Shenzhen has more than doubled the awards available for achievements in the fields of science and technology in 2006, the bureau of science, technology and information said yesterday.

Twenty million yuan (US$2.56 million) has been set aside for the Scientific Innovation Awards, up from 8 million yuan in 2005, Liu Zhongpu, director general of the bureau, said.

The prize for the top category of the awards - the Mayor's Award - is doubled from 500,000 yuan per winner to 1 million. While in the past only one person won the award, the number of possible winners has been raised to five.

The prizes for the lower category, the Innovation Awards, also go up to 100,000-200,000 yuan from 30,000-100,000 yuan for each winner. Up to 80 applicants can win the awards.

Applicants no longer have to be recommended by their companies or referees, a move that is expected to give more opportunities to individuals.

While the government has long organized the science awards, the bureau is now encouraging nongovernment organizations to take over the job.

Shenzhen has few nongovernment-run science awards.

Liu's bureau will begin to accept applications for 2006 awards Friday at its Web site http://shenbao.szsti.net and in its office.

The deadline for online applications is April 5 and that for personal applications is April 10.

Shenzhen is famed for its booming high-tech industry.

Among the city's 30,000 science and technology firms, 1,438 were high-tech firms by the end of last year, 300 of which each yielded an industrial output value of more than 100 million yuan (US$12.8 million).

Editor: Yan