Recently, the Chinese Society of Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry announced the winners of the 18th Hou Defeng Young Scientist Award for Mineral, Petrology and Geochemistry. Professor Zongcheng Ling of Institute of Space Science, School of Space Science and Physics, Shandong University, Weihai won this honor.

Professor Zongcheng Ling is the leader of the "Planetary Science" project group of the ShanDong university's “Solar Eruptions and Their Impact on Planetary Space Environment” Climbing Project. Since 2008, Professor Zongcheng Ling has been responsible for setting up the subject direction and research group of planetary science to carry out scientific research in the field of planetary science and the cultivation of innovative talents. Professor Zongcheng Ling’s research focuses on planetary remote sensing and spectroscopic studies and laboratory studies of planetary matter, and has achieved a series of innovative results. Professor Zongcheng Ling was selected as a young scholar of Qilu (Tang) Youth Scholar of Shandong University and won the Shandong Outstanding Youth Fund. In 2018, professor Zongcheng Ling was selected as a young top-notch talent in the National "Ten Thousand Talents Program".

The Hou Defeng Young Scientist Award in Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry was established to commemorate the pioneers and founders of Chinese geochemistry, uranium geology and Quaternary geology, Academician Hou Defeng. It aims to encourage and commend research in mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry (including sedimentology) scientific and technological workers who have made outstanding and creative contributions in research and are under the age of 40. The award was established in 1986 and is selected every two years.