Supporting National Collaborative Research Funding and Provincial International Cooperation Pathways in China
NBIIC-HI supports the development of selected China-focused collaborative funding initiatives involving universities, hospitals, research institutions, investigators, clinical teams, innovation organizations, and international partners.
These opportunities may include national-level research funding programs, international research cooperation initiatives, regionally aligned collaborative projects, and provincial-level international science and technology cooperation programs.
Through its Canada-based international platform, NBIIC-HI helps participating teams clarify research concepts, identify appropriate collaboration and funding pathways, connect relevant international partners, develop collaborative project structures, and coordinate proposal development across institutions and countries.
China-focused collaborative funding opportunities may operate at different administrative and program levels. NBIIC-HI currently places particular emphasis on national-level and provincial-level pathways that can support strong scientific projects, meaningful collaboration, and cross-institutional participation.
National research funding pathways administered or coordinated through the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), supporting high-quality scientific research, substantive collaboration, and regionally aligned research priorities.
Supports substantive research collaboration between Chinese investigators and overseas partners through international, bilateral, multilateral, and organization-based cooperation frameworks.
Key Considerations
Supports basic and applied basic research addressing key scientific questions arising from major regional economic, social, healthcare, technological, and innovation needs.
Key Considerations
Province-specific science and technology funding programs administered by provincial authorities to support international R&D cooperation, cross-border innovation, technology development, international resource integration, and institutional collaboration.
Program structures vary by province and annual call. Depending on the specific program, applicants may be expected to establish substantive cooperation with overseas institutions, demonstrate the necessity of international collaboration, define complementary responsibilities, provide evidence of an existing cooperation foundation, and align the proposed project with designated countries, regions, industries, or research priorities.
Typical Program Features
Program names, eligibility requirements, priority areas, funding levels, project duration, participating countries or regions, and application procedures vary by province and annual call.
National and provincial programs serve different policy and research objectives. The most appropriate pathway depends on the scientific question, available resources, participating institutions, collaboration structure, and applicable funding requirements.
Often better aligned with projects that involve:
Often better aligned with projects that involve:
The appropriate pathway is determined by project fit—not simply by perceived funding difficulty.
Competitive collaborative projects typically require alignment across scientific value, partnership structure, available resources, program priorities, and institutional requirements.
A clearly defined scientific question aligned with the objectives, priorities, and expected outcomes of the applicable funding program.
A convincing explanation of why international, regional, or cross-institutional collaboration adds essential scientific or technological value.
Participating teams contribute differentiated expertise, capabilities, resources, technologies, clinical access, or research platforms.
Existing collaboration, preliminary results, agreements, previous joint activities, or other evidence demonstrating the feasibility of working together.
Clearly defined responsibilities, research tasks, work packages, resources, milestones, expected outputs, and mechanisms for collaborative implementation.
Appropriate alignment with eligibility rules, institutional requirements, ethics, data governance, intellectual property, budget, and other applicable program conditions.
NBIIC-HI provides project-development and international collaboration support according to the scientific objectives, development stage, partnership structure, and applicable funding pathway of each initiative.
Reviewing the research foundation, project objectives, available resources, collaboration needs, and potential national or provincial funding pathways.
Refining scientific questions, research objectives, innovation potential, project rationale, and translational or regional significance.
Identifying and connecting potentially suitable researchers, clinicians, universities, hospitals, laboratories, technical platforms, and innovation partners.
Defining scientific complementarity, work packages, partner responsibilities, milestones, resource contributions, and collaborative interfaces.
Supporting the scientific organization, presentation, integration, and coordination of selected research proposals, collaboration materials, and supporting documentation.
Facilitating communication, partner confirmation, documentation, responsibility clarification, and coordination among participating organizations in different countries or regions.
Support may involve one or several of these areas depending on project maturity, funding-program requirements, partnership readiness, and the specific needs of participating teams.
Collaborative funding initiatives are developed progressively according to scientific readiness, partnership maturity, institutional requirements, and applicable program timelines.
Review the scientific foundation, research objectives, available resources, collaboration needs, institutional conditions, and potential funding pathways.
Refine the central scientific question, rationale, objectives, innovation value, expected outcomes, and proposed evidence framework.
Identify appropriate collaborators, define complementary capabilities, structure work packages, clarify responsibilities, and establish the collaborative framework.
Develop and integrate scientific content, collaborative materials, partner documentation, institutional participation, and application components.
Review project coherence, collaboration feasibility, supporting materials, and opportunities for subsequent funding, research development, or long-term institutional cooperation.
The framework is flexible and may be adapted according to project maturity, funding-program requirements, partnership readiness, and institutional timelines.
China-focused research funding programs are updated through annual and call-specific guidelines. Funding organizations may modify participating countries or regions, research priorities, applicant eligibility, funding levels, project duration, required documents, submission procedures, and deadlines between funding cycles.
International cooperation programs may also involve requirements from more than one funding organization or participating country. Applicants should therefore review the most recent official guidelines and confirm applicable institutional requirements before initiating or submitting an application.
NBIIC-HI may assist participating teams in interpreting project-development implications and organizing collaboration pathways, while official program interpretation and eligibility decisions remain with the relevant funding authorities and applicant institutions.
NBIIC-HI serves as a coordinating and enabling platform for research development, international collaboration, project structuring, and proposal support.
NBIIC-HI does not act as a government funding authority and does not determine applicant eligibility, official program interpretation, peer-review outcomes, funding approval, or award decisions.
Formal responsibilities relating to application eligibility, institutional authorization, scientific integrity, research ethics, budget approval, data governance, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, and official submission remain with participating institutions, investigators, and the relevant funding organizations.
All program-specific information should be confirmed against the latest official guidelines before application or submission.
Developing structured relationships among universities, hospitals, research institutions, innovation organizations, and international partners.
Explore Institutional PartnershipsConnecting projects with relevant scientific, clinical, technical, innovation, and institutional expertise.
Explore the Global Expert NetworkBuilding long-term platforms for collaborative research, international projects, technical cooperation, talent development, and translation.
Explore Joint LaboratoriesConnecting research initiatives with clinical expertise, healthcare resources, evidence development, multicentre collaboration, and translational pathways.
Explore Clinical CollaborationThese interconnected platforms can help extend collaborative funding initiatives beyond individual applications into broader research, clinical, institutional, and talent-development partnerships.
Build Your Profile for Future Grant and Collaborative Research Opportunities
NBIIC-HI welcomes applications from qualified researchers, clinicians, academic leaders, technical specialists, innovation professionals, and other experienced professionals interested in joint grant applications, international research collaboration, and future project opportunities.
By joining the NBIIC-HI Global Expert & Talent Pool, applicants may present their professional background, areas of expertise, representative achievements, collaboration interests, potential project concepts, and the expertise, resources, or networks they may contribute. Suitable profiles may be considered for future national-level, provincial-level, international, or cross-institutional collaborative funding and research opportunities.
Download Global Expert & Talent Pool Application FormSubmit the completed form and permitted supporting documents to: admin@nbiic.ca
Suggested subject line: Global Expert & Talent Pool Application – [Applicant Name] – [Country / Region]
Submission is subject to profile review and does not guarantee inclusion, funding, project participation, appointment, or involvement in any specific grant or collaborative initiative.
Institutions or project teams with an existing funding opportunity or project concept may contact admin@nbiic.ca directly for preliminary discussion.
