On July 28, 2023 , the China Scholarship Council (CSC) released the "2024 Implementation Measures for International Cooperation and Training Programs for Innovative Talents", which is reproduced in full by the editor of KnowledgeRen.com. For details, please refer to https://www.csc.edu.cn/chuguo/s/2648 .
2024 Implementation Measures for International Cooperation and Training Programs for Innovative Talents
Chapter 1 General Provisions
Article 1 In order to increase support for the construction of first-class universities and first-class disciplines, further promote domestic and foreign cooperation in cultivating innovative international talents, establish and implement international cooperative training projects for innovative talents (hereinafter referred to as innovation projects).
Article 2 The China Scholarship Council (hereinafter referred to as the China Scholarship Council) is responsible for the organization and implementation of innovative projects.
Article 3 The innovative project adopts the project implementation unit to declare the project to the China Scholarship Council, and the China Scholarship Council organizes expert review to determine the type and scale of the funding project and the selection of each project, and the project implementation unit selects and recommends candidates according to the approved project and candidate conditions. The mode of dispatching after being approved and admitted by the China Scholarship Council is implemented.
Article 4 The main categories of selection for innovation projects are foreign doctoral degree candidates, joint training doctoral candidates and postdoctoral fellows; the project unit can select a small number of master’s degree graduate students, joint training master’s degree candidates, visiting scholars and advanced researchers based on the needs of discipline development and talent training Scholars; 79 colleges and universities (list) approved by the Ministry of Education's "Strong Foundation Program" and "Top-level Student Training Program 2.0 Bases in Basic Disciplines" can send a small number of undergraduate transfer students (only for "Strong Foundation Program" and "Top-level Students in Basic Disciplines" Training plan 2.0 base "students), the number of applicants per school shall not exceed 5 per year. Projects whose selection category only includes undergraduate transfer students are not supported.
Article 5 The content of funding for innovative projects is generally one round-trip international travel and scholarship within the funding period. A round-trip international travel expense refers to the transportation expenses (each one) used to subsidize the state-sponsored overseas students to go abroad and return to China after finishing their studies; the scholarship refers to the basic study and life used to subsidize eligible state-sponsored overseas students during their study abroad Fees can be used to pay living expenses, registration fees, medical insurance fees, books and materials fees, bench fees, visa extension fees, etc. The standards and methods of scholarship funding shall be implemented in accordance with relevant state regulations. Innovation projects can provide tuition subsidies for postgraduates pursuing master's degrees and doctoral degrees in urgently needed majors in some countries. The amount of tuition subsidies is subject to the notification of each project. Tuition subsidies are not provided for undergraduate transfer students, joint-training master students, joint-training doctoral students, visiting scholars, and senior research scholars.
Chapter II Project Approval Measures
Article 6 Innovation projects are implemented for ordinary institutions of higher learning, scientific research institutes and other units across the country. Units that intend to apply can submit a formal official letter to the China Scholarship Council to apply for joining the innovation project implementation unit (hereinafter referred to as the project unit), and the project declaration can only be carried out after approval.
Article 7 There are 3 special projects under the innovation project:
(1) " Double First-Class" Construction Special Project: For the 147 universities (list) selected for the second round of national "Double First-Class" construction, each school should apply for its national "Double First-Class" construction disciplines and related interdisciplinary projects. Universities can apply for 2 new projects each year. In principle, the total number of projects approved for implementation by each school shall not exceed 15.
Universities with 15 or more existing projects in progress should organize their own projects, and no new projects will be accepted until the number of projects in progress reaches the standard.
(2) Special projects for characteristic colleges and universities: For colleges and universities that have not been selected for the second round of national "Double First-Class" construction, each school should focus on its key construction discipline application projects, and each university can apply for one new project each year. In principle, the total number of projects approved for implementation by each school shall not exceed 3.
Universities with three or more existing projects in progress should organize their own projects, and no new projects will be accepted until the number of projects in progress reaches the standard.
(3) Non-university special projects: For scientific research institutes and other relevant units, each unit can apply for one new project each year. In principle, the total number of approved projects under implementation shall not exceed 3.
Units with 3 or more existing projects in progress should sort out projects by themselves, and will not accept new declaration projects until the number of projects in progress reaches the standard.
Article 8 Before the end of September 2023, the competent department of the project unit will organize the internal selection of the unit, conduct overall research to determine the application projects for 2024, and prepare project application materials in accordance with the "2024 Application Materials and Instructions for International Cooperation and Training Projects for Innovative Talents".
