Open call for WAYS Sustainable Development Goals Award

This award aims to inspire adherence to principles while fostering innovation and free exploration. The award also encourages young scientists to take on important roles that prepare them to lead the way toward the sustainable future. The award acknowledges the remarkable achievements made by young scientists and teams who have made significant original innovations and breakthroughs in core technologies, contributing to sustainable development and advancing human civilization.

Selected Research Directions

• The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals consist of 169 specific targets and 232 indicators, covering all facets of economic, social, and cultural development, as well as international cooperation. The International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) recommends evaluating eight of these goals based on the current quantifiable analysis of relevance and urgency in scientific development, including the assessment of the contribution of “multi-indicator intersection and integration” in fields such as basic sciences, applied sciences, and engineering technologies.
  • SDG 2 Zero Hunger
    • This goal pertains to biotechnology, breeding technology, animal and plant hybridization technology, as well as efforts in fields like the food industry and nutritional engineering.
  • SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
    • This goal pertains to the investigation of water resources, particularly basic research on freshwater pollution control and recycling, as well as the research and application of technologies related to aquatic ecology and water environments (aquatic plants, animals, microorganisms, etc.).
  • SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
    • This goal pertains to the utilization, research, and development of new energy sources, such as hydropower, wind power, solar energy, and nuclear energy, particularly the development and utilization of materials, engineering technologies, and key emerging technologies in the energy sector.
  • SDG11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
    • This goal pertains to the basic sciences, engineering, and computing disciplines related to sustainable urban development. It comprises technology for underground and above-ground spaces, smart transportation, disaster reduction and warning, urban air pollution control, urban human habitation, urban mental health, and other fields that are relevant to sustainable urban development, particularly interdisciplinary research, which is of great significance.
  • SDG 13 Climate Action
    • This goal pertains to outstanding achievements in research on climate geological records and natural cycles, such as the polar regions, ice cores, stalactites, and karst, as well as a series of revolutionary breakthroughs in the application of key technologies related to new energy utilization such as solar photovoltaics, battery energy storage technology, geothermal resource development, wind energy, and tidal energy that are closely tied to climatology.
  • SDG 14 Life Below Water
    • This goal pertains to research on marine and coastal environments. It comprises a range of remarkable achievements in the aquatic biology field, such as the application of biotechnology, the conservation of marine life such as coral, marine ranching, and the protection of endangered species.
  • SDG 15 Life on Land
    • This goal pertains to the degradation and expansion of terrestrial environments, such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands, with a particular emphasis on biodiversity research findings in typical ecologically vulnerable areas, including arid and semi-arid regions, polar regions, tropical rainforests, and the Tibetan Plateau region.

Forms of Award

• Monetary reward: Each winner or winning team will receive a monetary reward of RMB 1 million.
• Supporting incentives: Winners will be awarded membership in WAYS; opportunities to participate in high-level international scientific summits such as WYSS and relevant United Nations activities; priority support for implementing research projects; and other associated incentives.

Eligibility Criteria

• All candidates must be aged 45 years or under. There are no restrictions on nationality or gender.
• Number of Award Winners: Five individuals will be chosen as winners from among eight Sustainable Development Goals selected for this award.

Qualifications

• Candidates should demonstrate important, innovative achievements and outstanding contributions to the implementation of one or more United Nations SDGs through research in the natural sciences or through notable applied engineering support; or
• Candidates should take part in or initiate international cooperation through big science programs and international cooperation projects related to the implementation of the United Nations SDGs, producing excellent output or the transformation of their results into significant social or economic benefits.

For more information, visit CBAS.