Eighty medical science research programs won national awards at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Monday, with more than 2,000 representatives from the sector attending the award ceremony.

The 80 programs were selected from a field of 260, and were approved by the Chinese Medical Association (CMA), an authorized medical organization which set up the annual medical science research awards five years ago.

According to the CMA, the first prize of 60,000 yuan (US$7,500) went to eight programs, including a research effort into the memory capacity of the human brain. 25 programs each won second prize of 20,000 yuan (US$2,500), and 47 won the third prize.

The CMA said the award is the highest-level medical science award in China.

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2006)