National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) are calling for proposals for Exchange and Bilateral Seminar Projects based on scientific research.

You could visit their official website for more information: 2025年度国家自然科学基金委员会于日本学术振兴会合作交流与双边研讨会项目指南.

Budget Total: No more than RMB 200,000/proposal from NSFC.

Priority Areas: Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, Engineering and Materials Sciences, Information Sciences, Management Sciences, and Medical Sciences. 数理科学、化学科学、生命科学、地球科学、工程与材料科学、信息科学、管理科学和医学科学。

What to fund:

1. For exchange programs: international travel expenses for Chinese researchers visiting Japan (economy class airfare) and accommodation, meals, and intercity transportation costs during their stay in Japan.
2. For joint seminars held in China, NSFC funds the conference fees required by the Chinese side, as well as accommodation, meals, and intercity transportation costs for participants from both China and Japan.
3. For joint seminars overseas, NSFC funds the international travel expenses for Chinese participants.
4. Total 24 projects, plan to fund around 20 exchange projects, and approximately 4 projects for seminars held in China or abroad (academic joint seminars).

Project Period:

1. The implementation period for collaboration and exchange projects is 2 years and 9 months. The research duration in the application should be filled out as from April 1, 2025, to December 31, 2027.
2. The implementation period for academic seminar projects is 1 week. The research duration in the application should be filled out as from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

Eligibility:

1. For exchange programs: Chinese applicants must be the PI or a participant for an active National Natural Science Foundation project with the project end date no later than December 31^st, 2026; such an active project should be at least three years and should be research projects. The active NSFC project should be the base for this collaboration/exchange proposal, and the collaboration and exchange should closely relate with the research of the base active project.
2. For seminar programs: Chinese applicants must be the PI or a key participant of an ongoing National Natural Science Foundation project (excluding collaboration and exchange projects) that concludes on or after December 31, 2024, with a duration of at least three years.
3. Chinese and Japanese applicants need to submit project applications to NSFC and JSPS, respectively. Applications submitted by only one side will not be accepted.

Quota Requirements:

1. This project falls under the category of international (regional) cooperation and exchange projects and is not subject to the restriction that limits senior professional technical staff to a total of two active projects.
2. It is not subject to the restriction that “an applicant can only apply for one project of the same type in the same year.”
3. As an applicant and as the project leader, the total limit for NSFC-JSPS (China-Japan) collaboration and exchange projects is one.
4. Other quota requirements listed in <2024 NSFC Guidelines>

Application Process:

1. Apply online through https://grants.nsfc.gov.cn. Detailed steps, please refer to: 2025年度国家自然科学基金委员会于日本学术振兴会合作交流与双边研讨会项目指南.
2. Prepare the budget.
3. Prepare the application form. More details, please refer to: 2025年度国家自然科学基金委员会于日本学术振兴会合作交流与双边研讨会项目指南.
   • For exchange programs, applicants must submit an Exchange Program Agreement (template available in Attachment 1).
   • For joint seminar programs, applicants must submit the English application form (template available in Attachment 2) as an appendix to the Chinese application form via the Science Fund Network Information System.

Language: Chinese and English.

Internal Deadline: 4:00 pm, Monday, September 26, 2024

If you are interested in applying for this funding opportunity, please submit your proposals via NSFC system by the internal deadline.

See attachment 1

See attachment 2