The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas), often called Haiyou in Chinese, supports accomplished early-career researchers overseas, including foreign nationals, who wish to return or move to China to conduct independent innovative research. This page summarizes the official guide published on 30 March 2026, covering the research grant, eligibility, overseas employment, host-institution requirements and the application procedure. The host-institution submission deadline of 15 June 2026 has passed.
1. Program scope and research funding
The program focuses on overseas early-career scholars with a strong record in natural sciences, engineering and related fields. It encourages them to return or move to China, choose their own research directions and undertake innovative research, developing into academic leaders at the frontiers of science and technology.
The official 2026 guide specifies funding of RMB 1–3 million for a period of 3 years. This is research-project funding, not a promise of an equivalent personal cash award. Salary, housing and any additional institutional or local support should be discussed separately with the host institution; the linked guide does not set a uniform nationwide package for those benefits.
2. Basic eligibility and the birth-date threshold
Applicants must comply with the laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China, uphold research ethics and the scientific spirit, hold a doctoral degree, and work primarily in natural sciences, engineering or related fields.
For the 2026 round, applicants must have been born on or after 1 January 1986, including that date. This is a fixed date in the official guide, not a rolling age test based on the day of an inquiry.
Applicants should have research or technical achievements recognized by peers and demonstrate the potential to become an academic leader or outstanding talent in their field. The program includes foreign nationals, including people of non-Chinese ethnicity.
3. Overseas work experience and two important exclusions
Between obtaining the PhD and 15 June 2026, applicants should generally have held a formal teaching or research position at a well-established overseas university, research institution, corporate R&D institution or similar organization, with at least 36 consecutive months of work experience. The relevant experience is post-PhD employment, not time spent studying for the doctorate.
The overseas work-duration requirement may be relaxed for applicants who obtained a PhD overseas and have particularly outstanding achievements. This exception does not apply to overseas doctorates obtained through Sino-foreign joint training.
If an applicant held a paid position in China while working overseas, the period of that concurrent paid position in China does not count toward the overseas work requirement. Employment dates, concurrent appointments and remuneration arrangements should therefore be presented accurately to the host institution.
4. Return-to-China window and full-time commitment
For the 2026 round, an applicant must either not yet have returned or moved to China, or have returned or moved to China for work after 1 January 2025. The official guide uses this calendar-date requirement; it should not be replaced with a general statement such as 'within the past year'.
After receiving a funding notification, the applicant must resign from the overseas job and work full-time in China for at least 3 years. This commitment is distinct from the requirement to sign an employment contract or agreement of intent with a host institution when preparing the application.
5. Restrictions on overlapping talent-program applications
The guide applies the coordination requirements for national science and technology talent programs: an individual may undertake only one program at the same level, apply for only one such program in the same application year, and may not apply to a lower-level program contrary to those rules.
Applicants should disclose current and previous national talent-program participation and applications to the host institution so it can check the applicable restrictions before submission.
6. Host institutions, the application process and the 2026 timetable
A host institution already registered with NSFC can enter the system and supply the required institutional information. An institution not yet registered must first apply for registration in the system and receive approval. The institutional system opened when the guide was published on 30 March 2026.
Eligible applicants were instructed to sign an employment contract or agreement of intent with the host institution and complete the online application after 10 April 2026. The host institution had to submit its electronic applications and attachments to NSFC by 15 June 2026. That deadline has now passed; an institution's internal review deadline may have been earlier.
- Agree on the host institution and sign an employment contract or agreement of intent.
- Complete the application online in simplified Chinese or English, following the form instructions and writing outline, and upload the required attachments.
- Submit the electronic application, attachments and impartiality undertaking to the host institution through the paperless process.
- The host institution reviews the materials for truthfulness, completeness and compliance, confirms each required item in the system, signs its undertaking and submits the application to NSFC.
7. Application materials and accuracy requirements
The official guide requires the online application, attachments and relevant undertakings, prepared according to the application's instructions and outline. It does not publish a separate exhaustive list of every supporting certificate on this notice page. Use the application system and the host institution's requirements to determine the exact attachments.
