The CAS President’s International Fellowship Initiative postdoctoral category supports foreign early-career scientists conducting research at Chinese Academy of Sciences institutes or universities in China. Recipients work with a CAS host researcher on a jointly prepared research plan for one to two years.
Applications are submitted through the host institution rather than directly by the applicant. The PIFI portal currently says related applications are temporarily suspended, and neither the 2026 call nor the public application form includes the postdoctoral category.
Benefits & funding
- The 2014 CAS rules state a pre-tax stipend of CNY 200,000 per year for one to two years, plus one economy-class round-trip international travel subsidy.
- A separate CAS institute summary lists CNY 250,000 per year plus a round-trip flight subsidy.
- Because no current postdoctoral call publishes updated terms, applicants should confirm the applicable amount and benefits with the proposed CAS host institution before relying on either historical figure.
Eligibility
- Hold a PhD awarded by a recognized university outside China; the English CAS summary describes the eligible fields as natural or technological sciences.
- Be younger than 40 in the application year.
- Be a citizen of one of the 183 countries that currently has diplomatic relations with China.
- Secure a qualified CAS host researcher, prepare a joint work plan, and meet China’s postdoctoral-entry requirements.
- Provide two recommendation letters from professors or supervisors at the applicant’s former institution, including one from the PhD supervisor.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Brunei · Cambodia · North Korea · Timor-Leste · Georgia · India · Indonesia
+ 171 more
Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Palestine · Philippines · Qatar · South Korea · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · UAE · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen · Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cabo Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · DR Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Albania · Andorra · Austria · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · North Macedonia · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Ukraine · UK · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Bahamas · Barbados · Bolivia · Brazil · Canada · Chile · Colombia · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · Grenada · Guyana · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Nicaragua · Panama · Peru · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago · USA · Uruguay · Venezuela · Australia · Cook Islands · Fiji · Kiribati · Micronesia · Nauru · New Zealand · Niue · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Vanuatu
Education required
PhD
Age requirement
≤ 39 yrs
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Application process
- 1Identify a CAS host researcher and jointly prepare the research proposal and work plan.
- 2Prepare the application form, passport copy, recent photograph, CV, doctoral-degree evidence, research proposal, host recommendation, and two academic recommendation letters.
- 3Ask the CAS host researcher and host institution to review and submit the complete application; individuals cannot submit directly.
- 4Wait for PIFI to reopen the postdoctoral route before submission, because the current public portal does not offer this category.
Program timeline
Current status
Postdoctoral applications are temporarily suspended; no reopening date is published.
Historical CAS rules opened institutional collection for projects beginning the following year.
July 1
Historical CAS rules set the institutional application deadline.
August 31
Historical CAS rules scheduled expert review.
September