2026 NSFC International Collaboration Program for European Early-Career Researchers

2026 NSFC International Collaboration Program for European Early-Career Researchers
2026年度国家自然科学基金欧洲青年科研人员来华交流项目

March 26, 2026

The Official Announcement in Chinese

Sponsor:

National Nature Science Foundation of China (NSFC)

About:

Effective 2026, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) launched the International Collaboration Program for European Early-Career Researchers. The program enables PIs of ongoing NSFC projects to invite European researchers to China for academic exchange.

Funding Scope:

The program supports collaborative activities including academic exchanges, conferences, and lectures. It also funds the delivery of summer school courses at host institutions and collaborative research conducted via China’s major national science and technology infrastructures and platforms.

Funding Amount, Period, and requirement:

• The direct cost of the award shall not exceed RMB 300,000 per project.
• The funding period is two years, from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2028.
• The European applicant must spend a cumulative total of at least 30 days per year in China for academic exchange during the project implementation period.

Eligibility:

This program adopts a Dual-PI application system without additional project participants.

• Chinese Applicant (Host PI):
  • Must be the Principal Investigator of an ongoing NSFC project with a duration of three years or more (excluding International/Regional Cooperation and Exchange projects).
• European Applicant:
  • Must hold citizenship of a European country.
  • Must be aged 45 or under (as of January 1, 2026).
  • Must hold a Ph.D. and maintain a formal position in basic or applied basic research at a European university or research institution.
  • Must demonstrate complementary research expertise with the Chinese applicant.
  • Must not be employed full-time by any institution within mainland China at the time of application.
• Limitations on Application：
  • Both Chinese and European applicants are restricted to one "International Collaboration Program for European Early-Career Researchers" project, including both active and newly applied-for projects.
  • This program is exempt from the total number of concurrent applications and active projects normally stipulated by NSFC.
  • Applicants must adhere to all other application quantity restrictions specified in the 2026 NSFC Guide to Programs.

Please refer to the official announcement for more details.

Important Dates: