Outstanding scientists are the key to supporting the realization of the goal to become an innovation country andgre at power in science and technology. Taking the two policies of the Scientist Workshop and the Basic Science Center Projects as cases, this paper establishes the “goal-process-effect” comparative analysis framework for outstanding scientist policy,and make a comparative analysis of the policy goals,the policy objects and their selections, the support patterns and effects. The results show that the policy-making process of the policy for outstanding scientists follows the pattern of “vision-driven and politics-led”, which is a process focusing on the future development vision, dominated by high-level political decision-making, coordinated by government departments, and deeply involved by stakeholders.The goals of the two policies are generally the same. The policy objects are the outstanding scientists still active in scientific research with outstanding achievements and expected to make major breakthroughs. However, the selection process of policy support objects of the two policies are different. The support patterns of these two policies are complementary to each other and both have achieved remarkable results.It is necessary to build a policy system for high-level science and technology talentsfoc using on the national development visions and oriented by strategic demands; to improve the support policy for the construction of the echelon of outstanding scientists to solve the problem of shortage of top talents; to strengthen the mission of national laboratories to cultivate strategic scientists to meet macro decision-making demands.