Article 9 During the period from October 1 to 20, 2023, the competent department of the project unit shall organize and complete the online application for innovative projects of the China Scholarship Council.
Article 10 The declared projects should follow the requirements of "innovation, independence, and precision", focus on the urgent needs of the country, highlight unique advantages, serve the construction of disciplines, focus on personnel training, and promote international cooperation.
Article 11 The foreign cooperation unit of the application project must be a world-class university, research institute, or unit with strong advantages in the disciplines of cooperation between the two parties; focus on supporting the "strong school cooperation" between China and foreign countries, or in the disciplines of common advantages of both parties "Strong cooperation" projects; for projects involving multiple foreign cooperation units, the selected disciplines and majors should highlight the key points and relevance.
Article 12 Both sides of the declared project cooperation should have a basis for early cooperation and exchanges directly related to the declared project, and in principle should sign a cooperation agreement that is still valid.
Article 13 Innovation projects encourage project units to raise supporting funds from multiple parties. If there are other sources of funds at home and abroad or a confirmed fund sharing mechanism, please also explain in detail and provide relevant supporting materials. Innovative projects do not support projects where the applicant personally pays for the tuition.
Article 14 The China Scholarship Council organizes experts to review the declared projects and announce the approved projects before the end of December 2023.
Chapter III Project Implementation and Management
Article 15 The implementation period of the approved project is three years, and the project unit shall assume the main responsibility for the implementation, personnel selection and management of the approved project.
Article 16 The project unit shall formulate project implementation and management measures after receiving the project approval notice from the China Scholarship Council.
Article 17 In principle, no adjustments will be made to the scale, category, major, country of study, and study unit of the approved project of the project unit.
Article 18 For projects involving tuition assistance, the actual amount of tuition assistance shall not exceed the amount of tuition specified in the project approval notice.
Article 19 For projects in progress, the project unit must conduct annual summaries one by one, and report the annual summary through the national public study abroad management information platform (hereinafter referred to as the information platform) when the project is declared each year (October 1-20 in 2023). The summary report is submitted online to the China Scholarship Council.
Article 20 When the three-year period of project implementation expires, the project unit must conduct a comprehensive summary of the project, and submit the summary report of the implementation period to China Scholarship Council.
Article 21 The relevant work arrangements for projects with an implementation period of 2021-2023 are as follows:
1. As of July 31, 2023, projects whose enrollment is less than 30% of the total three-year scale will not be accepted to continue after the expiration.
2. As of July 31, 2023, projects whose enrollment reaches 30% of the total three-year scale can apply for continuation after the expiration date. If the application continues to be implemented, it will not occupy the quota of the project unit that can apply for new projects in the current year, and the application process is the same as that for new projects. The China Scholarship Council will organize the evaluation of the projects that are applied for continuation, and the evaluation results will be announced together with the newly declared projects.
Chapter IV Personnel Selection and Enrollment Methods
Article 22 Innovation projects rely on the approved projects of each project unit for personnel selection. The China Scholarship Council does not directly accept individual applications.
Article 23 The project unit selects qualified outstanding candidates in accordance with the project approval notice of the approved funding project and the project implementation and management measures formulated by the unit, in accordance with the principle of "openness, fairness and justice", and submits to the state after review and publicity Recommended by the Scholarship Council. The recommendation, selection and publicity of project units should be completed before the applicants apply online, and the publicity time should not be less than 5 working days.
Article 24 The personnel declaration and application acceptance time for 2024 are: March 1-10 for the first batch; September 1-10 for the second batch. The project unit must uniformly organize the recommended candidates to log in to the national government-sponsored study abroad management information platform within the specified time, make an online application, and prepare application materials according to the "2024 Innovative Talents International Cooperation Training Project Personnel Application Materials and Instructions" and submit them online. The applicant shall be responsible for the authenticity of the materials, and the responsibility and consequences caused by the application materials shall be borne by the applicant.
Article 25 The project unit shall carefully review the application materials of the recommended candidates from the aspects of the applicant's political ideology, moral conduct, academic integrity, physical and mental health, application qualifications, comprehensive quality, and feasibility of the study plan, and fill in the " Innovative Talents International Cooperation Training Project Personnel Material Review Form" and submit it online.
Article 26 The project unit should fill in targeted unit recommendation opinions for the applicant through the information platform and submit them online before March 20 (the first batch) and September 20 (the second batch) respectively, and send The official recommendation letter from the unit (the official letter must specify whether it has been announced), the "Recommended Personnel List", and the original "Personnel Material Review Form" should be mailed (delivered) to the China Scholarship Council.
