Registration Opens on July 1: Major Timeline Changes for the 2026 Yau Science Award Mainland China Division
The organizing committee of the 2026 Shing-Tung Yau High School Science Award has officially released the registration notice, schedule, and participation guide for the Mainland China Division.
Registration for the 18th Shing-Tung Yau High School Science Award Mainland China Division will begin in mid-April 2026. Online registration will open for six subject categories: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and economic and financial modeling.
Compared with previous years, the 2026 Mainland China Division has introduced a major adjustment to its timeline. The registration system will officially open on July 1, significantly shortening the registration period. As a result, students need to prepare earlier and move through the research process at a faster pace.
2026 Yau Science Award Mainland China Division Timeline
| Stage | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation Stage | From mid-April | Interested students should begin preparing research reports and other required materials. |
| Registration and Research Report Submission | July 1 – September 15 | Students may register individually or as a team of 1–3 members and submit research reports and related materials. |
| Registration Website | www.yau-awards.com | Official registration website for the Mainland China Division. |
| Registration System Opens | July 1 | Online registration officially begins. |
| Submission Deadline | September 15, 24:00 | Final deadline for registration and research report submission. |
| Regional Review | October 1 – November 2 | Reviews will be conducted in the Southern and Northern divisions. The Mathematics Award also includes an Eastern division. Each division will select candidates for the Global Finals. |
| Paper Publicity Period | November 3 – November 10 | Shortlisted Global Finals projects and research reports will be published online. |
| Global Finals and Awards Ceremony | December 5 – December 6 | The Global Finals will be conducted through English oral defense and hosted by the international judging committee. The finals and awards ceremony will be held at Tsinghua University. |
| Science Forum | December 6 | General academic lectures will be held at Tsinghua University. |
The final schedule and arrangements should follow official announcements.
Key Timeline Change Compared with 2025
In 2025, registration for the Yau Science Award Mainland China Division opened on April 15. In 2026, the registration system will not officially open until July 1.
However, the final research report submission deadline remains the same as in previous years: September 15.
This means the registration cycle is much shorter, while the required research preparation workload remains substantial. Students who plan to participate should begin topic selection, literature review, data collection, experiments, modeling, and report writing as early as possible.
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. Each team must consist of 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 | http://www.yau-awards.com |
| Asia Division Registration Website | https://yauaward-asia.hk/ |
| North America Division Registration Website | http://www.yau-science-awards.org |
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 |
In addition, there is one highest overall award: the Science Gold Award.
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 national competitions for primary and secondary school students.
The competition covers six fundamental disciplines: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and economic and financial modeling. It encourages innovative thinking and teamwork. Instead of using standard exams and fixed answers, the competition requires students to participate by submitting original research reports.
In 2025, the Noether Award for female secondary school students was also incorporated into the competition framework.
For students aiming to build a strong academic research profile, the Yau Science Award is not only a competition, but also a valuable opportunity to develop research ability, academic writing, independent thinking, and English defense skills.
