On November 7, 1998, President Omer Al-Bashir passed a bill to establish an annual scientific award for innovation and scientific excellence that commemorate General Az-Zubair Mohammed Salih, former Sudan's vice president who died in an aeroplane crash. The award is governed by the Association for the Promotion of Scientific Innovation (APSI), a specialized organization that was established by General Az-Zubair for sponsoring technological advances and scientific research.