Article 27 The China Scholarship Council will determine whether to admit or not after reviewing the candidates recommended by the project unit.
Article 28 The admission results will be announced before the end of May 2024 (the first batch) and before the end of November 2024 (the second batch). The accepting unit can log in to the national government-sponsored overseas study management information platform, download and print the admission notice and list, and notify the overseas students to log in to the information platform in time to check and handle the follow-up dispatch procedures. Overseas students can log on to the information platform to check the admission results, download and print the admission documents, and the China Scholarship Council will no longer send paper admission documents.
Chapter V Basic Conditions for Candidates
Article 29 Meet the basic requirements for applicants stipulated in the "Guidelines for the Selection and Assignment of Overseas Students Funded by the National Study Abroad Fund" of that year.
Article 30 Have Chinese nationality, love the socialist motherland, have excellent political qualities, be physically and mentally healthy, and have no record of violation of laws and disciplines.
Article 31 Obtain a formal invitation letter or admission notice issued by the study abroad unit.
Article 32 Meet the foreign language requirements of innovation projects (see foreign language qualification requirements for innovation projects for details).
Article 33 Requirements for each selection category:
(1) Senior Research Scholars: The duration of study abroad is 3-6 months. Must be a formal staff member of the project unit, under the age of 55 (born after January 1, 1968), and have achieved outstanding performance in actual work. Among them, teaching and scientific research personnel should in principle have senior professional and technical titles or be doctoral supervisors, and give priority to supporting the main person in charge of the "Double First-Class" construction discipline, or the main person in charge of national key teaching or scientific research projects, or ministerial level (including) The main person in charge of the above-mentioned teaching or scientific research platform, or the first prize winner of the teaching or scientific research award at the ministerial level (including) or above; administrative management personnel should have administrative positions at the deputy director level (including) or above.
(2) Visiting Scholars: The study period is 3-12 months. Must be a formal staff member of the project unit, under the age of 50 (born after January 1, 1973), have more than 5 years of work experience after graduation from a bachelor's degree, and more than 2 years of work experience after graduation from a master's degree. There is no working age requirement for applicants who graduated with a doctorate degree.
(3) Post-doctorate: The period of study abroad is 6-24 months. Must be excellent in-service young teachers or scientific researchers with a doctorate degree in the project unit, specifically engaged in teaching or scientific research, or fresh doctoral graduates (must be reserve teachers). No more than 40 years old (born after January 1, 1983).
(4) Postgraduate students studying for a doctoral degree: the period of study abroad is generally 36-48 months, and the specifics are subject to the destination country and the academic system of the institution or the admission notice or invitation letter issued by the foreign party. Applicants must be outstanding postgraduate students (including fresh master graduates), fresh undergraduate graduates or working staff of the project unit. If the approved project is clearly a Chinese-foreign double doctoral project, the applicant can be a doctoral student in the project unit. Graduate students who are currently studying for a master's degree should have certain scientific research capabilities and scientific research achievements; fresh undergraduate graduates should reach the level of direct promotion to graduate students without examination in the school; in-service personnel should have a bachelor's degree or above, have achieved outstanding results in corresponding jobs, and have strong scientific research capabilities . No more than 35 years old (born after January 1, 1988).
(5) Joint training of doctoral students: the period of study abroad is 6-24 months. Must be a full-time outstanding doctoral student in the project unit. No more than 35 years old (born after January 1, 1988). If the applicant is a combined master and doctoral student, he must enter the doctoral stage before applying.
(6) Postgraduate students pursuing a master’s degree: The duration of studying abroad is generally 12-24 months, and the specifics are subject to the destination country and the academic system of the institution or the admission notice or invitation letter issued by the foreign party. Applicants must be outstanding fresh graduates of the project unit; if the approved project is clearly a Chinese-foreign dual master’s program, the applicant can be a current master’s student of the project unit. No more than 35 years old (born after January 1, 1988).
(7) Joint training of postgraduate students: the period of study abroad is 3-12 months. Must be a full-time outstanding postgraduate student of the project unit. No more than 35 years old (born after January 1, 1988).
(8) Undergraduate transfer students: the period of study abroad is 3-12 months. Must be full-time outstanding undergraduate students (except fresh graduates) of the project unit, and at least 18 years old when applying (the first batch of applicants in 2024 should be born before March 10, 2006 when applying, and the second batch of applicants should be born before March 10, 2006 when applying) was born before September 10, 2006).
