Our Mission

The primary mission of the Foundation is to promote scientific and technological advancements for the benefit of humanity. The name Qiu Shi—meaning “seeking truth”—reflects the Foundation’s commitment to integrity and discovery.

In the early 1990’s, China’s investment in science and technology was limited because China’s economic development was still in its early phases. Researchers were living and working under very difficult conditions. In the spirit of “strengthening the country through science and technology, extending assistance in times of need,” QSF sought to provide assistance and contribute to the advancement of China’s scientists by recognizing original technological achievements.

Through the Qiu Shi Awards, the Foundation honors outstanding researchers across disciplines including Life Sciences & Medicine, Mathematics, Physics, Engineering & Materials Science, Chemistry, and Sustainability Science. Over the past 30 years, the Qiu Shi Awards have been granted to 367 exceptional Chinese scientists, including 3 Lifetime Achievement Awards, 33 Outstanding Scientist Awards, 204 Outstanding Young Scholar Awards, and 127 Outstanding Scientific Team Awards.

Over the years, the Foundation has launched the Qiu Shi Graduate Student Scholarship and the Cha Chi Ming & Liu Bie Ju Undergraduate Student Scholarship across more than 20 universities, awarding outstanding Ph.D. students and providing financial assistance to exceptional undergraduate students in need. The Foundation has granted over 8,000 scholarships to date. The Foundation is also dedicated to promoting exchanges among scientists and leading international research institutes; for example, QSF has sponsored visiting scholars to the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and funded educational programs such as the Chi-Chih Yao experimental class at Tsinghua University.

The Foundation celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 2024. Continuing to be supported by the Cha family and guided by the spirit of “send coal in a snowstorm” — providing timely support where it is needed most, the Foundation has broadened the reach of Qiu Shi Awards beyond mainland China to include recognition of ethnic Chinese scientists working internationally.  New areas for targeted future programming include Sustainability science and technology, Women in STEM, and translational research and physician-scientist development.