Aiming at providing more research opportunities for and contributing to the career development of researchers at different academic stages, the Research Fund for International Scientists (hereinafter referred to as the RFIS) is set up by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) to support international scientists with foreign citizenship who are ready to conduct basic research in the Chinese mainland. The RFIS is open to all research areas within the NSFC’s funding scope, which include mathematics and physics, chemistry, life sciences, earth sciences, engineering and materials sciences, information sciences, management sciences, health sciences, and interdisciplinary sciences. The RFIS will also enhance long-term, sustainable academic collaboration and exchange between Chinese and international scientists.

I. Types of Grant

The RFIS consists of three sub-types:

1. The Research Fund for International Young Scientists (RFIS-I)

2. The Research Fund for International Excellent Young Scientists (RFIS-II)

3. The Research Fund for International Senior Scientists (RFIS-III)

II. Project Duration

Projects are expected to start on January 1, 2024 and close on December 31, 2024 or on December 31, 2025.

III. Average Award Amount

For the RFIS-I, applicants can apply for up to 200,000 RMB per year (per project).

For the RFIS-II, applicants can apply for up to 400,000 RMB per year (per project).

For the RFIS-III, applicants can apply for up to 800,000 RMB per year (per project).

All the funding is direct cost.

IV. Eligibility

The RFIS is aimed at international scientists who are ready to work at Chinese host institutions. The host institution must be based in the Chinese mainland and have registered at the NSFC.

Specific requirements for each sub-type of the RFIS are as follows:

1. RFIS-I

(1) Doctoral degree obtained within the past 6 years (PhD must have been obtained after January 1, 2017);

(2) Experience of conducting basic research or postdoctoral research;

(3) Commitment of working for no less than 9 months each year (calendar year) at the host institution during the implementation of the project;

(4) Compliance with Chinese laws and the NSFC’s relevant rules and regulations while conducting research in China.

2. RFIS-II

(1) Doctoral degree completed within the past 15 years (PhD must have been obtained after January 1, 2008);

(2) Senior academic title;

(3) Experience of conducting basic research projects as Principal Investigator (PI);

(4) Commitment of working for no less than 9 months each year (calendar year) at the host institution during the implementation of the project;

(5) Compliance with Chinese laws and the NSFC’s relevant rules and regulations while conducting research in China.

3. RFIS-III

(1) Senior academic title;

(2) Outstanding academic achievements and significant international influence;

(3) Commitment of working for no less than 9 months per year (calendar year) at the host institution during the implementation of the project;

(4) Compliance with Chinese laws and the NSFC’s relevant rules and regulations while conducting research in China.

V. Additional Requirements for Eligibility

1. The applicant who has (had) a RFIS project will not be granted in the same sub-type of RFIS. The applicant can only be granted for each sub-type of the RFIS once.

2. An applicant shall only apply for one RFIS in a year.

3. The grantee of an on-going RFIS project shall not apply for a new RFIS project.

4. If the applicant has submitted an application for any of the sub-types of the RFIS, the application shall not apply for the following programs in the same year:

• Young Scientists Fund (YSF)

• Excellent Young Scientists Fund (EYSF, including EYSF for scholars in Hong Kong and Macao)

• National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (NSFDYS)

• Science Fund for Creative Research Groups (SFCRG)

• Pilot Group Program of the RFIS-III (PGP RFIS-III)

5. An applicant shall not apply for the RFIS-I if the applicant has been the PI of an on-going or completed project of the RFIS-II, the RFIS-III, the PGP RFIS-III, the YSF, the EYSF, the NSFDYS and the SFCRG.

6. An applicant shall not apply for the RFIS-II if the applicant has been the PI of an on-going or completed project of the RFIS-III, the PGP RFIS-III, the EYSF, the NSFDYS and the SFCRG.

7. An applicant shall not apply for the Research Fund for International Senior Scientists (RFIS-III) if the applicant has been the PI of an on-going or completed project of the PGP RFIS-III, the NSFDYS and the SFCRG.

