Researchers, innovators, and institutions are now invited to submit nominations for the 2025 Shanghai Science and Technology Awards, which honor breakthroughs across areas from basic research to popular science. The online portal opens on Aug 4, with final submissions due in early September.

 

Award categories

The 2025 Shanghai Science and Technology Awards feature seven categories:

• Science and Technology Meritorious Worker Award
• Youth Outstanding Science and Technology Contribution Award
• Natural Science Award
• Technology Invention Award
• Science and Technology Progress Award
• Science and Technology Popularization Award
• International Science and Technological Cooperation Award

 

Who can nominate?

1. Eligible experts include:

• Recipients of the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award or the Shanghai Science and Technology Meritorious Worker Award
• Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or the Chinese Academy of Engineering
• First contributors to the top prizes (Special or First Prize) of the Shanghai Natural Science Award, Technology Invention Award, Science and Technology Progress Award, or Science and Technology Popularization Award
• International experts who have won globally recognized awards (such as the Nobel Prize or Turing Award) and have collaborated with Shanghai-based institutions on international science and technology projects
• Renowned international experts from foreign-funded R&D centers in Shanghai

Nominating experts must be no older than 70, except for academicians, who may be up to 75. There are no age limits for winners of the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award or the Shanghai Science and Technology Meritorious Worker Award.

2. Eligible institutions include:

• 4A or 4-star-rated professional societies and industry associations
• Municipal government departments and district governments
• Shanghai-based enterprises, public institutions, and central government-affiliated units engaged in technological innovation and approved by the municipal science and technology authority

3. Experts must nominate within their field and may only submit one project.

4. Nominating experts cannot be part of the project team.

5. Nominating organizations should set up a clear selection process and put forward only the best candidates. Once submitted, nominations cannot be withdrawn.

6. Nominators are responsible for verifying the scientific validity, authenticity, and compliance of the project. Any misconduct may lead to disciplinary action.

 

Who can be nominated?

1. To be eligible, nominees and projects must meet the requirements of the Shanghai Science and Technology Award provisions and the following criteria:

• Youth Outstanding Science and Technology Contribution Award: Candidates must be under 45 years old as of Jan 1, 2025 (born after Jan 1, 1980).
• Natural Science Award: Submitted papers and monographs must have been publicly published for more than two years, that is, before Jan 1, 2023.
• Technology Invention Award: Core technologies must hold invention patents, with supporting IP documents, and have been in use for over two years.
• Science and Technology Progress Award: The technology must have been in use for at least two years. For civil engineering projects, the construction must have been operational and inspected for over two years. Related technical achievements can only be nominated two years after the project passes inspection.
• Science and Technology Popularization Award: Works must have been published and distributed for more than two years, and exhibits must have been in use for at least two years.

2. Each contributor may be listed among the top three contributors for only one project. Contributors to winning projects in the 2024 awards are not eligible to be listed among the top three this year. Projects nominated in both 2023 and 2024 but not awarded are ineligible for 2025.

3. Projects nominated for Special Prizes must include three recommendations from academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

4. Projects nominated in the Key Industry Innovation category must focus on integrated circuits, biopharmaceuticals, or artificial intelligence, and must be led by a company serving as the primary completion organization.

5. Projects already nominated for or awarded national/ministerial/provincial-level science and technology awards in the same year are not eligible for the Natural Science Award, Technology Invention Award, Science and Technology Progress Award, or Science and Technology Popularization Award.

6. Confidential projects related to national defense or security are not eligible.

 

Application

Experts must register on the Shanghai Science and Technology Management Information System and apply for nomination rights by navigating to Science and Technology Awards (科技奖励), then Nomination Management (提名管理), followed by Qualification Application (资格申请). Once approved, they can submit nominations through Science and Technology Awards, Nomination Management, and Add New Nomination (新增提名).

Institutions must appoint a nomination administrator to register on the same system and apply for nomination rights from the Shanghai Science and Technology Awards Management Office. Once approved, a project-specific submission link will be generated and shared with the nominee.

 

Public announcement

For the Science and Technology Meritorious Worker Award and Youth Outstanding Science and Technology Contribution Award, nominations must be publicly posted at the nominee’s institution.

For other categories, posting must be carried out at the institution that first completes the project.

Announcements may be made via bulletin board or online and must remain posted for at least five business days.

The public notice and outcome must be submitted in a written report to the Shanghai Science and Technology Awards Management Office.

Projects passing the initial review will be posted on the official website of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Science and Technology.

 

Key dates

Nomination system opens: 9 am, Aug 4, 2025

Online submission deadline: 6 pm, Sept 8, 2025

Paper submission dates: Sept 9–10, 9 am to 4:30 pm

 

Contact information

Submission location

Shanghai Science and Technology Administrative Service Center

1F, Jimao Mansion, No 1525 West Zhongshan Road, Xuhui district, Shanghai

Postcode: 200235

Policy consultation

021-6469-0016, 021-2419-7689 (Contacts: Bao Yu, Chang Yanli)

System support

800-820-5114, 400-820-5114

 

Note

There are no fees for nominating projects

 

Source: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Science and Technology