The China National S&T Award Committee has recently made a decision to expand overseas scientists' role in screening potential winners of the National Natural Science Award. It says ready disciplinary fields shall invite overseas experts to be part of the reviewing process, in a move to enhance the fairness, authority and influence of S&T awards.

The China State Council revised at the end of 2003 the Rules on National S&T Awarding. The China Ministry of Science and Technology revised, accordingly, the by-laws on implementing the Rules on National S&T Awarding. To ensure a fair reviewing process, the National S&T Award Office established, under the principle of random selection and challenge, a selection committee, made up of experts from government agencies, research institutes, universities, and large enterprises in different sectors. Industrial and economic experts, and young and middle aged researchers are an enhanced player in the selection process. Overseas experts are also invited to be part of the reviewing process, by correspondence, for two disciplinary areas under the National Natural Science Award.

To implement reform measures in a solid manner, the National Natural Science Award has made overseas experts' comments a part of its reviewing process, and established an overseas expert database for the purpose. In 2004, overseas experts' reviewing comments were solicited by the mathematics and mechanics group and the physics and astronomy group. Each candidate project, after passing the online preliminary screening, was reviewed by 5-7 overseas experts. The joint screening process has produced identical reviewing results from both domestic and overseas experts. It is believed that the new screening modality plays a positive role in ensuring objectivity and fairness of the reviewing process for the best possible results.

Chief of the National S&T Award Office told reporters that learning from the existing experience on overseas experts reviewing, other disciplinary fields, when ready, shall combine online and conference reviews, and add more overseas weight in the process.