8. Other restrictions on the eligibility of applicants in the National Natural Science Fund Guide to Programs 2023.

VI. Proposal Submission

There are two steps to submit proposal:

Step 1: submission by the applicants

Applicants should submit their proposals online via the NSFC’s Internet-based Science Information System (http://grants.nsfc.gov.cn/egrantweb/). The call opens from March 1 to March 20, 2023 (closes at 16:00 Beijing time). Applicants should complete the online application form in English or in Chinese following this guidance and outlines for the Fund in the application form, and submit the application form in PDF form online. No hard copies are required. (After approval, the signed and sealed page of the application form should be attached to one hard copy of the Research Plan Report and submitted to the NSFC together.)

Application path:

(1) Log onto the NSFC’s Internet-based Science Information System (http://grants.nsfc.gov.cn/egrantweb/), select “RFIS Application”, use the role of “RFIS” and click “Application and Acceptance” - “RFIS Application” in the menu bar to enter the application interface;

(2) Click “New Proposal” to enter the page of Application(s) in Preparation. Then select the science department of the applied project: “Application for Scientific Departments (A-H)” or “Application for Department of Interdisciplinary Sciences (T)” to enter the application page.

Please note that:

1. The science departments include Department of Mathematics and Physics Sciences(A), Department of Chemistry Sciences(B), Department of Life Sciences(C), Department of Earth Sciences(D), Department of Engineering and Material Sciences(E), Department of Information Sciences(F), Department of Management Sciences(G), Department of Health Sciences(H), and Department of Interdisciplinary Sciences(T).

2. When selecting the application code, please select the secondary application code (4 digits); please refer to the “National Natural Science Fund Guide to Programs 2023” for the application code.

3. When filling in the application form, please accurately fill in the “research direction” and “key words”.

4. For applicants of interdisciplinary science, please first select the division codes T01-T04, and then select at least two application codes from A-H according to the research content when filling in the application form.

5. The PI shall, in accordance with The National Natural Science Fund Guide to Programs 2023, The Regulation on the Financial Management of the NSFC-funded Projects (https://www.nsfc.gov.cn/publish/portal0/tab475/info81899.htm) and Instruction for Budget Table, carefully prepare the budget table based on the actual needs.

Attachments required:

(1) An agreement signed by the applicant and the host institution. The agreement should use the template (Appendix I. Agreement to Support the RFIS Application) and be signed by the applicant, the legal representative of the host institution with the official seal of the institution. (The seals of the scientific research management department and the second-level college are invalid). The nationality of the applicant shown on the cover of the application form must be the same as that of the applicant in the agreement.

(2) An employment contract signed between the applicant and the host institution. Applicant who has not yet signed an employment contract can submit the contact together with the research plan after funded by the NSFC.

(3) If the proposed research involves issues related to scientific research ethics and scientific and technological security (such as biosecurity, information security, etc.), the applicant shall strictly follow relevant national laws, regulations and codes of ethics, and provide corresponding materials as attachments in accordance with the requirements of relevant scientific departments (a scanned copy shall be attached to the electronic application). For specific requirements, please refer to the “Information on Application” and “Funding Scope and Instructions” in “National Natural Science Fund Guide to Programs 2023”.

Before completing the online application form, all applicants should check that they comply with the eligibility requirements and ensure all necessary information is presented in the application. These requirements are strictly adhered to and applications without any of the necessary information mentioned in this guide will be rejected.

Step 2: submission by the host institution

The host institution should ensure the application complies with the provisions of the NSFC’s Regulations on Host Institutions Management. It should be responsible for the authenticity, completeness and compliance of the proposals and should submit the application documents in time to the NSFC:

1. All proposals and supplementary documents should be submitted to the NSFC before the deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.

2. The host institution should verify each item of the electronic application package via the NSFC’s Internet-based Science Information System.

3. The host institution should provide a list of all the applications when submitting the applications to the the NSFC’s Internet-based Science Information System. Incomplete documents will not be accepted.

4. The host institution is required to upload the annual Letter of Commitment for Research Integrity of a Host Institution for National Natural Science Fund Projects 2023 before submitting the project application. (Please refer to the Notice on Application and Conclusion of National Natural Science Fund Projects in 2023.)

Contacts

Ms. Zhang Tingting, Ms. Shen Wei, Ms. Sun Shuna

Email: fis@nsfc.gov.cn

Phone: +86-10-62325793/ 62328949/ 62327001

Fax: +86-10-62327004

Information System Technical Support (Information Center):

+86-10-62317474

Bureau of International Cooperation,

National Natural Science Foundation of China