Article 1: These Measures are formulated in accordance with the *Law of the People’s Republic of China on Scientific and Technological Progress*, the *Regulations on National Science and Technology Awards*, and other relevant laws and regulations, and in light of the actual conditions of the Autonomous Region, with the aim of rewarding individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to scientific and technological progress, stimulating the enthusiasm and creativity of scientific and technological workers, thoroughly implementing the innovation-driven development strategy, and advancing the construction of an innovative Xinjiang.

Article 2 The People’s Government of the Autonomous Region establishes the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Science and Technology Award. No other administrative organs at any level within the administrative region of the Autonomous Region, nor any organs or units managed in accordance with the Civil Servants Law of the People’s Republic of China, may establish science and technology awards.

Social entities are encouraged to establish science and technology awards within the Autonomous Region. When establishing such awards, social entities shall adhere to the principles of public welfare and non-profit status, ensure accurate positioning and distinct professional characteristics, and maintain strict self-discipline in management. No fees may be charged in connection with the award activities.

Article 3: The work of science and technology awards shall uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China, foster and practice the core socialist values, implement the policy of respecting labor, knowledge, talent, and innovation, and adhere to the principles of incentivizing independent innovation, promoting the transformation of research outcomes, and emphasizing value orientation. It shall follow the principles of openness, fairness, and impartiality to advance the high-quality economic and social development of the Autonomous Region.The Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards are intended to recognize individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the advancement of science and technology at the national and regional levels. The nomination, evaluation, and conferral of these awards shall not be subject to interference by any organization or individual. Scientific research achievements involving national defense and national security shall be handled in accordance with relevant national regulations.

Article 4: The People’s Government of the Autonomous Region shall establish the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards Committee, which shall be responsible for reviewing the annual work plan and evaluation results of the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards, and for coordinating the resolution of major related issues.

The candidates for membership of the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards Committee shall be proposed by the science and technology administrative department of the People’s Government of the Autonomous Region and submitted to the People’s Government of the Autonomous Region for approval.

The Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards Committee shall appoint experts, scholars, and administrators from relevant fields to form the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards Evaluation Committee and the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards Supervision Committee, which shall be responsible for the evaluation and supervision of the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards.

Article 5: The science and technology administrative department of the People’s Government of the Autonomous Region shall be responsible for formulating the evaluation rules, standards, and procedures for the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards, organizing and conducting evaluation activities, and providing guidance, services, and supervision for science and technology award activities organized by social entities.

The science and technology administrative department of the Autonomous Region People’s Government shall establish a database of evaluation experts covering all disciplines and fields, and shall update it in a timely manner.

Article 6: The Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards include:

(1) The Autonomous Region’s Highest Science and Technology Award;

(2) The Autonomous Region Outstanding Contribution Award;

(3) The Autonomous Region Natural Science Award;

(4) The Autonomous Region Technical Invention Award;

(5) The Autonomous Region Science and Technology Progress Award.

Article 7: The Autonomous Region’s Highest Science and Technology Award shall be conferred upon citizens who meet any of the following criteria:

(1) Those who have made outstanding contributions to the development of science and technology or achieved major breakthroughs at the forefront of contemporary science and technology, and are recognized by peers both domestically and internationally;

(2) Those who have generated significant economic, social, or ecological benefits in scientific and technological innovation, the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and the industrialization of high-tech industries.

Article 8: The Autonomous Region Outstanding Contribution Award shall be conferred upon citizens who meet any of the following criteria:

(1) Those who have actively explored in scientific research and made outstanding contributions to the advancement of relevant disciplines;

(2) Those who have obtained multiple invention patents and achieved significant economic, social, or ecological benefits during the commercialization process;

(3) Those who have engaged in technology promotion and technical service work at the grassroots level for more than ten years and have made outstanding contributions.

Article 9: The Autonomous Region Natural Science Award shall be conferred upon individuals who have made major scientific discoveries in basic and applied basic research that elucidate natural phenomena, characteristics, and laws.

The “major scientific discoveries” referred to in the preceding paragraph shall meet the following conditions:

(1) Not previously discovered or elucidated by others;

(2) Possess significant scientific value;

(3) It is recognized by the natural science community both domestically and internationally.

Article 10. The Autonomous Region Technology Invention Award is conferred upon individuals who have made major technological inventions—such as products, processes, materials, devices, and their systems—through the application of scientific and technological knowledge.

