intelligence), covering natural sciences, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and interdisciplinary fields. It recognizes scientists worldwide who have achieved major breakthroughs at the frontiers of science and technology, advanced human scientific and technological progress, addressed major global challenges through technological innovation, or produced major economic or social benefits through their research.
Prizes & Ceremony:
The award will be granted to 1 to 3 individuals (or teams) per year, with the exact number determined based on nominations and final evaluation outcomes. Each winner (or team) will receive a prize of RMB 10 million. If multiple winners are selected in a single category, up to 3 individuals (or teams) may share one prize. The award ceremony is planned to take place during the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Tengchong Scientists Forum.
II. Nomination Process
Nomination System:
The Tengchong Science Award operates strictly on an invitation-based nomination system; self-nominations are not accepted. Nominators primarily include winners of major global awards, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, and renowned experts and scholars from prestigious universities, research institutions, and international academic organizations. Nominee information and other nomination-related details will be released to the public after a specified period.
Nomination Requirements:
·Each nominator may submit one nomination per year, recommending one individual or one team (with team members not exceeding 3 persons). Each nomination is valid for the current year only.
·Nominees cannot participate in the evaluation under any circumstances.
·The three award proponents shall not serve as nominees.
Submission Method:Nomination materials must be submitted via email to award@tsfcenter.cn. The submission deadline is 24:00 (GMT+8) on September 25, 2026.
III. Required Submission Materials
Nominees must submit the《Nomination Form for Candidates of the Tengchong Science Award》, which can be completed in Chinese, English, or bilingually. The required materials include:
·Nominator's Curriculum Vitae;
·Support Letters: Each nominator recommending an individual (or team) must submit a separate letter of support;
·Nominee-Related Materials:
oPersonal information, educational background, and work experience;
oAcademic achievements, research projects, and representative achievements;
oOther supporting documents, including but not limited to research papers, reports, monographs, and certificates.
IV. Selection Process
Preliminary Review:
The Evaluation Committee Office will conduct a preliminary compliance review of the nomination materials. Eligible candidates (or teams) will proceed to the formal evaluation stage.
Letter Evaluation:
Domestic and international peer experts will be organized to perform a letter evaluation of the candidates (or teams) who passed the preliminary review. Candidates (or teams) must receive votes from at least one-half of the evaluation experts in the letter evaluation to qualify for the meeting evaluation. (Note: Experts who agree to participate in the letter evaluation but fail to respond by the deadline will be considered as having "abstained" and will still be included in the total count of evaluation experts.) The number of candidates (or teams) selected via letter evaluation to enter the meeting evaluation shall not exceed one-half of the total number of participants.
Meeting Evaluation:
A meeting evaluation will be conducted for candidates (or teams) entering this stage. Candidates (or teams) must receive votes from at least two-thirds of the evaluation experts present to become proposed award candidates. If there are more than 3 proposed award candidates, the final selection of up to 3 winners (or teams) will be determined based on the ranking of votes received.
Public Announcement:
The final list of award winners (or teams) will be announced to the public during the 2026 Tengchong Scientists Forum.
V. Guidelines for Award Recipients
Award recipients must agree to attend the award ceremony and deliver a speech during the 2026 Tengchong Scientists Forum.
The evaluation results must be kept strictly confidential prior to the award ceremony, and no information regarding the winners may be disclosed to the public.
Award recipients agree that photographs, videos, and written materials related to the Tengchong Science Award may be used globally for publications and media promotion, including but not limited to print media, television, the internet, outdoor displays, corporate publications, and exhibitions.
The Tengchong Science Award evaluation process upholds honesty and transparency, respects and protects nominees' privacy throughout the process, and ensures the security of all nominee data.
VI. Supplementary Provisions
The Tengchong Science Award Evaluation Committee reserves all rights for the interpretation of these guidelines.
