This article briefly discusses what should be encouraged for the scientific ability of scholars and researchers (S&R) and what should be focused in scientific evaluation. It is believed that several core competencies that should be encouraged include learning, research, scientific writing, innovation and translational application. Scientific evaluation should focus on several “hard indicators”: academic leadership, independence, guidance, diversity, cooperation and innovation. As to how to become an excellent cardiovascular S&R, one should improve scientific abilities, which include innovation and publishing academic papers in one of “345” (Cell, Nature or Nature Medicine, and Science; BMJ, JAMA, NEJM, and The Lancet; Circulation, Circulation Research, European Heart Journal, JACC, and Nature Review Cardiology) international top journals as the first, single, or independent author. And it is time to develop a new scoring system based on these indicators for better and more reasonably evaluating one’s scientific performance.