The time limit for studying abroad should be determined according to the admission notice of the institution to study abroad, or the formal invitation letter, or the time limit listed in the study plan confirmed by the foreign tutor. The funding period for personal declaration should not exceed the period for studying abroad. The specific study period and funding period are determined at the time of admission, and the admission documents shall prevail.
Article 34 Innovation projects temporarily do not accept applications from the following personnel
1. Have received full scholarship funding from abroad.
2. Has obtained the national government-sponsored study abroad qualification and is within the validity period.
3. Applicants who have applied for government-sponsored overseas study programs in other countries have not announced the admission results or have not passed the expert review of the year.
4. Once obtained the qualification for studying abroad on a national government sponsored basis, but gave up without the approval of the China Scholarship Council within 5 years, or with the approval of the China Scholarship Council and within 2 years.
5. Have enjoyed the funding of the National Study Abroad Fund to study abroad, and have served for less than two years after returning to China.
Chapter VI Personnel dispatch and management
Article 35 The study abroad qualifications of those admitted to innovative projects in 2024 will be retained until December 31, 2025. Those who fail to dispatch on time will have their qualifications for studying abroad automatically cancelled.
Article 36 Implement the management method of "signing a contract to send out, and compensating for breach of contract" for overseas students. Please log on to the information platform (https://sa.csc.edu.cn/student/) to read the "Instructions for Students Studying Abroad" for relevant procedures and frequently asked questions, and handle them as required.
Article 37 Before being dispatched, overseas students must log on to the information platform (https://sa.csc.edu.cn/student/) and sign the "Agreement on Studying Abroad with Government Sponsorship" (hereinafter referred to as the "Agreement") as required; Special bank card for the state-sponsored study abroad scholarship (see https://www.csc.edu.cn/chuguo/s/1552 for details on how to apply); you must apply for a passport, visa, and "Health Certificate for International Travel" by yourself; through the study abroad service of the Ministry of Education The center or the Shanghai Training Department for Overseas Personnel of the Ministry of Education handles the procedures of booking air tickets and so on.
Article 38 Students studying abroad must report to the Chinese embassy (consulate) in the country where they are studying with the "Certificate of Qualification for Studying Abroad Funded by the National Study Abroad Fund" and related materials within 10 days after arriving in the country where they are studying. State embassy (consulate) request.
Article 39 During the period of studying abroad, overseas students should abide by the laws and regulations of the country where they are located, the relevant provisions of the National Study Abroad Fund for overseas study personnel, and the relevant provisions of the "National Government Sponsored Study Abroad Agreement", and consciously accept the project unit and the foreign mission. (Consulate) guidance and management. After completing their studies, they should fulfill the service obligation of returning to China, and log in to the national government-sponsored study abroad management information platform to register their returning information within three months from the date of returning to China.
Article 40 The project unit shall assume the main responsibility for the management of the overseas students it recommends, and shall, in accordance with the project implementation and management methods, consider the links of "selection, dispatch, management, and return" as a whole, and strengthen the goal and process management of the overseas students, and the specific work There should be specialized agencies and personnel responsible.
Article 41 After the overseas students of this project return to China on schedule, when they re-apply to study abroad for higher-level degrees or joint training through innovative projects, they are not subject to the restriction that they can apply for state-sponsored study abroad for two years after returning to China.
Article 42 When the thesis, research project or scientific research achievement related to the funding is written, published or made public by overseas students, it should be indicated that "this research/result/dissertation is funded by the China National Study Abroad Fund".
Article 43 If overseas students do not meet the requirements of the "Guidelines for the Selection and Assignment of Overseas Students Funded by the National Study Abroad Fund" and these implementation measures, or violate national laws and regulations, they will be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law, violate public order and good customs and cause serious adverse effects, or violate academic ethics In serious cases, if it is verified during the selection and admission stage and during the implementation of the state-sponsored study abroad agreement, the China Scholarship Council has the right to take measures such as returning the application, canceling the qualification, terminating the funding, and recovering from the breach of contract.
Article 44 Other related matters shall be handled in accordance with the relevant regulations of the state for studying abroad on public sponsorship.
Chapter VII Supplementary Provisions
Article 45 These Measures shall come into force on the date of promulgation.
Article 46 The Measures shall be interpreted by the China Scholarship Council.
2024 project application process
2024 Personnel Application Process
