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The Innovation and Technology Commission is inviting Hong Kong people with Chinese nationality who have attained significant achievements in science and technology to submit entries for the 2009 State Technological Invention Award (STIA) and the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (SSTPA).
A spokesman for the commission said today (October 22) that STIA and SSTPA were two award categories under the State Science and Technology Awards (SSTA) initiated by the State Council of the People's Republic of China.
Highly prestigious in the science and technology sector, the awards aim to recognise outstanding contributions to scientific and technological progress, encourage the enthusiasm and creativity of scientists and technologists, accelerate the development of scientific and technological undertakings, and enhance overall national strength.
The spokesman said, "We encourage more local scientists and technologists to submit entries since the awards provide an excellent opportunity for their dedication and achievements to be recognised and commended."
The spokesman pointed out that scientific talent in Hong Kong had already attained national recognition. Two medical research projects carried out by local universities won the first-class and second-class awards in the 2005 and 2007 SSTPAs respectively, out of hundreds of competing projects.
The first-class award project, entitled "Adult-to-adult Right Lobe Live Donor Liver Transplantation", was carried out by Professor Fan Sheung-tat, Professor Lo Chung-mau, Professor Liu Chi-leung and Dr Chan See-ching of the Department of Surgery of the University of Hong Kong. The second class award project, entitled "Innovative Non-surgical Treatments of Peptic Ulcer Bleeding", was carried out by Professor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu, Professor James Lau Yun-wong, Professor Francis Chan Ka-leung, Professor Enders Ng Kwok-wai, Associate Professor Philip Chiu Wai-yan and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor Lee Yuk-tong of the Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the former Dean of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Professor Sydney Chung Sheung-chee.
In addition, an invention project entitled "Piezoelectric and Pyroelectric Materials for Sensor and Mechatronic Device Applications" was conferred a second-class award in the 2002 STIA. Funded by the Innovation and Technology Fund of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the project was carried out by Professor Helen Chan and Professor Choy Chung-loong of the Department of Applied Physics of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
The spokesman said, "The commission has been invited by the National Office for Science and Technology Awards on the Mainland to co-ordinate nominations from Hong Kong for the STIA and SSTPA since 2002. The commission has submitted nominations for the two award categories for 2008. Results of the awards are expected to be announced towards the end of the year.
"Entries for the 2009 STIA and SSTPA in the HKSAR will close on December 22. The commission will form a judging panel comprising experts from relevant fields to consider the entries received," he said.
Details of the awards and the application procedures are available at www.itc.gov.hk/en/ssta or from Innovation and Technology Commission, 20/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (Tel.: 2737 2250).
Ends/Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Issued at HKT 10:01
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