Building a new development pattern and achieving self-reliance in science and technology require that China's technological innovation needs to make breakthroughs in key core technological fields, which puts forward new requirements for China’s incentive mechanism for high-tech talents. This study, by examining the problems existed in the talent incentive mechanisms of colleges and universities and institutions of scientific research, puts forward proposals for building a talent incentive system. The study argues that problems in the talent incentive mechanisms of China's universities and institutions of scientific research are mainly reflected in the following four aspects, i.e. problems of unreasonable reward systems, lack of environment to stimulate the intrinsic motivation of researchers, outstanding problems in the scientific research evaluation system, and problems of the current financial system unconducive to the motivation of high-level innovative talents. To stimulate creativity of researchers, the study suggests that a relaxed research environment be created, a reasonable scientific and technological evaluation system be established, and the current reward mechanism and the promotion system of researchers be improved, so as to establish a more scientific and reasonable talent incentive system.