The results for the 2023 Chinese Academy of Sciences President's Scholarship (referred to as "the President's Scholarship") have been officially announced. Among the recipients, one student from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics was honored with the prestigious President's Special Award, while three others received the esteemed President's Excellent Award. The full list is as follows: 

President's Special Award: 

Yang Qingyu (Mentor: Dr. Shi Xun) 

President's Excellent Award: 

Dong Yazhu (Mentor: Dr. Zhou Zhiyong) 

Liu Chang (Mentor: Dr. Liu Yu) 

Jiang Han (Mentor: Dr. Shi Jianlin) 

Brief introductions of the award-winning students 

President's Special Award: 

Name: Yang Qingyu 

Field of Study: Materials Physics and Chemistry 

Class: 2018 (Enrolled in a combined Master's and Ph.D. program) 

Mentor: Dr. Shi Xun 

Research Direction: Preparation and properties of p-type plasticized thermoelectric materials 

Research Content: During his graduate studies, Yang Qingyu focused on silver-copper-based chalcogenide compounds, tackling the challenge of developing high-performance p-type thermoelectric materials. His research spanned various aspects, including materials chemistry, structural design, thermoelectric properties, and mechanical performance. Yang made significant breakthroughs regarding the transition from n-type to p-type behavior as the material composition changed within this system. They also explored the shift from brittleness to ductility in terms of mechanical properties. Building on these discoveries, a composition-performance phase diagram was established for the AgCu (S, Se, Te) pseudo-ternary system. This diagram identified a p-type component that exhibited both excellent thermoelectric performance and remarkable ductility at room temperature. Leveraging this material, Yang Qingyu played a pivotal role in the development of ultra-thin, π-shaped flexible thermoelectric devices with impressive output capabilities, presenting an innovative solution for flexible thermoelectric technology. The results of his research were published in esteemed journals, including Science, Small, and Adv. Energy Mater, with Yang being the first or co-first author on four of these papers. 

Honorable Mentions: Won the 2023 CAS President's Special Award, 2022 Yan Dongsheng Scholarship, 2022". BOC-Keyuan Outstanding Scholar Award, 2022 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) "Three Good Students 

President's Excellent Award: 

Liu Chang 

Major: Materials Physics and Chemistry 

Class：2018,phD 

Mentor：Dr. Yu Liu  

Research Direction: High-voltage aqueous batteries

Research content：To address the issue of low voltage in aqueous batteries, a strategy was proposed to widen the electrochemical window of the electrolyte using an acid-base-separated electrolyte. This strategy leveraged a higher potential cathode and a lower potential anode to fully utilize the electrochemical window of the electrolyte, ultimately increasing the voltage of aqueous batteries. Several novel high-voltage aqueous batteries were designed as a result, providing fresh insights into the design and research of high-voltage aqueous batteries.The corresponding research findings were published in four papers, with Yang Qingyu as the first author, appearing in journals such as Advanced Energy Materials (with a cover feature), Energy Storage Materials, Energy & Environmental Materials, and Materials Today Energy. Additionally, two patents were filed, with one of them already granted. These developments represent a significant contribution to advancing the field of high-voltage aqueous batteries. 

Honorable Mentions: CAS President's Award of Excellence in 2023, National Scholarship for Doctoral Students in 2021, Yan Dongsheng Scholarship in 2021, BOC-Keyuan Outstanding Scholar in 2022, Outstanding Group Member of Shanghai Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2019, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Three Good Students in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, 2020-2021 and 2021- 2022 Selected for the Cultivation Program of Scientific and Technological Innovation Achievements of Shanghai Institute of Silicate Research, 2019, 2020, 2022 First Class Academic Scholarship, Outstanding Graduate of Beijing Municipality, Outstanding Graduate of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

President's Excellent Award: 

Dong Yazhu 

Major: Materials Physics and Chemistry 

Class：2018,phD 

Mentor: Dr. Zhou Zhiyong  

Research Direction: High Temperature Piezoelectric Ceramics and Devices  

Research content：Focusing on BiScO₃-PbTiO₃ (BS-PT) high-temperature piezoelectric ceramic materials, a research effort was undertaken to enhance the bonding of A-O and B-O bonds using hybrid theory and lattice distortion theory. This led to the design of BiScO₃-PbTiO₃-Zn/Bi high-temperature piezoelectric ceramics. The resulting materials exhibited both high piezoelectric performance (increased from 380 pC/N to 490 pC/N), high Curie temperature (428°C), and elevated depolarization temperature (from 250°C to 410°C). Through in-situ XRD, Raman spectroscopy, PFM, and other methods, the study elucidated the intrinsic and extrinsic factors contributing to the excellent temperature stability of the materials. It was confirmed that the tetragonal phase structure played a pivotal role in enhancing temperature stability.Leveraging these high-temperature stable, high-piezoelectric-performance piezoelectric ceramics as core components, 4.5MHz ultrasonic transducer samples were fabricated. These transducers exhibited stable sensitivity, maintaining 470mV, even after extended operation in a high-temperature simulated environment at 380°C and 450°C (24h/14h). Moreover, they offered a high -6dB bandwidth (>95%) within a temperature range from room temperature to 450°C, surpassing traditional PZT ceramic transducers (~60%). These developments hold promise for applications in deep-sea petroleum exploration and piezoelectric fuel injection valves, among other fields.The corresponding research findings, authored as the first author, have been published in six SCI papers in journals such as Progress in Materials Science, Journal of Materiomics, Journal of the American Ceramic Society, and Sensors and Actuators A: Physical. Additionally, three national invention patents were filed, with two of them already granted. 

Honorable Mentions: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Three Good Students of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), 2020 National Scholarship for Master's Degree, 2022 National Scholarship for Doctoral Degree, 2021 Volunteer of Outstanding Contribution to Shanghai Summer School for Elementary School Pupils with Love, 2021 Pioneer of Three Good Students of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), 2022 Outstanding Youth League Member of Shanghai Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences (SBAS) Outstanding Student Cadre of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2022, Outstanding Party Member of Shanghai Institute of Silicate Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2022, Advanced Individual of Shanghai Institute of Silicate Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Epidemic Resistance in 2022, Outstanding Scholar of BOC-Keyuan of Shanghai Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2022, Outstanding Graduate of Shanghai Municipality in 2023. 

President's Excellent Award: 

Jiang Han 

Major: Materials Physics and Chemistry 

Class：2018,phD 

Mentor：Jianlin Shi Researcher 

Research Interests: Immunomodulation of solid tumors based on functional inorganic nanocomposites 

Research content：During his doctoral studies, he dedicated his research to overcoming the constraints of clinical immunotherapy for solid tumors. His investigations delved into critical scientific inquiries concerning the deactivation of immune cells and the sparse infiltration within the immunosuppressive microenvironment of solid tumors. His work revolved around the functionalization, design, and synthesis of inorganic nanocomposite materials.The primary objective of his research was to provoke in-situ immune responses within the tumor microenvironment, with the overarching aim of enhancing the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy for solid tumors. The study involved an in-depth exploration of the immunological effects and mechanisms of functional nanosystems in the context of solid tumor immunotherapy.As a result, he not only introduced a groundbreaking strategy for catalytically activating macrophages in innate immune therapy for solid tumors but also pioneered the development of a novel magnetic control-based gene transfection nanoplatform. This platform introduced a method for inducing the magnetic control-driven proliferation and activation of natural killer (NK) cells, thus amplifying the potential of in-situ immunotherapy for liver cancer. 

The significant findings of his research were published in four prestigious international journals, with him serving as the primary author. These journals included Adv. Mater., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (featuring a cover paper), and Natl. Sci. Rev. Furthermore, one publication was co-authored as the first author in the Nano Today journal, contributing to a combined impact factor of 106.  

Honorable Mentions: President's Excellence Award of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2023, "Three Good Students" of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2023, "Three Good Student Pioneer" of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2023, "Yan Dongsheng Scholarship" of Shanghai Institute of Silicate Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2023. Future Talent Support Program of Shanghai Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences - Rising Star in Science and Technology Research in 2023, one of the "Top Ten Progresses in Basic Research" of Shanghai Institute of Silicate Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2022, Cultivation Program of Scientific and Technological Innovation Achievements of Shanghai Institute of Silicate Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2022, First Class Scholarship of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2022, and Scholarship of Shanghai University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2021. Scholarship, 2021 Shanghai Institute of Silicate Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Science and Technology Innovation Achievement Cultivation Program, 2021 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2021 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2020 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, First Class Academic Scholarship and other honors.