2026 MOST National Key R&D Plan "Inter-governmental International Science & Technology Innovation Cooperation" Joint R&D Project (Round Two)

2026 MOST National Key R&D Plan "Inter-governmental International Science & Technology Innovation Cooperation" Joint R&D Project (Round Two)
国家重点研发计划“政府间国际科技创新合作”重点专项2026年度第二批联合研发项目

May 4, 2026

The Official Announcement in Chinese

Sponsor:

Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)

About:

The 2026 MOST National Key R&D Plan "Inter-governmental International Science & Technology Innovation Cooperation" Joint R&D Project is now open for application.

Please refer to the Official Announcement in Chinese for more details.

Funding Information:

There are 16 research directions that will allow researchers to collaborate with 12 countries. MOST aims to support 176 research projects with a total funding amount of about 41 million RMB.

Research Directions/Topics:

China-New Zealand joint research

• Focus Areas: (1) Health and bio-medical areas (2) environmental science.
• Expected Funded Projects: up to 6 (2 in health and bio-medical, 4 in environmental science)
• Total Funding: 10.8 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

China–European countries joint laboratory

• Focus Areas: (1) Environment (including climate change and carbon neutrality (2) Health (3) Agriculture, food, and biotechnology (4) Basic sciences (5) Cultural heritage (6) Aerospace (7) Artificial intelligence (8) Advanced materials (9) Information and communication technology (10) Ocean and maritime technology (11) Smart cities (12) Production technologies (including intelligent manufacturing) (13) Clean technologies (including new energy, renewable energy, and energy conservation & emissions reduction)
• This project is to support joint laboratories that were established before January 1, 2025.
• Expected Funded Projects: 15
• Total Funding: 30 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

China–Netherlands joint R&D project

• Focus Areas:
  (1) Focus on next-generation battery technologies:

  • Development of materials and large-scale production technologies;
  • Design and development of next-generation battery cells;
  • Manufacturing equipment and processing technologies for next-generation battery materials and cells.
  • Recycled plastics;
  • Bio-based materials;
  • Carbon capture and utilization.

  (2) Joint development of circular chemistry and materials:

• Expected Funded Projects: 6
• Total Funding: 9.6 million
• Funding Period: 2 years or 3 years

China–Arab countries joint laboratory

• Focus Areas: (1) Life and health (2) Artificial intelligence (3) Green and low-carbon development (4) Modern agriculture (5) Geospatial information
• Expected Funded Projects: 5
• Total Funding: 10 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

China–African countries joint laboratory

• Focus Areas: unlimited
• Expected Funded Projects: 10
• Total Funding: 20 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

China–Bulgaria joint R&D projects

• Focus Areas: (1) Sustainable agriculture, food, and biotechnology (2) Information and communication technology (3) Health and biomedicine
• Expected Funded Projects: 3
• Total Funding: 4.5 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

China–Croatia joint R&D projects

• Focus Areas: (1) AI (2) Green transition (3) Digital economy (4) Life and health
• Expected Funded Projects: 5
• Total Funding: 7.5 million in total
• Funding Period: 2 years

China–Hungary joint laboratory

• Focus Areas: (1) Agriculture and food (2) Life and health (3) Energy transition (including renewable energy) (4) DigitalizationExpected
• Funded Projects: 8
• Total Funding: 16 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

Please refer to the Application Guidelines for more details about each research direction/topic.

China–Belarus joint R&D projects

• Focus Areas: (1) Digital economy and artificial intelligence (2) Industrial innovation technologies (3) Biotechnology and medical technologies (4) Modern agricultural technologies and food technologies
• Expected Funded Projects: 30
• Total Funding: 60 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

China–Belarus flagship projects for industry-academia-research collaboration projects

• Focus Areas: (1) Intelligentization of heavy machinery and transportation equipment (2) Preparation and application of high-performance advanced materials (3) Advanced lasers and laser manufacturing technologies (4) Industrial internet and smart factories (5) Smart agriculture and food technologies (6) Biopharmaceuticals and high-end medical devices (7) New energy technologies and system integration (8) Energy conservation, environmental protection, and circular economy (9) Advanced spacecraft design and applications
• Expected Funded Projects: 10
• Total Funding: 50 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

China–BRICS Countries Flagship program

• Focus Areas: (1) Digital Earth (2) Research on psychomolecular tools for mental health assessment based on behavioral and blood metabolomic data (3) BRICS intelligent telescopes and data network
• Expected Funded Projects: 3
• Total Funding: 30 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

China–BRICS Countries Collaboration program

• Focus Areas: (1) High-performance computing and artificial intelligence (2) Health, biotechnology, and biomedicine (3) Agriculture, fisheries, and food
• Expected Funded Projects: 9
• Total Funding: 18 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

China–Korea Joint research program

• Focus Areas: Biotechnology; Information and communication technology; Renewable energy; Medical and health sciences; Aerospace; Climate change
• Expected Funded Projects: 12
• Total Funding: 12 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

China–Korea Large-scale industry–academia–research joint research projects

• Focus Areas: Biotechnology; Information and communication technology
• Expected Funded Projects: 2
• Total Funding: 18 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

China–Korea Joint research projects on energy technologies

• Focus Areas: Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS); Power grid
• Expected Funded Projects: 2
• Total Funding: 15 million in total
• Funding Period: 3 years

Application Process:

1. All applicants need to apply via MOST’s online system.
2. The application portal will open at 8:00 AM on May 7, 2026.

Application Eligibility:

1. The applicant must have a senior professional title or a doctoral degree, and be born on or after January 1, 1966.
2. Both lead PIs and sub-project PIs should commit to working at least SIX months per year on the proposed project.
3. Each applicant can only apply for ONE project.
4. The lead PI (PIs of sub-projects are excluded) of an ongoing National Key R&D Plan, and National Science & Technology Major Program (including the Science & Technology Innovation 2030 – Major program), CANNOT lead or participate in the application. PIs of sub-projects can participate in the application. The "Inter-governmental International Cooperation" projects and the cooperation projects with HK, Macau and Taiwan with a funding less than 4 million RMB are excluded.
5. Foreign scientists (non-Chinese citizens) and scientists from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan regions can be PIs of the project; if they are full-time employed by the host institution, they need to submit valid labor contracts. If they are part-time employed, applicants should provide valid labor contracts with two employers. The labor contract should be submitted as part of the application materials.
6. Once the project is funded, the host institution and the PI cannot be changed.
7. The lead PI must sign a cooperation agreement with the foreign partner for the project application.
8. Foreign project leaders shall NOT collaborate with multiple Chinese institutions to submit applications on the same research direction and technical route. The total number of projects they can apply for or participate in an ongoing project as foreign project leaders shall not exceed TWO. Those who have already been employed by a Chinese institution and are participating in ongoing projects (or sub-projects) under the national key R&D plan or the Science and Technology Innovation 2030-Major Project CANNOT apply as the foreign partners in this project.

Please refer to the official announcement for further requirements. 

Important Dates: