National Natural Science Foundation of China/RGC Young Research Scheme
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Open for application now! Please refer to call circular.
IMPORTANT DATES
What Is It?

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)/Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong Young Research Scheme (YRS) aims to provide enhanced support for young researchers in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland so as to nurture junior academics in their early career stage. It will initially operate on a three-year pilot basis.

What Makes It Special?

The NSFC/RGC YRS supports research proposals jointly submitted by the young researchers in the Chinese Mainland and the Hong Kong. The six focus areas include Information Technology, Life Science, New Materials Science, Marine and Environmental Science, Medicine, and Management Science.

The scheme aims to support research projects with duration of four years. For Hong Kong applicants, the grants sought for each project should not exceed HK$800,000 (exclusive of on-costs). Around ten projects will be supported.

Who Is Eligible?

Each Chinese Mainland or Hong Kong applicant is only allowed to submit one application in the capacity of the Principal Investigator (PI) under NSFC/RGC Joint Research Scheme (JRS) or NSFC/RGC YRS or the Project Coordinator (PC) under NSFC/RGC Collaborative Research Scheme (CRS) in the same funding exercise.

The Hong Kong PI should meet ALL the following requirements -

  • having a full-time1 appointment in the university proper2;
  • at the closing date of the application, not exceeding three years of his/her full-time academic job as an Associate Professor or career equivalent (including those at a lower rank)3, involving teaching and research duties and in substantiation track / tenure track position in any university (local or overseas),or not exceeding 12 years of post-doctoral or equivalent terminal qualifications in the relevant fields experience, whichever is shorter;
  • being in Staff Grades from “C” to “I”4as defined in the Common Data Collection Format (i.e. from “Senior Lecturer “ to “Assistant Lecturer”);
  • being primarily engaged in and spending at least 80% of time in degree or higher degree work5at the university proper; and
  • salary being wholly funded6by the university proper.

Unlike NSFC/RGC JRS and NSFC/RGC CRS, visiting scholar is not eligible for NSFC/RGC YRS. They may participate in the project team as Co-I.

A Hong Kong PI of an on-going NSFC/RGC JRS research project or a Hong Kong PC of an on-going NSFC/RGC CRS project is not allowed to submit a new application in the capacity of PI in the current NSFC/RGC YRS exercise unless both collaborative partners have submitted their completion reports of the project to the NSFC and the RGC before the application deadline.  Nevertheless, he / she could participate in a new NSFC/RGC YRS proposal if not in the capacity as a PI.  Moreover, applicants should refer to the relevant requirements of the NSFC and ensure their eligibility as Hong Kong PI will be accepted by the NSFC.

Chinese Mainland applicants should check with the NSFC for their eligibility requirements.

Researchers outside Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland may participate as members of the Hong Kong or the Chinese Mainland research team.

1
Part-time staff members and staff members holding honorary appointments are excluded.
2
Schools/arms of continuing education and professional training and other analogous outfits are excluded.
3
For avoidance of doubt, an academic staff at or below the rank of Associate Professor or career equivalent may apply, subject to his/her satisfaction of the eligibility criteria.
4
Polytechnic staff grades are excluded.
5
A PI who is/will be seconded to work full-time or part-time at the two Innovation and Technology (I&T) clusters (Health@InnoHK and AIR@InnoHK) at the Hong Kong Science Park, or to conduct research in a university or a research institute / body / agency in the Chinese Mainland / overseas jurisdiction, is eligible.
6
Staff members who are receiving income from paid appointments outside the university proper or who is supported by external research grants are excluded.
Assessment Criteria

The main factors for consideration are (i) the scientific merits and innovation of the proposal; (ii) the opportunities for effective synergism among the participating researchers, research groups and universities and the extent to which existing strengths of the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong may complement each other; and (iii) the long-term goal of the proposal and its impacts to the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong.

Balance of different disciplines may be taken into consideration when the scientific aspects of two proposals are considered being equal.

Application Procedures

Parallel submissions of both applications by the Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland applicants before the respective deadlines are required. Hong Kong applicants are reminded to check with their universities for internal closing dates. Chinese Mainland applications are to be submitted to the Office for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the NSFC. Detailed information regarding application procedures of the NSFC is available at https://www.nsfc.gov.cn. Hong Kong applications should be submitted to the RGC through the Research Offices of the respective universities by 4:00 pm of 27 February 2026. Hong Kong applicants are also required to submit to the RGC two hard copies and a soft copy of the proposals submitted by their Chinese Mainland partners to the NSFC by the same deadline.

To view the call circular, please click here.
To download the application form, please click here.

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