The "major technological invention" referred to in the preceding paragraph shall meet the following conditions:

(1) Not previously invented or disclosed by others;

(2) Possess advanced, creative, and practical characteristics;

(3) Upon implementation, it generates significant economic, social, or ecological benefits and has good prospects for application.

Article 11 The Autonomous Region Science and Technology Progress Award is conferred upon individuals and organizations that have completed and promoted the application of innovative scientific and technological achievements, thereby making outstanding contributions to the advancement of science and technology and to economic and social development.

The innovative scientific and technological achievements referred to in the preceding paragraph shall meet the following conditions:

(1) Demonstrate outstanding technological innovation and advanced technical and economic indicators;

(2) Upon application and promotion, they generate significant economic, social, and ecological benefits;

(3) They have made significant contributions to advancing scientific and technological progress in the industry and other related fields.

Article 12: The Autonomous Region’s Highest Science and Technology Award and the Autonomous Region’s Outstanding Contribution Award shall be evaluated once every two years, with no distinction made between award levels. The Autonomous Region’s Highest Science and Technology Award shall be conferred upon no more than two recipients per evaluation, and the Autonomous Region’s Outstanding Contribution Award upon no more than five recipients per evaluation; both awards may remain vacant.

The Autonomous Region Natural Science Award, the Autonomous Region Technological Invention Award, and the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Progress Award are evaluated annually and are divided into First, Second, and Third Prizes, with a total of no more than 150 awards granted. Of these, no more than 30 shall be First Prizes, no more than 55 shall be Second Prizes, and no more than 65 shall be Third Prizes.

Article 13: The Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards operate under a nomination system; self-nominations are not accepted. Candidates shall be nominated by the following units or individuals (hereinafter referred to as “nominators”):

(1) Prefectural and municipal (prefectural-level) people’s governments (administrative offices);

(2) Constituent departments and directly affiliated agencies of the People’s Government of the Autonomous Region;

(3) Relevant units of the central government stationed in Xinjiang;

(4) Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, as well as recipients of the Autonomous Region’s Top Science and Technology Award and the Autonomous Region’s Outstanding Contribution Award;

(5) Other units or individuals meeting the conditions specified by the science and technology administrative department of the Autonomous Region People’s Government.

Article 14: Nominators shall comply with the nomination rules and procedures, be responsible for the authenticity and accuracy of the nomination materials, and bear corresponding responsibilities during the nomination, evaluation, and objection handling processes.

For nominations made by individuals, the nominator shall make nominations within the scope of their familiar disciplinary fields; for nominations made by organizations, the nominator shall make nominations within the scope of their discipline, industry, region, or department.

Article 15: Individuals or organizations involved in scientific and technological activities that fall under any of the following circumstances shall not be nominated for or awarded the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Award:

(1) Endangering national security, harming public interests, endangering human health, or violating ethical and moral standards;

(2) Where intellectual property disputes remain unresolved;

(3) Cases where administrative permits required by law have not been obtained;

(4) Engaging in scientific misconduct and being prohibited from participating in national or autonomous region science and technology award activities in accordance with relevant regulations;

(5) Engaging solely in organizational management or support services in scientific research or technology development projects;

(6) Other circumstances specified by the national and autonomous region science and technology administrative departments.

Projects whose primary technical content has already received national, provincial/ministerial-level, or military science and technology awards shall not be nominated or awarded the Autonomous Region Natural Science Award, the Autonomous Region Technological Invention Award, or the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Progress Award.

Article 16: The evaluation of Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards shall implement a recusal system. Members of the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards Committee, the Evaluation Committee, and the Supervision Committee, as well as evaluation experts, shall recuse themselves if any of the following circumstances apply:

(1) Having a close familial relationship with the nominee;

(2) Having a significant conflict of interest with the nominee;

(3) Any other circumstances that may affect the fairness and impartiality of the evaluation.

Article 17. The science and technology administrative department of the Autonomous Region People’s Government shall publish a notice regarding the nomination process on its official website, specifying the timeline, procedures, and requirements for materials related to the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards, and shall provide consultation services.

Article 18: The science and technology administrative department of the Autonomous Region People’s Government shall organize a formal review of the nomination materials. Those that meet the requirements shall be accepted and publicly announced; the announcement period shall not be less than seven days. Those that do not meet the requirements shall not be accepted, and the reasons shall be explained.

