Prof. SUN Fei, Chemical and Biological Engineering, was named a 2021 Excellent Young Scientist (EYS) by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). He will receive RMB 1.6 million over a period of three years to conduct pioneering research on protein engineering and chemical biology, with an aim to develop new materials to address health and environment related challenges.

The NSFC-EYS is one of the most prestigious honors for young scientists (under 38 for male and under 40 for female) in China. It supports promising scholars who have already achieved good results in basic research to pursue innovative research in self-chosen areas, and aims to foster the rapid development of young talents who will eventually be at the forefront of world-class scientific and technology research.

The EYS scheme was first open to Hong Kong and Macau scholars in 2019. Each year, only 25 scientists from the two regions are selected. A total of four HKUST faculty members were awarded this year, including Prof. Sun Fei as well as Prof. JIN Tianling (Department of Mathematics), Prof. WANG Zhe (Division of Environment and Sustainability), and Prof. ZHANG Jingdi (Department of Physics).

Related link:

• NSFC Excellent Young Scientist Scheme 2021