Applicants are responsible for the truthfulness of their submitted materials and must commit to the accuracy of their application information. Applicants and employers should provide complete and accurate identity-document or passport details and detailed work histories. The host institution must review the truthfulness, completeness and compliance of the application.
When preparing for discussions with a host institution, organize the PhD award date, overseas appointments and their dates, any concurrent paid positions in China, the return or arrival date, and representative research achievements. These are practical preparation topics drawn from the eligibility requirements, not an additional official mandatory document list.
8. Official system, contacts and preparation after the deadline
The application and institutional systems are available at https://grants.nsfc.gov.cn/. Institutions should select the entry labelled '优秀青年科学基金项目（海外）依托单位系统'. The official notice lists program contacts at +86-10-62328046, +86-10-62325932 and +86-10-62326547, and information-system technical support at +86-10-62317474.
The 2026 round is closed. Researchers can still organize their existing CV, research interests, representative achievements and preferred host institutions for future discussions. Eligibility dates and application windows for a later round need to be checked against its own notice rather than calculated by moving the 2026 dates forward.
Kebo Kehui can assist with an initial review of research background and preparation priorities. Formal application review and submission are handled by the NSFC-registered host institution through the official system.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 2026 application round still open?
No. The official guide required host institutions to submit electronic applications and attachments by 15 June 2026. That deadline has passed. You can prepare your research profile and discuss potential hosts, but a future round's dates and eligibility must be checked in its own notice.
What is the age requirement? Does a birthday on 1 January 1986 qualify?
The 2026 guide requires a birth date on or after 1 January 1986, expressly including that date. Use this fixed threshold, not a general 'under 40 today' rule. Applicants must also satisfy the other eligibility requirements.
Can foreign nationals apply?
Yes. The program includes overseas scholars of foreign nationality, including people of non-Chinese ethnicity. The doctoral degree, research field, overseas experience, return-to-China and other conditions still apply.
How is the 36-month overseas experience requirement calculated?
For the 2026 round, applicants should generally have held a formal teaching or research position overseas for at least 36 consecutive months after obtaining the PhD and by 15 June 2026. Relevant institutions include well-established universities, research institutions and corporate R&D institutions. The guide's exceptions and exclusions must also be considered.
Can the overseas work-duration requirement be relaxed?
The guide allows appropriate relaxation for applicants who earned a PhD overseas and have particularly outstanding achievements. This exception does not apply to overseas PhDs obtained through Sino-foreign joint training. The host institution should assess the applicant's circumstances against the official requirements.
Does time holding a paid position in China count as overseas work?
If an applicant held a paid position in China while working overseas, the period of that concurrent paid position in China is excluded from the overseas work-duration calculation. Provide the host institution with accurate dates and information about overlapping appointments.
Can someone who has already returned or moved to China apply?
Under the 2026 guide, an applicant must not yet have returned or moved to China, or must have returned or moved to China for work after 1 January 2025. This is a fixed date, not a rolling one-year window. The 2026 submission deadline has already passed.
What work commitment is required after a funding notification?
The applicant must resign from the overseas job and return or move to China to work full-time for at least 3 years after receiving a funding notification. Before applying, the applicant and host institution need to sign an employment contract or agreement of intent.
Is RMB 1–3 million a personal award, and how long does the grant last?
The official guide specifies research-project funding of RMB 1–3 million over 3 years. It is not a promise of the same amount as unrestricted personal cash. Salary, housing and any additional local or institutional benefits are separate matters to confirm with the host institution.
Can I apply directly or apply to another talent program at the same level?
The applicant completes the electronic application through a host institution registered with NSFC, after signing an employment contract or agreement of intent; the host reviews and submits it to NSFC. Under the coordination rules, an individual may undertake only one national science and technology talent program at the same level, apply for only one such program in the same application year, and may not apply to a lower-level program contrary to those rules.
Source: NSFC 2026 Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas) guide. Published: 2026.03.30; Last verified: 2026.09.20. Talent policies may change by year, region and submitting organization. This English overview is for general information and does not replace the latest official notice or an eligibility decision by the relevant authority or host institution.
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