On the morning of July 8, the National Science and Technology Awards Conference, the General Assemblies of Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the 11th National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology were held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the ceremony, presented awards to recipients of the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award and other distinguished awardees, and delivered a keynote speech.
Three research achievements from China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) (CUG) were honored with National Science and Technology Awards. Among them, one project, for which CUG served as the leading institution, received the Second Prize of the National Natural Science Award, while two other projects, with CUG as a participating institution, received the First Prize and Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, respectively.
Representatives of CUG’s award-winning teams pose in front of the Great Hall of the People. From left: Associate Research Fellow Zhang Hongbin, Xie Shucheng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Professor Zhu Zongmin.
The project “Geomicroorganisms and Water-Carbon Relations in the Yangtze River Basin over the past 20,000 Years”, led by academician Xie Shucheng and jointly completed by Professors Zhu Zongmin, Zhang Hongbin, Liu Yuhui, and Huang Xianyu, received the Second Prize of the National Natural Science Award. Focusing on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the critical period spanning the past 20,000 years, the project pioneered a new research field by applying geomicroorganisms to the study of wet-dry paleoclimate. It identified major climatic events in the basin, including extreme precipitation and severe droughts, revealed the spatial and temporal variations of regional wet-dry paleoclimate, analyzed patterns of hydroclimatic patterns and water-carbon relations, and assessed the impacts of hydroclimatic events on the evolution of ancient cultures in the basin. Through methodological innovations in geomicroorganisms, the project advanced scientific understanding of wet-dry paleoclimate and its relation with the carbon cycle, overcoming numerous challenges in deciphering the links between geomicroorganisms and paleoclimate. This marks the fourth time that the geobiology research team led by Academicians Yin Hongfu and Xie Shucheng has received the National Natural Science Award, following previous honors in 2002, 2008, and 2016.
The project “International Continental Scientific Drilling Project in the Songliao Basin: Innovations and Discoveries”, led by China University of Geosciences (Beijing) with the participation of Professor Wu Xiaoming from CUG (Wuhan), received the First Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. Professor Wu was responsible for overcoming the key technological challenges associated with 241°C ultra-high-temperature drilling fluids used in the Songke-2 borehole of the Songliao Basin, providing critical technical support for the advancement of China’s ultra-deep drilling capabilities.
The project “Theories, High-Precision Detection Technologies, and Applications for Delineating Complex Geographic Features in the Deep Sea”, led by the Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, with the participation of Professor Ren Jianye from CUG, received the Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. Professor Ren was responsible for research on the tectonic evolution of the China Seas and the genesis of submarine geographic features. His contributions have helped overcome theoretical bottlenecks in understanding the formation mechanisms of complex seafloor features and have provided important scientific support for marine resource exploration.
According to official information, the 2025 National Science and Technology Awards recognized a total of 258 projects and 11 outstanding scientists. Among them, two scientists received the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award; the National Natural Science Award honored 51 achievements, including three First Prizes and 48 Second Prizes; the National Technology Invention Award recognized 58 achievements, including three First Prizes and 55 Second Prizes; the National Science and Technology Progress Award honored 149 achievements, including three Grand Prizes, 13 First Prizes, and 133 Second Prizes. In addition, nine scientists received the China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award.
Through geomicroorganisms, we explore the vast story of ten thousand years;
Four times honored, we open new chapters of discovery.
Breaking through deep beneath the Earth’s surface, we conquer the challenges of extreme heat;
Across the vast oceans, we decipher geological structures and strata.
With a shared pursuit of truth across land and sea,
We advance geological science in service of our nation.
Congratulations to every award recipient!
