The DuPont Company, a global science company, and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology signed a contract in Beijing on December 21 to set up the DuPont Innovation Award for outstanding scientists.

According to the contract, which extends through 2002, ten innovative projects that has contributed tremendously in the spheres of life science and material science will receive the honor each year, which comes with a cash payment of 100,000 yuan (12,000 US dollars) for each project.

The award will be appraised and selected on an annually basis between 2000 and 2002, a DuPont source said.