The Research Fund for International Scientists (hereinafter referred to as the RFIS) supports international scientists who are ready to come to China’s mainland and conduct basic research in areas within the funding scope of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), which includes mathematics and physics sciences, chemistry sciences, life sciences, earth sciences, material sciences, engineering, information sciences, management sciences, and health sciences. The aim of the RFIS is to contribute to the long-term, sustainable academic collaboration and exchanges 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, 2022 and close on December 31, 2022 or on December 31, 2023.
III. Average Award Amount
For the RFIS-I, applicants can request up to 200,000 RMB per year(per project) .
For the RFIS-II, applicants can request up to 400,000 RMB per year(per project) .
For the RFIS-III, applicants can request up to 800,000 RMB per year(per project) .
All the funding is direct cost.
IV. Eligibility
The RFIS is aimed at international scientists with foreign citizenship who are ready to work at Chinese host institution. The host institution must be based in China’s mainland and have registered at 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, 2015);
(2) Experience of conducting basic research or postdoctoral research;
(3) Commitment of working for no less than 9 months each year at the host institution during the implementation of the project;
(4) Compliance with Chinese laws and 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, 2006);
(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 at the host institution during the implementation of the project;
(5) Compliance with Chinese laws and 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 at the host institution during the implementation of the project;
(4) Compliance with Chinese laws and NSFC’s relevant rules and regulations while conducting research in China.
V. Additional Criteria for Eligibility
1. The applicants can be granted an RFIS a maximum of once per RFIS sub-type.
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:
the Young Scientists Fund (YSF)
the Excellent Young Scientists Fund (EYSF, including EYSF for scholars in Hong Kong and Macao and EYSF for overseas scholars)
the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (NSFDYS)
the Science Fund for Creative Research Groups (SFCRG)
5. An applicant shall not apply for the RFIS-I if the applicant has been the Principle Investigator of an on-going or completed project of the RFIS-II, the 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 Principle Investigator of an on-going or completed project of the 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 Principle Investigator of an on-going or completed project of the NSFDYS and the SFCRG.
VI. There are Two Steps for Submitting the Proposal:
Step 1: submission by the applicants
Proposals can only be submitted online via NSFC’s Information System from May 24 to June 30, 2021 (due by 16:00 Beijing time). Applicants should complete 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.
Applicant should also submit an e-copy of the agreement signed by the applicant and the host institution as a supplementary document of the application form. The agreement should include but not be limited to the following items:
1. The subsistence cost provided by the host institution which covers the funding period;
2. Specification of the working time of the applicant at the host institution during the funding period;
The agreement should be signed and stamped by the host institution, and the applicant’s signature is required.
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 all the necessary information will be rejected.
Step 2: submission by the host institution
The host institution should ensure the application complies with the provisions of NSFC’s Regulations on Host Institutions Management. It should be responsible for the authenticity, completeness and compliance of the proposals and submit the application documents in time to NSFC:
1. All proposals and supplementary documents should be submitted to NSFC before the deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.
2. The host institution should verify each item of the electronic application package via 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 Internet-based Science Information System. Incomplete documents will not be accepted.
VII. Contacts
Mr. Qu Haibo, Ms. Zhang Lin
Division of Planning
Bureau of International Cooperation
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Email: fis@nsfc.gov.cn
Phone: +86-10-62325793/6943/7219/7001
Fax: +86-10-62327004
