No more than 300 items in total, evaluated every two years! Major changes in the National Science and Technology Award review process!

On April 18, the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China released a notice seeking public opinions on the “Implementation Rules of the National Science and Technology Awards Regulations (Draft for Comments).”

The “Implementation Rules of the National Science and Technology Awards Regulations (Draft for Comments)” consists of 9 chapters and 102 articles, which, compared to previous versions, includes significant adjustments in several areas.

Among the adjustments, the plan explicitly encourages publishing major academic works primarily in domestic academic journals. This initiative aims to enhance the influence of domestic academic journals, promote the healthy development of the domestic academic research ecosystem, and facilitate the exchange and dissemination of high-quality research results within the domestic academic community.

Regarding the award review cycle, it is stipulated that the National Science and Technology Awards will be reviewed every two years. Previously, the awards were reviewed annually, but after the 2020 review, the process was paused until 2023. The clarification of this review cycle will help relevant departments and researchers better plan research projects and award submissions, allowing them to focus on refining research outcomes and improving the rigor and scientific nature of the award selection process.

At the same time, the regulations stipulate that the total number of awards for the National Natural Science Award, the National Technology Invention Award, and the National Science and Technology Progress Award shall not exceed 300 per year. This limit will intensify the competition for these awards, encouraging researchers to pursue higher-quality, more groundbreaking scientific achievements.

In terms of optimizing the review mechanism, the revised draft also includes several highlights. First, it clarifies the shift from a “recommendation system” to a “nomination system.” Second, it refines the eligibility criteria for the National Natural Science Award, the National Technology Invention Award, and the National Science and Technology Progress Award from “citizens” to “individuals.” Third, it improves the responsibilities and composition rules for the review organizations, and refines the review credibility management system. Fourth, it strengthens the responsibility of nominators and specifies situations where candidates may not be nominated. Fifth, it allows for a communication review before the preliminary review of the review group, as needed. Sixth, it stipulates that candidates for the National Natural Science Award, the National Technology Invention Award, and the National Science and Technology Progress Award, as well as their projects, will be publicly announced after acceptance and preliminary review, with the period for handling objections adjusted accordingly during the public notice period.