The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is inviting applications for President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI). The program is available for four categories of international researchers and students: distinguished scientists, visiting scientists, postdoctoral researchers and international Ph.D. students.
“CAS President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI)” is an international fellowship package designed for highly-qualified international scientists and postgraduate students to conduct research at CAS-affiliated institutions for 1-2 years.
The Bureau of International Cooperation functions as the international department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with its main duty as follows: to formulate strategies, plans, rules and regulations for CAS international cooperation and academic exchanges; to coordinate academy-level international cooperation affairs and carry out the internationalization work of the whole academy; and to initiate and manage key cooperative programs and fellowships.
Course Level: Fellowships are available for scientists and postgraduate students to work and study at CAS institutions and strengthen their scientific collaboration with CAS researchers (category D fellowship will be available for pursuing Ph.D. degrees at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) or CAS institutes around China).
Study Subject: Scholarships are offered in diverse fields to help students in upgrading their education.
Scholarship Award:
Category A: PIFI for Distinguished Scientists
This fellowship provides each awardee with a stipend of 50,000 per week, to cover all expenses for this lecture tour, including a round-trip international airfare, accommodation, meals, transportation and honorarium.
Category B: PIFI for Visiting Scientists
The fellowship provides a monthly stipend to cover living expenses, health insurance in China, and economy-class round-trip international travel. Awardees of full professor or equivalent title, associate professor or equivalent title, and assistant professor or equivalent title will receive stipends of ?40,000, ?30,000 and ?20,000 per month respectively.
Category C: PIFI for Postdoctoral Researchers
CAS offers an annual salary to postdoctoral researchers to cover living expenses and health insurance in China. Each selected awardee will receive a pre-tax stipend of ?200,000 per year. In addition, the fellowship provides an economy-class round-trip international travel.
Category D: PIFI for International Ph.D. Students
International students will take regular training courses at UCAS/USTC for about a year and carry out research and dissertation at CAS institutes. In addition to tuition waivers, this program will provide travel support and visa application fees for selected awardee, as well as a monthly allowance to each awardee.
Scholarship can be taken in China
Eligibility:
Category A: PIFI for Distinguished Scientists
The CAS President’s International Fellowship for Distinguished Scientists supports leading international scientists to conduct a lecture tour at CAS for 1-2 weeks. Each professor is invited to visit at least two CAS-affiliated institutions (research institutes or universities) to lecture and interact with CAS researchers and postgraduate students. He or she is also expected to host CAS postdoctoral researchers at CAS expenses at his or her lab for a research stay of 1-3 months.
Eligibility Criteria: Candidates should be well established and internationally recognized scientists in their respective research fields, having obtained outstanding scientific accomplishment and prestigious international honors, awards or prizes.
Category B: PIFI for Visiting Scientists
The CAS President’s International Fellowship for Visiting Scientists supports high-caliber international scientists to carry out cooperative projects at CAS-affiliated institutions for 1-12 months. The fellowship aims to create or strengthen partnerships between CAS host institutions and the recipients’ home institutions.
Eligibility Criteria: Candidates should have:
Academic title of at least assistant professor or equivalent;
A record of outstanding scientific accomplishment;
Five years’ work experience in a well-known university, research institution or multinational corporation;
A collaborative research proposal prepared in cooperation with the CAS host institution.
* Successful UK applicants for category B is supported by CAS-Royal Society exchange programs under the “UK-China Research and Innovation Partnership Fund”.
Category C: PIFI for Postdoctoral Researchers
The CAS President’s International Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers supports promising young international scientists to conduct research at CAS-affiliated institutions for 1-2 years.
Eligibility Criteria: Candidates should:
Be citizens of a country which has diplomatic relations with China
Hold a Ph.D. in natural or technological sciences;
Be under the age of 40;
Have a recommendation from a CAS host researcher;
Be able to communicate well with the CAS host researcher;
Present a collaborative research proposal prepared in cooperation with the CAS host institution.
* Successful UK applicants for category C is supported by CAS-Royal Society exchange programs under the “UK-China Research and Innovation Partnership Fund”.
Category D: PIFI for International Ph.D. Students
The CAS-TWAS President’s Fellowship for International Ph.D. Students supports 200 international graduates each year, to pursue their Ph.D. degrees at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) or CAS institutes around China.
Eligibility Criteria: Candidates should:
Be citizens of a country which has diplomatic relations with China ;
Be under the age of 35;
Have no other assignments during the period of his/her fellowship;
Meet the admission criteria for international students of UCAS/USTC;
Hold a Master’s degree before the start of the fellowship period;
Have working proficiency in either English or Chinese;
Nationality: International applicants are eligible for these fellowships (for Category C and D fellowships, applicants must be citizens of a country which has diplomatic relations with China).
How to apply: Applications for categories A, B or C must be submitted through the main host institution affiliated to CAS. Applications submitted by individuals will not be accepted.
Before applying:
Identify an appropriate CAS host researcher working as a faculty member at a CAS-affiliated host institution.
Work out a short-term visitor’s program or research proposal with the CAS host researcher before completing the application form.
Before submitting, the following documents should be prepared:
Application form in English
A recent passport-sized digital photograph (in color)
Copy of passport data page
Personal CV in English (including education and work experience)
Copy of the highest obtained educational diploma/degree certificate, and/or professional qualification certificates
Research proposal(except applicants for distinguished scientists), including objective, detailed description of project, timetable and reasons for the collaboration
One recommendation letter from CAS host researcher, in Chinese
For postdoctoral researchers, two recommendation letters from two professors in relevant fields (one of whom should be the applicant’s former Ph.D. supervisor)
Application Form
Application Deadline: The deadline for submitting all material and applications is 1st, September of every year.
Scholarship Link