NSFC Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas) Projects

We sincerely invite outstanding young scholars from all over the world to apply for the National Natural Science Foundation for Outstanding Young Scholars (Overseas) project based at Nanjing Normal University. Nanjing has a very inclusive historical and cultural environment, with the most comfortable natural environment in Xianlin University City where the school of Physics at Nanjing Normal University is located. Nanjing Normal University has the most relaxed and free academic environment, and successful applicants will receive an annual salary of more than RMB 700,000 and a house purchase subsidy of RMB 3-4 million. They will be directly appointed as a full professor and doctoral advisor.  We will also help to solve the problems of spouse work and children's school!  Candidates who have entered the final round of selection but failed to be the final recipient will directly join the first tier of NNU “Young and Middle-Aged Leading Talents Cultivation Plan”. In addition, we sincerely welcome young talents to apply our normal faculty positions of associate professors or full professors，also Postdoc positions with salary of RMB 300,000-500,000.

Contacts:

Prof. Zhang Lifa (Dean of School): 18705155860, a full CV sent to phyzlf@njnu.edu.cn；

Project Introduction

In order to attract and encourage excellent overseas young scientists (including non-Chinese-citizen foreign talents) to work in China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (hereinafter referred to as NSFC) has established the Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas) since 2021. In order to further improve the talent funding system of NSFC, give full play to the functions of NSFC in introducing and cultivating talents, and attract excellent overseas young talents to work in China, NSFC will continue to implement the Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas) Project in 2022. The purpose of this project is to attract and encourage excellent overseas young scientists (including non-Chinese-citizen foreign talents) who have made good achievements in natural science and engineering technology to work in China, choose their own research direction to carry out innovative research, promote the rapid growth of young scientific and technical talents, train a group of outstanding academic backbone personnel who are expected to enter the forefront of world science and technology, and contribute to the building of a strong country through science and technology.

Details of funding and requirements

I. Funding Mode

1. Funding Amount: Ranging from RMB 1 million yuan to RMB 3 million yuan.

2. Funding Duration: 3 years.

II. Qualifications

1. Applicants for the Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas) shall meet the following conditions:

(1) Abide by laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China, have good scientific ethics, and consciously practice the spirit of scientists in the new era.

(2) Born after January 1st, 1982.

(3) Possess a doctorate degree.

(4) The main research directions should be natural science, engineering technology, etc.

(5) Before April 15th, 2022, the applicants should have obtained formal teaching or research positions in overseas universities, scientific research institutions and enterprise R&D institutions, and should have more than 36 months’ continuous working experiences; for applicants who have obtained doctorate degrees overseas with particularly outstanding achievements, the work duration requirements can be readjusted accordingly.

(6) Obtain scientific research or technical achievements recognized by peer experts and having the development potential to become academic leaders or outstanding talents in this field.

(7) The applicant has not returned to China to work full time or returned to China to work after January 1st, 2021. After receiving the notice of funding, the applicant must resign from working overseas or have no job overseas and return to China to work full-time for no less than 3 years.

2. Project Restrictions:

In order to comply with national government requirements on the overall planning and convergence of the national scientific and technological talents plan, only one project can be undertaken during the support periods of the National Science and Technology Talents Program at the same level, and the application cannot be made at a higher (reverse) level.

For detailed information and instructions of project application, please refer to the National Natural Science Foundation of China Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas) Project Guide: https://www.nsfc.gov.cn/publish/portal0/tab434/info83268.htm

University Support

1. Salary and Benefits

In addition to the NSFC’s support, our university shall pay the project recipient an annual salary of no less than RMB 700,000 yuan, a settlement fee of no less than RMB 2 million yuan and a research start-up funding of no less than RMB 2 million yuan according to the job description. Specific standards shall be discussed on individual cases.

2. Professional Title and Position

The project recipient shall obtain the status of staff of public institutions, be directly employed as professors and doctoral supervisors, and given priority to enroll doctoral and master’s degree students.

