Apply for Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas) via China CDC (CAPE)

To further strengthen the national science and technology talent workforce and attract more outstanding young scientists from overseas to return or relocate to China, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine) — hereinafter referred to as “China CDC (CAPE)” — sincerely invites qualified individuals to apply for the 2026 Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas) under the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

1. Program Orientation

The Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas) is designed to attract and support outstanding young scholars who have achieved significant accomplishments in natural sciences and engineering disciplines while working abroad — including non-ethnic Chinese foreign nationals. The program encourages these talents to return or come to China for full-time work, where they may independently choose their research direction and carry out innovative research. The Fund aims to foster the rapid development of young scientific and technological talent, cultivate a new generation of promising academic leaders with the potential to stand at the forefront of global scientific research, and contribute to the national goal of building China into a world leader in science and technology.

2. Eligibility

The following conditions are based on the 2025 Guidelines for the National Natural Science Foundation of China Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas). Specific requirements shall be subject to the official 2026 program guidelines issued by the NSFC.

(I) Applicants to the Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas) must meet the following conditions:

1. Compliance and Ethics: Abide by the laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China; possess good scientific integrity; and consciously practice the ethos of scientists in the new era.
2. Age Requirement: Date of birth on or after January 1, 1986 (inclusive).
3. Academic Qualification: Hold a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent).
4. Research Field: The primary research focus should be in the natural sciences or engineering, including but not limited to pathogenic microbiology, immunology, cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, epidemiology and health statistics, nutrition and food hygiene, occupational health and environmental health, toxicology, radiological medicine, public health laboratory science, social medicine and health service management, vaccinology, bioinformatics, biostatistics, structural biology, omics, artificial intelligence, and database technology and big data management.
5. Overseas Work Experience: From the date of obtaining the doctoral degree to April 15, 2026, applicants should generally have held a formal teaching or research position for at least 36 consecutive months at a well-recognized overseas university, research institution, or corporate R&D organization. For those who obtained their doctoral degree overseas and have particularly outstanding achievements, the length-of-service requirement may be appropriately relaxed (this does not apply to degrees obtained through joint China–foreign training programs).

For applicants who, during their overseas employment, concurrently held a paid position within China, the time served in the domestic paid position shall not be counted toward the required period of overseas work experience.

6. Academic Achievements and Potential: Have research or technological achievements recognized by peers and demonstrate the potential to become an academic leader or distinguished expert in the field.
7. Employment Status: The applicant has not yet taken up full-time employment in China, or has returned (relocated) to China for full-time work on or after January 1, 2025. Upon receipt of the funding notification, the awardee must resign from any overseas employment and work full-time in China for no less than three years.

(II) Restrictions

Applicants shall comply with the relevant requirements on the overall coordination and alignment of national science and technology talent programs. At the same tier, only one program may be undertaken, and reverse-tier applications are not permitted.

3. Institutional Overview

The predecessor of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) was the Chinese Preventive Medicine Center, which in 1986 was renamed the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. It achieved substantial outcomes in scientific research and innovation, education and training, disease surveillance, policy advocacy, and international cooperation, and won over 60 National Science and Technology Awards. These efforts effectively addressed, at the time, key gaps in China’s public health system, including insufficient capacity for research and policy studies and a shortage of highly qualified preventive medicine professionals. In 2002, the institution was restructured and established as the China CDC, resolutely implementing the major public health decisions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. It has consistently upheld the principle of “prevention first” and embraced the development philosophy that “world-class research drives world-class disease control, and world-class disease control supports world-class research.” Leveraging high-level applied research, it has strengthened its technological capabilities, institutional capacity, and talent reserves, and has played a pivotal role in providing technical leadership, expert guidance, and decision-making support in the prevention and control of major infectious diseases and in responses to public health emergencies. In 2022, with the approval of the State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform, China CDC was reauthorized to concurrently bear the name “Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine (CAPE)” thereby further enhancing its capacity for scientific research support and technical assurance.

China CDC (CAPE) currently has ten second-level directly affiliated units: the National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention; the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention; the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases (National Center for Tropical Diseases Research); the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention; the National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention; the National Institute for Nutrition and Health; the National Institute for Environmental Health and Related Product Safety; the National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control; the National Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety Medicine (National Medical Emergency Response Center for Nuclear Accidents); and the National Center for Rural Water Improvement Technical Guidance. Over time, the institution has had 15 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering; 14 national-level selectees under the New Century “Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand Talents Project”; a cumulative total of 265 recipients of the State Council Special Government Allowance; 64 individuals recognized as Young and Middle-aged Experts with Outstanding Contributions; and 13 awardees of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. China CDC (CAPE) has distinctive strengths and advantages in pathogen biology and communicable disease prevention and control; epidemiology and health big data; nutrition, environmental, occupational, and radiological health; and public health security and emergency management. To date, it has undertaken nearly 3,000 approved research projects and received more than 210 awards, among which Academician Hou Yunde was honored with the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award. It hosts two State Key Laboratories, one Belt and Road Joint Laboratory, and two national science and technology resource-sharing service platforms, and is equipped with over 300 sets of large-scale instruments and equipment, as well as advanced research facilities including biosafety laboratories, an experimental animal center, and a cryo-electron microscopy facility.

4. Support Measures

(I) Awardees will take up employment at China CDC (CAPE) and be appointed at the rank of Research Fellow or Associate Research Fellow, with additional benefits under a dedicated talent support package, including a corresponding talent allowance and transitional housing.

(II) Awardees will directly serve as discipline leads and be appointed as doctoral supervisors. They will receive ample start-up research funding (supported by both China CDC (CAPE) and national sources); be granted priority access to high-level research instruments and equipment at China CDC (CAPE)—such as the cryo-electron microscope; and have shared access to existing cohorts and surveillance network data. Each awardee will be allocated an annual admission quota for three graduate students.

(III) Awardees will receive support from a research team comprising no fewer than four researchers at China CDC (CAPE), and may further staff their teams by recruiting additional research personnel and postdoctoral fellows, thereby establishing a fully fledged research team structure.

5. Contact Us

Interested applicants intending to apply via China CDC (CAPE) should send their curriculum vitae to kejichu@chinacdc.cn by March 13, 2026 (Friday). Please use the email subject line: “Full Name + Application for the Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas)”. Attachments may include proof of identity, documentation of research achievements, and other supporting materials. We will contact you promptly to provide comprehensive information on the application and advisory support.