The science and technology administrative department of the Autonomous Region People’s Government shall select relevant experts from the expert pool to form several expert panels to conduct a preliminary review of the candidate achievements for the Autonomous Region Natural Science Award, the Autonomous Region Technological Invention Award, and the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Progress Award; the results of the preliminary review shall be submitted to the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards Review Committee.

The Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards Review Committee shall conduct a comprehensive review of the submitted preliminary review results, evaluate candidates for the Autonomous Region’s Highest Science and Technology Award and the Autonomous Region’s Outstanding Contribution Award, and propose an award recommendation.

The Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards Committee shall review the award proposal. The results of this review shall be publicly announced by the science and technology administrative department of the Autonomous Region People’s Government; the announcement period shall not be less than seven days. If no objections are raised after the announcement or if objections are determined to be invalid upon review, the proposal shall be submitted to the Autonomous Region People’s Government for approval.

Article 19: Any unit or individual with objections to any stage of the evaluation process may submit them in writing to the science and technology administrative department of the Autonomous Region People’s Government. The science and technology administrative department of the Autonomous Region People’s Government shall, in conjunction with relevant departments and units, promptly address such objections.

Article 20: The Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards Supervision Committee shall exercise full supervision over the nomination, evaluation, and handling of objections regarding the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards, and shall report the results of such supervision to the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards Committee.

Article 21: The Autonomous Region’s Highest Science and Technology Award shall be submitted to the Chairman of the Autonomous Region for signature, and certificates and prize money shall be awarded. The Autonomous Region’s Outstanding Contribution Award, the Autonomous Region’s Natural Science Award, the Autonomous Region’s Technological Invention Award, and the Autonomous Region’s Science and Technology Progress Award shall be awarded by the People’s Government of the Autonomous Region, which shall issue certificates and prize money.

The monetary awards for the Autonomous Region’s Highest Science and Technology Award, the Autonomous Region’s Outstanding Contribution Award, the Autonomous Region’s Natural Science Award, the Autonomous Region’s Technological Invention Award, and the Autonomous Region’s Science and Technology Progress Award shall be enjoyed by the individual recipients and shall be exempt from personal income tax in accordance with the law.

Article 22. Personnel involved in the evaluation of the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards shall keep confidential the evaluation opinions of the judges, as well as the technical content for which candidates have requested confidentiality, and shall not disclose any confidential information in any manner.

Article 23: The monetary amounts for each category of the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards shall be adjusted in a timely manner in accordance with the economic and social development of the Autonomous Region. The specific amounts shall be proposed by the science and technology administrative department of the People’s Government of the Autonomous Region in conjunction with the finance department, and shall be implemented after approval by the People’s Government of the Autonomous Region.

Funding for the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards and for the evaluation process shall be included in the Autonomous Region’s fiscal budget.

Article 24: Candidates, awardees, nominators, and evaluation experts who engage in any of the following behaviors shall be dealt with by the science and technology administrative department of the Autonomous Region People’s Government:

(1) If a nominee engages in activities that may affect the fairness and impartiality of the nomination and evaluation process for the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards, their eligibility as a nominee for that year shall be revoked;

(2) If a laureate plagiarizes or misappropriates another person’s discoveries, inventions, or other scientific and technological achievements, or obtains the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Award through fraud or other improper means, the award shall be revoked upon approval by the People’s Government of the Autonomous Region, and the certificate and prize money shall be recovered;

(3) If a nominator provides false data or materials or assists others in fraudulently obtaining an Autonomous Region Science and Technology Award, they shall be publicly reprimanded;

(4) If evaluation experts violate evaluation discipline, they shall be barred from participating in the evaluation work for that year.

Where any of the acts specified in the preceding paragraph occur, the individual’s eligibility to participate in Autonomous Region Science and Technology Award activities shall be suspended or revoked, depending on the severity of the offense.

Article 25: Personnel involved in the organizational work of the Autonomous Region Science and Technology Awards who abuse their authority, neglect their duties, or engage in malfeasance during the evaluation process shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the law; if such acts constitute a crime, criminal liability shall be pursued in accordance with the law.

Article 26. These Measures shall come into effect on March 1, 2024.Issued by Decree No. 99 of the People’s Government of the Autonomous Region on March 21, 2001; the “Measures for the Awarding of Scientific and Technological Progress in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,” as amended by the “Decision of the People’s Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Amending the Measures for the Awarding of Scientific and Technological Progress in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region” (Decree No. 145 of the People’s Government of the Autonomous Region) dated September 10, 2007, is hereby repealed.