The nomination process for the 2025 State Science and Technology Awards is currently underway. According to publicly disclosed information from nominating organizations, five prominent experts in the field of Earth sciences have been nominated for the prestigious State Preeminent Science and Technology Award—a top national honor that is not ranked by level and awarded to no more than two individuals per cycle.

1. An Zhisheng
Researcher at the Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and an academician of the CAS and several international scientific academies. An has made groundbreaking contributions to Quaternary geology, global change, and atmospheric pollution control. He proposed the monsoon-controlled theory of East Asian environmental changes, significantly advancing the study of Asian monsoons and global change. His foundational research has supported major national strategies like Western Development and ecological restoration on the Loess Plateau. Over 50 years, An built premier research institutions and trained numerous leading scientists, publishing over 480 SCI papers, including 30+ in Nature, Science, and PNAS.

2. Dai Jinxing
Academician of the CAS and a geologist with China National Petroleum Corporation. Dai pioneered research on coal-derived gas in China and developed foundational theories on natural gas origin, classification, and accumulation mechanisms. His work supported discoveries such as the Changqing Gas Field and advanced understanding of inorganic gas reservoirs in eastern China. His contributions have had a lasting impact on China’s natural gas exploration and geochemical theory.

3. He Jishan
Professor at Central South University and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He has spent over six decades advancing geophysical theory, creating globally recognized methods like dual-frequency induced polarization and wide-area electromagnetic techniques. He's a pioneer in China's frequency-domain geophysical research and has won numerous national science and technology awards. He also established China's first geophysics PhD program focusing on geoelectric fields and contributed to educational leadership during his presidency at Central South Industrial University.

4. Ouyang Ziyuan
Renowned astrochemist and planetary geochemist at the CAS Institute of Geochemistry. He is widely known as the “Father of Chang’e” for his leadership in China's lunar exploration program. Ouyang's work spans geochemistry, comparative planetology, and studies of extraterrestrial impacts on Earth's ecosystems. He has won major national science awards and held influential academic and administrative roles in both science and government.

5. Wang Pinxian
Marine geologist and professor at Tongji University. Wang is a pioneer in marine micropaleontology and paleoceanography in China. He has led significant research on calcareous microfossils and ancient marine environments, laying the foundation for modern marine geology in the country. His achievements include multiple national science prizes and the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation award.