To reward young scientists and engineers in Hong Kong who show great promise in their field of study, with the hope that this will nurture the growth of science and technology in the region.

Three awards will be given annually at the HKIS Annual Meeting (usually held in November), one in each of the following fields:
(a) Physical / Mathematical science
(b) Life science
(c) Engineering science
Each award carries a cash prize of $10,000 and a certificate of recognition. In addition, a plaque of recognition will also be given to the recipient's supervisor.

All postgraduate research students who are pursuing an M.Phil, M.D.(Doctor of Medicine) or a Ph.D degree in any of the tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. Students who have graduated recently (within 2 years of graduation) are also eligible.

Evidence of research excellence in science or technology and the potential to become a good scientist or engineer is sought. Screening will first be made of papers submitted describing the applicants' respective work, and short-listed applicants will be asked to give an oral presentation of their work for the final selection.
A separate Selection Panel for each of the 3 fields, each comprising of both specialists and non-specialists, will review the applications.

Applicants are required to submit the following:
(1) The Application Form, duly completed and signed, including a statement highlighting the significance of the work.
(2) A paper (or a number of related papers) or a patent describing the work pursued. Preferably, the paper has been published, or accepted to be published, by an internationally-refereed journal. The applicant needs not be the first author of the paper but, obviously, priority counts and the applicant needs to specify (in the Application Form) the level of his or her contribution to the published work.
(3) A letter of endorsement from the applicant's supervisor(s) of the submitted work.