On January 8, CNNC once again won the Grand Prize of National Science and Technology Progress Award (only two winners in the country) after 20 years. It is 1997 when CNNC was awarded this special prize for the first time.
At the National Science and Technology Awards Conference this year, the most striking news is that the amount of bonus for state’s highest science and technology awards is raised by 60%, which is from 5 million yuan to 8 million yuan (even higher than that of the 2018 Nobel Prize), and more excitingly, the winners are free to control the bonus. This is the first adjustment of the amount and structure of the award since the establishment of the National Science and Technology Awards in 1999.
Accordingly, on January 8th, in the kickoff meeting of reforming the salary system among the research institutes held by CNNC, it clearly stated: Let top talents get the highest wages. At this meeting, it also proposed:
- To motivate incentive resources to be significantly flow to the main business and core talents. It is necessary for top experts to get the highest wages in the group, and actively attract top talents from external.
- For basic researchers, the evaluation cycle will be lengthened, once every two to three years, and keep their salary stable at a higher level in the industry.
- Appropriate recognition is given for research that is conducted in accordance with the established direction but has proved to be in the wrong direction or has not achieved the expected results.
- Scientific and technological achievements are to be amply rewarded. And if scientific and technological achievements are transformed and net income is generated, the portion of scientific research personnel shall be honored in full and on time.
- All research institutes must allow to challenge academic authority and tolerate failure, creating an atmosphere of respect and dependence on scientific research talents.
Each “Hualong No. 1” unit, developed by the research team represented by Xing Ji, can directly drive more than 20 billion yuan of equipment exports and more than 10 billion yuan of service exports.
At present, various preferential conditions are being developed in various parts of the country to fight for top talents. CNNC’s salary reform will open a window for its scientific and technological innovation, and as for whether its scientific research ecology can be formed, let us wait and see.
NβN tip: Leading scientists and scientific teams have a very strong lead and drive for technological innovation and industrial development in each country.
Key person: Xing Ji, deputy general manager and chief engineer of China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd. and chief designer of Hualong No.1, is committed to the design and management of nuclear power engineering. He is also the chief designer of Lingao Phase II nuclear power project, and helps China realize the independent design of the first million kilowatt nuclear power plant,
