Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (GIGCAS) is one of the top Chinese research institutions in earth and environmental sciences. It was established in 1993 through the merger of the Guangzhou Institute of Geological New Technology and the part of the Institute of Geochemistry, CAS that was transferred from Guiyang to Guangzhou due to reorganization in 1986. The institute has been further enhanced through integration of the Changsha Institute of Geotectonics in 2002. GIGCAS engages in research on earth and environmental sciences, with an emphasis on research focused on continental dynamics, lithospheric evolution and associated mineral deposits, regional environment, and sustainable development. The institute chiefly devotes itself to adding to scientific knowledge and providing technical advice on the fundamental scientific issues regarding natural resources and the environment arising from the rapid economic and social development of the country.
The research focus undertaken by the institute centers on the following fields: mineral deposits, natural gas, and petroleum resources; continental dynamics and lithospheric evolution; marine geology; composition and structure of the deep earth’s interior; environmental pollution and sustainable development; global changes.
The institute consists of six research divisions: the State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, the CAS Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, the CAS Key Laboratory of Isotope Geochronology and Geochemistry, the Laboratory of Extreme Condition Geology and Geochemistry, the Laboratory of Ore-forming Dynamics, and the Research Center for Environmental Pollution and Control in the Pearl River Delta. In order to promote cooperation between the CAS and the Guangdong provincial government, the institute also sponsored the founding of the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Protection of Environmental Resources, as well as the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Material Research and Development. The Institute also houses the Guangzhou National Mass Spectrometer Center which is sponsored jointly by CAS, Guangdong Province, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Land and Resources.
There are 288 permanent staff members (230 academic and 58 supporting). Among the research staff, GIGCAS has 1 academician from CAS, 1 foreign academician from the Russian Academy of Sciences, 14 National Outstanding Young Scientists awardees, 17 laureates of the “One Hundred Talents Program” of CAS, 50 full professors, and 90 associate professors. Two research groups are awarded by the NSFC the Excellence in Innovative studies. In addition, GIGCAS has 653 associates, including 591 postgraduates, 47 post-doc researchers, and 15 visiting scientists.
Since its establishment, the institute has won 77 major scientific awards, of which one 1st grade State Natural Sciences Award and two 2nd grade State Natural Sciences Award are particularly noteworthy. Since 1998, the staff scientists at GIGCAS have published over 1600 SCI papers in total, of which 13 were published in prestigious journals such as Nature, Science, and PNAS. In addition, the institute possesses 23 grants of invention patents and 29 grants of practical novelty patents.
The institute has formed long-term and extensive cooperative relationships with institutions in more than 20 countries, including USA, UK, Germany, Australian and Canada, as well as Hongkong, Macao, and Taiwan. The number of visiting scientists to or from foreign institutions totals more than 100 every year. More than 10 scientists currently hold various positions in national or international academic organizations and on the editorial board of international journals.
Head of Institute: Professor Yigang Xu
Address: 511 Kehua Street, Wushan, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510640
Tel: 020—85290702;
Fax: 020-85290130
Website: http://www.gig.ac.cn/
Email: zhaojs@gig.ac.cn