01 Program Overview

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Excellent Young Scientists Fund Program (Overseas) aims to attract and encourage outstanding young scholars from abroad, including non-Chinese foreign talents, who have achieved notable success in natural sciences, engineering or related fields, to work in China. The program supports them in independently selecting research directions and conducting innovative research. It is designed to accelerate the growth of young scientific talents and cultivate a cohort of prominent academic leaders at the forefront of international science and technology, thus contributing to the development of a technologically advanced nation.

02 Application Requirements

1. Comply with the laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China, uphold sound scientific ethics, and conscientiously practice the spirit of scientists in the new era;
2. Born on or after January 1, 1986;
3. Research areas primarily encompass natural sciences, engineering and technology, etc.;
4. From the date of obtaining the doctoral degree until April 2026 (the exact date shall be subject to the Project Guidelines for that year), should generally has obtained a formal teaching or research position in overseas well-known university, research institution, enterprise R&D institution and etc., and has continuous work experience of more than 36 months; for those that obtained a doctoral degree overseas and have outstanding achievements, the work experience requirement can be appropriately relaxed;
5. For the applicants who simultaneously hold a paid position in China during the period of working overseas, the work experience of the paid position in China is not counted as overseas work experience.
6. Has achieved research or technological results recognized by peer experts, and has the potential to become an academic leader or outstanding talent in the field;
7. The applicant has not yet returned to China for full-time work, or returned to China for full-time work after January 1, 2025. After receiving the funding notification, the applicant must resign from the overseas employment or has no overseas employment, and work full-time in China for at least 3 years.

The above are based upon the 2025 project guidelines, and the formal application conditions and requirements for 2026 are subject to the 2026 project guidelines released by NSFC.

03 WHAT WE OFFER

1. Excellent compensation package: competitive salary + research performance bonus;
2. Adequate research start-up funding: ￥1-3 million CNY of national funding, with the university providing at least a 1:1 matching grant;
3. Excellent scientific research environment and platforms: independent office and laboratory space, supporting facilities, shared experimental platform, and research support service are provided based on working requirements. Priority support is provided in talent recruitment, team building and PhD student admissions. Opportunities to apply for various talent programs.
4. Thorough career development platform: Public Institution Establishment, Tenure-track Associate Professor, the qualification of doctoral supervisor, team-building support;
5. Superior living security: abundant relocation package, fully furnished faculty housing, the settlement of the talent and family members, children's education, health care security from 13 medical establishments and superior working environment, thus to secure the rear and guarantee there is no family considerations or worries;
6. Abundant academic exchange opportunities: support the talent to attend domestic and international academic conferences, seminars and other activities to broaden academic horizons and strengthen academic exchanges and cooperation.

04 Application Instructions

Specific implementation will follow the 2026 Guidelines for the National Natural Science Foundation of China Excellent Young Scientist Fund Program (Overseas).

05 Contact Information

Applicants intend to apply through our institute (the China-UK Low Carbon College of SJTU) should submit a complete resume (including personal information, education and work experience, major academic achievements, research projects undertaken, significant research awards, representative publications and papers, patent status, etc.) to the contact email: lcc-hr@sjtu.edu.cn, the email subject line should follow this format: Name + 2026 Excellent Young Scientists Fund Program (Overseas).

Contact Person

Ms. Chu

Contact Number

021-80160860-807

Email

lcc-hr@sjtu.edu.cn

06 University and College Overview
Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Connecting and Nurturing Global Minds. Shanghai Jiao Tong University champions holistic excellence, emphasizing integrity, intellectual rigor, entrepreneurial spirit, and global competence. Rooted in its motto "Gratitude to Origins, Patriotism to Prosper Alma Mater," SJTU integrates cutting-edge research with real-world impact, fostering leaders who bridge tradition and innovation while upholding ethical responsibility to society.

China-UK Low Carbon College (LCC) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) is an international education pilot zone for low-carbon technology and carbon resource management established by SJTU with the participation of leading UK institutions including the University of Edinburgh and University College London, under the strong support of the Shanghai municipal government. LCC is China's first low-carbon college that integrates talent cultivation, scientific research and social service.

China-UK Low Carbon College

LCC aims to build a world-class faculty team, driven by the development of tenure-track system, aligning with the strategic planning and key development priorities, it vigorously implements targeted recruitment of high-level talents and cultivation programs for outstanding young talents. Since its establishment, LCC has recruited 26 full-time faculty members that all possess educational or research backgrounds from world-class universities. Over 40 shortlisted talent programs, including 6 under the National Overseas High-Level Talent Program and 22 under the Shanghai Municipal Overseas High-Level Talent Program (maintaining a 100% selection rate). The overall coverage rate of talent programs reaches 87%.

LCC closely aligns with the national dual-carbon strategy goals, occupying a five-story, standalone laboratory building spanning nearly 6,000 square meters within the Lin-gang campus. By integrating research communities and leveraging disciplinary strengths, LCC actively builds research teams and has established three research centers. Focusing on the cutting edge of carbon neutrality technology, the college's research teams vigorously pursue forward-looking fundamental research and tackle key technological challenges, with research output steadily increasing. LCC has undertaken over 90 major national/provincial-level research projects, including the National Key R&D Program “Circular Economy Special Project”, NSFC Key Projects, major international cooperation initiatives, key project topics, the National Major Science and Technology special project “Water Pollution Control and Treatment”, special project on basic research funded by the Aero-engine and Gas Turbine National Science and Technology Major Project of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Key R&D Program “Intergovernmental International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation” special project, the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Support Program for Carbon Neutrality, and Shanghai Municipal International Cooperation Projects. 90% of young faculty members have received National Natural Science Foundation grants. Over 500 papers have been published in high-impact journals including Nature Chemistry, Nature Communications, Nature Physics, PNAS and JACS, with continuously growing international academic influence. LCC has launched two international academic journals in the carbon neutrality field. Carbon Neutrality has been indexed by renowned databases such as ESCI, Ei and Scopus, and was selected for the 2023 China Science and Technology Journals High-Startup New Publication Project. Within three years of its launch, it achieved its first impact factor of 12.5, ranking in the JCR Q1 quartile. Carbon Footprints primarily publishes content related to greenhouse gas emissions, carbon footprints and climate change, has been indexed by the Scopus database.

In the fertile ground of LCC, excellent young scientists from overseas will nurture the next generation and pursue carbon-related research, cultivating new talents for the nation and nurturing global leaders. If you are an aspiring scholar, an overseas talent eager to return to the homeland, or willing to explore uncharted territories in cutting-edge low-carbon fields, then at the China-UK Low Carbon College of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, we earnestly look forward to welcoming you and having you join us.