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About the Award
The Qian Weichang Young Scientist Award recognises and supports early-career researchers who have made significant contributions in their fields. Established in honour of Professor Qian, the award aims to empower the next generation of outstanding research talent and to carry forward his vision by promoting excellence in Scientific and Engineering research.

Eligibility
The nominee must be a researcher who has successfully completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree within the past 10 years, i.e., the nominee should obtain the PhD degree on or after 1 January 2015.

Award Categories
There are two categories of awards, and only ONE awardee will be selected for each category.

  • Qian Weichang Young Scientist Award in Science
  • Qian Weichang Young Scientist Award in Engineering


Selection Criteria
An awardee is expected to have made significant contributions in Science/Engineering through outstanding and systematic research of high originality and lasting importance in a well-defined focus area. Emphasis is placed on the originality and impact of his/her work in the corresponding fields. Nominations will be invited from researchers around the world and the Award Selection Committee will select the winners of the Award.

Prizes
Each awardee will receive a plaque and a cash reward of USD5,000. In addition, each awardee will be invited and financially supported (including economy airfare and two nights of hotel accommodation) to attend the Award Presentation Ceremony and to present at one of the Keynote Sessions of the Qian Weichang International Summit, which will be held on 30-31 March 2026 in Hong Kong.

Nomination Procedure
Each nomination should be supported by a proposer who should be at the level of full professor or above in Science/Engineering (or holding other positions of a similar status). The nomination package should be submitted by the corresponding proposer and contain the following documents: 

  • A completed Nomination Form which includes the proposer's recommendation in less than 300 words [WORD] / [PDF];
  • A recent portrait photo of the nominee (in JPG or PNG format);
  • The nominee’s personal statement attesting to how he/she meets the criteria for the Award in less than 1,000 words (in PDF format); 
  • The nominee's CV and publication list within 10 pages (in PDF format); AND
  • Other appropriate supporting documents that indicate the nominee’s research achievements and impact in his/her profession (in PDF format).

All documents and materials should be uploaded to this [FOLDER] on or before 16 February 2026 (Monday) (HKT 23:59, GMT+8). 

Key Dates

  • Call for Nominations: From November 2025
  • Deadline for Nomination: 16 February 2026
  • Announcement of Awardees: Mid-March 2026

Enquiries
Graduate School
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Email: gs.summit@polyu.edu.hk