3. Scientific Research Conditions

The University will provide excellent scientific research environment and development platform, provide sufficient office and experiment spaces and supporting facilities according to work needs, and give prioritized support in talent introduction and research team building.

4. Children’s Education

The University will ensure that the child (children) of the project recipient enter the Kindergarten Affiliated to Nanjing Normal University (a first-class kindergarten in Nanjing) and help to provide high-quality primary and secondary school education resources for the child (children) of the project recipient.

5. Spouse Placement

If the spouse of the project recipient has a doctorate degree, he/she can be assigned to relevant teaching and research positions or management positions, and shall also obtain the status of staff of public institutions; others can be arranged in school management or teaching assistant positions by means of personnel agency or labor dispatch according to the actual situation.

6. Housing Arrangement

The University will provide 3-5 years of transitional housing with on-campus talent apartments (fully decorated, ready for moving-in).

7. Other Support

According to Jiangsu Province Key Overseas Talent Introduction Plan, the project recipient shall be given an innovation subsidy and living allowance of RMB 500,000 yuan within three years. At the same time, we will give priority to recommending the project recipient to apply for provincial and municipal key talent projects, such as the Jiangsu Provincial Key Overseas Talent Introduction Plan Team Project (project subsidy ranging from RMB 3 million yuan to RMB 5 million yuan).

Candidates who have entered the final round of selection but failed to be the final recipient will directly join the first tier of NNU “Young and Middle-Aged Leading Talents Cultivation Plan” (the cultivation period is 4 years, and a special living allowance of ¥RMB 150,000 yuan per year will be paid during the cultivation period). Such candidate can also obtain special funding for other university-level talents introduction programs, such as “Yuwell Scholar Program” (RMB 100,000 yuan per year).

Nanjing Normal University (NNU) is a “National Double First-Class Initiative University” and a “Level-A University” of the Jiangsu Province Higher-Level University Initiative Summit Plan. Our university has three campuses, namely, Xianlin, Suiyuan and Zijin Campus (the Suiyuan Campus enjoys the reputation of “the Most Beautiful Campus in the East”), with 28 colleges. It was selected as a National Double First-Class Initiative University in 2017, with one National Double First-Class Initiative Discipline, nine National Key Disciplines, 14 Advantageous Disciplines of Jiangsu Universities and nine Key Disciplines of Jiangsu Province for the 14th “Five-Year Plan” Period. Six disciplines were rated as Class A in the 4th round of National Discipline Evaluation, and ten disciplines ranks the top 1% in ESI. Our university has 25 First-Tier Disciplines that can award doctorate degrees and one Second-Tier Discipline that can award doctorate degrees (excluding those under the First-Tier Disciplines). There are 40 First-Tier Disciplines that can award master’s degrees, one Second-Tier Discipline that can award master’s degrees (excluding those under the First-Tier Disciplines), one professional doctoral degree category, and 25 professional master’s degree categories. In 2021, our university offered 14 undergraduate enrollment categories (including 35 undergraduate programs) and 38 non-categorized undergraduate programs, a total of 73 programs. NNU is also home to 22 post-doctoral research stations.

The School of Physics at Nanjing Normal University was established in 1915. The physics discipline is the key discipline of Jiangsu Province and is tied for 39 places in the fourth round of national discipline evaluation. In the past five years, we have introduced a large number of young talents from home and abroad, including 8 distinguished professors of Jiangsu Province, 3 University distinguished, 3 foreign professors and 15 other high-level talents, forming a group of passionate young teachers. At present, the research directions in school of physics cover: "theoretical physics", "particle physics and nuclear physics", "condensed matter physics and statistical physics" and "optics and acoustics". More than 500 academic papers in top physics journals, including Science, PNAS and Phys. Rev. Lett. etc. in last five years. We successively organized many international and domestic conferences, such as the first national workshop on thermal transport, the Phonons 2018 and PTES 2018, and the 14th TeV physics workshop. We are also the members of the international collaborations, such as BESII, Belle II and CMS, and made a series of practical contributions.