S.-T. Yau High School Science Award — Research Program

The S.-T. Yau High School Science Award is a research competition founded in 2008 by the mathematician Shing-Tung Yau. Secondary school students form small teams and submit an original research report in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, or economic and financial modeling. Entrants apply through the route that matches their school’s location: Mainland China, Asia outside Mainland China, or North America.

Each route runs its own screening, referee assessment, and oral defense. Gold and Silver teams from the regional rounds advance to the global final held each December at Tsinghua University in Beijing. The North America competition is operated by the International Consortium of Chinese Mathematicians.

Benefits & funding

Entry is free. Participants normally cover their own experiment, travel, and accommodation costs.
Global final in Beijing, per subject: Gold RMB 50,000 per team, Silver RMB 30,000, up to three Bronze at RMB 10,000, and up to five Honourable Mentions at RMB 5,000.
The interdisciplinary Gold award at the global final carries a further RMB 50,000.
Asia regional round, per subject: Gold USD 1,000 plus a named subject award of USD 4,000, Silver USD 500, and up to three Honourable Mentions. Mathematics Silver winners also receive the Leung Mathematics Silver Award of USD 2,000.
Gold and Silver teams from the Asia round are nominated to the global final in Beijing.
Every participant who completes an oral defense receives a certificate of participation.
Limited airfare support may be available for Asia finalists travelling from outside Hong Kong.

Eligibility

Open to currently enrolled secondary school students. Nationality and ethnicity are not restricted.
The school’s location decides the route. Students at Mainland China schools enter the Mainland China competition. Students in Hong Kong and the rest of Asia outside Mainland China enter the Asia competition. Students at schools in overseas countries outside Asia enter through the North America division.
The Mainland China route admits senior high school students only.
A team has one to three students from the same secondary school, plus a supervising teacher.
A student may enter more than one subject category, and may join only one team within a category.
Supervisors must work in a school, college, or research institute. Paid help from commercial training or education businesses is not allowed.
The research must fit one of the six subject categories. Submitting the same work to another competition without declaring it leads to disqualification.

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Application process

1
Identify the regional route that matches the school’s location and open that route’s official registration channel.
2
Register the team online for one subject category and enter the student and supervising teacher details.
3
Submit the materials that route requires. Mainland China and North America take the full research report inside the registration window. Asia takes a two-page research outline first, then a full report from shortlisted teams.
4
Sign the academic integrity declarations, disclose any use of AI, and add the school principal’s signature where the route asks for it.
5
Pass the referee assessment, then present at the regional oral defense.
6
Gold and Silver teams from the regional rounds compete at the global final in Beijing.

Program timeline

Asia route opens for registration.
February 2026
Asia route registration closes.
June 11, 2026
Asia route research outline due.
June 15, 2026
Mainland China and North America registration and submission open.
July 1, 2026
Asia route full research report due from shortlisted teams.
August 17, 2026
Mainland China and North America registration and material submission close.
September 15, 2026
Material review.
September 16–30, 2026
October 1 – November 2, 2026
Regional evaluation. The Asia oral defense runs in October and November in Hong Kong.
Global finalists and their research reports are published online.
November 3–10, 2026
December 5–6, 2026
Global final and awards ceremony at Tsinghua University in Beijing, with the science forum on December 6.