2026 Yau Science Award Preparation Guide: Asia Division Registration Closes on June 11, Mainland China and North America Divisions Open on July 1
As one of the most prestigious research competitions for secondary school students worldwide, the Shing-Tung Yau High School Science Award has become a golden opportunity for students to strengthen their academic profiles, enter a top-level science and innovation platform, and add significant value to their university applications.
Currently, registration for the Asia Division is already underway. The Mainland China Division and North America Division will open registration on July 1. A new season of scientific research competition is about to begin.
2026 Yau Science Award Asia Division Timeline
The Asia Division has opened registration, marking the beginning of the 2026 Yau Science Award season. The full timeline for the new season has been released, covering every key stage from material submission to multiple rounds of review.
Students aiming for the Yau Science Award should start their projects as early as possible and secure their registration spots.
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration Opens | From February |
| Registration Deadline | June 11 |
| Research Proposal Submission Deadline | June 15 |
| Preliminary Review of Proposals | Late June |
| Preliminary Review Results Announced | July |
| Full Research Report Submission Deadline | August 17 |
| Research Report Review and Evaluation | Late August |
| Evaluation Results Announced | September |
| Oral Defense in Hong Kong and Results Announcement | October / November |
| Global Finals | December |
All dates above are based on Hong Kong Time, GMT+8. The final schedule should follow the official announcement.
Compared with last year, the 2026 Asia Division schedule has not changed significantly, and the overall rhythm remains stable.
One detail worth noting is that this year’s registration and research proposal submission deadlines are one day earlier than last year. Students are advised to begin topic selection immediately and confirm their research direction as early as possible. The good news is that the full research report deadline has been extended by three days compared with last year, giving teams that pass the preliminary review more time to refine their final research results.
For the Asia Division, the key preparation advice this year is simple: the earlier, the better. Designing a research topic that is both suitable for the student and competitive for the award requires sufficient preparation time. Students should begin identifying their research topic now.
In 2025, a total of 12 teams from the Asia Division advanced to the Global Finals. These teams included students from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, showing the growing global influence of the Yau Science Award.
Asia Division Eligibility Requirements
There are no nationality or ethnicity restrictions for Asia Division registration, but participants are categorized by country or region.
| Student Location | Corresponding Division |
|---|---|
| Students currently studying in Asia outside Mainland China | Asia Division |
| Chinese students studying in the United States | U.S. / Overseas Division |
| Students studying in Mainland China | Mainland China Division |
Asia Division Team Requirements
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Team Size | Each team must consist of 1–3 students from the same secondary school |
| Advisor | Each team should have one advising teacher |
| Advisor Limit | One advisor may guide multiple teams from the same school |
| Subject Registration | Students may register for multiple subject categories, but only one project may be submitted for each category |
| Team Member Changes | In general, team members cannot be changed after the registration deadline |
2026 Yau Science Award Mainland China Division Timeline
Registration for the 18th Shing-Tung Yau High School Science Award Mainland China Division will begin in mid-April 2026. Online registration channels will open for six subject categories: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and economic and financial modeling.
Mainland China Division Schedule
| Stage | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation Stage | From mid-April | Interested students begin preparing research reports and other application materials |
| Registration and Research Report Submission | July 1 – September 15 | Students register individually or in teams of 1–3 members and submit research reports and application materials |
| Registration System Opens | July 1 | Online registration begins |
| Submission Deadline | September 15, 24:00 | Final deadline for registration and research report submission |
| Regional Review | October 1 – November 2 | Reviews are conducted in the Southern and Northern divisions. The Mathematics Award also includes an Eastern division. Each division selects candidates for the Global Finals |
| Paper Publicity Period | November 3 – November 10 | Global Finals shortlisted projects and research reports are published online |
| Global Finals and Awards Ceremony | December 5 – December 6 | The finals are conducted through English oral defense and hosted by the international judging committee at Tsinghua University |
| Science Forum | December 6 | General academic lectures held at Tsinghua University |
The final schedule and arrangements should follow official notices.
Compared with the 2025 season, when registration began on April 15, the 2026 Mainland China Division has made an important adjustment to its registration timeline.
This year, the registration system will officially open on July 1, significantly shortening the registration period. However, the final research report submission deadline remains the same as in previous years, September 15. This means that the overall competition pace will be more compact, placing higher demands on students’ early-stage research preparation.
Even students with no prior research experience still have enough time to begin. Starting now allows students to select a topic, strengthen academic knowledge, refine the paper, and prepare for mock defense with more confidence.
Registration Information and Participation Guide
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Eligible Participants | Secondary school students worldwide. The Mainland China Division is limited to high school students |
| Participation Format | Individual or team participation, with 1–3 students from the same school |
| Submission Requirement | Students must submit a research report |
| Subject Categories | Mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, economic and financial modeling |
| Mainland China Registration Website | Yau Awards official website |
| Asia Division Registration Website | Yau Award Asia official website |
| North America Division Registration Website | Yau Science Awards North America official website |
Award Structure
At the Global Finals, each of the six subject categories offers the following awards:
| Award | Number |
|---|---|
| Gold Award | 1 |
| Silver Award | 1 |
| Bronze Award | 3 |
| Honorable Mention | 5 |
There is also one highest overall award: the Science Gold Award.
2026 Yau Science Award North America Division Timeline
The 2026 Shing-Tung Yau High School Science Award North America Division will open registration on July 1, the same date as the Mainland China Division. Six award categories will open at the same time: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and economic and financial modeling.
All North America Division dates are based on U.S. Eastern Time.
| Stage | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Registration and Paper Submission | July 1 – September 15 | The registration system opens on July 1 |
| Paper Review | September 16 – September 30 | Submitted papers are reviewed |
| Regional Review | October 1 – November 2 | Each region selects candidates for the Global Finals |
| Global Finals Shortlist Announcement | November 3 – November 10 | Shortlisted projects and research reports are published online, followed by final confirmation of Global Finals participants |
| Global Finals and Awards Ceremony | December 5 – December 6 | The finals are conducted through English oral defense and hosted by the international judging committee at Tsinghua University |
| Science Forum | December 6 | Academic forum held after the finals |
Important notes for the North America Division:
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Student Status | Participants must be high school students |
| Team Requirement | If participating as a team, all members must be high school students from the same school |
| Cross-School Teams | Not allowed |
The 2026 North America Division timeline has been significantly adjusted compared with the 2025 season. Registration has been moved from June 20 to July 1, and the paper submission deadline has been extended from August 24 to September 15. This gives students more time to refine their papers, but the review period is much shorter, making the overall process more compact and efficient.
About the Shing-Tung Yau High School Science Award
The Shing-Tung Yau High School Science Award was founded in 2008 by renowned mathematician Professor Shing-Tung Yau. It is a scientific innovation award for secondary school students and is currently the only research competition of its kind for Chinese secondary school students worldwide.
Since 2022, the award has been included in the Ministry of Education’s list of approved national competitions for primary and secondary school students.
The competition covers six fundamental academic disciplines: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and economic and financial modeling. It encourages innovative thinking and teamwork. Instead of relying on test papers and standard answers, students participate by submitting research reports.
In 2025, the Noether Award for female secondary school students was also incorporated into the competition framework.
Over the past eighteen years, more than 20,000 teams have participated. The competition has covered 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in Mainland China, as well as Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, India, Thailand, Australia, and many other countries and regions.
A total of 647 student teams and more than 1,125 students have received awards. The Yau Science Award has developed a mature model for cultivating research and innovation ability among secondary school students and has become one of the most authoritative and influential science competitions for high school students internationally.
