In accordance with the agreement reached by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and endorsed by the Joint Committee of the Sino-German Center for Research Promotion (SGC), the SGC will continue to fund the Mobility Program in 2021.

I. Program Information

i. Subjects covered

All fields of natural sciences are covered, including but not limited to: life sciences, medical sciences, engineering sciences, and management sciences.

ii. Duration of funding

The funding period for mobility projects approved in this round will be three years from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025.

iii. Scale and value of funding

The number of mobility projects to be funded shall not exceed 50. The joint funding amount for each project will be not more than CNY 1.5 million (or equivalent sum of euros).

iv. Funding coverage

The Mobility Program will fund multiple visits by multiple scientists (young scientists are encouraged for single visit of no more than three months) from each side and small-scale workshops over a three-year period. The grant covers domestic and international travel expenses, catering and hotel accommodation costs, and conference room expenses. For funding requirements related to the Mobility Program, please refer to SGC’s funding rates for research visits and stays (see Attachment 1) and for workshops to be held in China and Germany. (see Attachment 2). If additional items that are not covered by these funding rates (e.g. expenses for scientific excursions, all visa-application related costs) are applied for, a separate detailed description of these fees is required.

II. Eligibility

Applicants must be researchers based at a Chinese or German university or research institution.

i. Applicants from China must be a project leader or major participant in a NSFC grant (ongoing or already completed) with a duration of at least three years, or have previously received funding from the Lindau Program of SGC. The Chinese applicant's support organization must have registered at the NSFC.

ii. Applicants from Germany must have a doctorate and be eligible to apply for funding from the DFG. In general, proposals may not be submitted by persons working at a for-profit institution, a government-run institution, or an institution that does not permit the immediate publication of research findings.

iii. Project leaders for ongoing or completed SGC projects with a duration of three years or more are not allowed to apply for this program as an applicant.

III. Project Restrictions

This program does not count toward the NSFC project restrictions.

IV. Submission Requirements

i. Requirements for the application form

The projects for the Mobility Program must address a specific topic and should bring together Chinese and German researchers who are particularly qualified in the relevant field. Applicants from China and Germany should jointly submit an application to SGC. The application should outline in detail the contribution of each participant and exchange plans for each year, including the length of visits, the names of visiting scientists, and the anticipated research contents for each visit. Applicants must also be entrusted to truthfully fill in the budget table. The Application Form for Mobility Program (see Attachment 3) must be written in English, and its format and the information provided must be in accordance with the English Guide to Mobility Program as provided in attachment 4. Please refer to the instructions for completing the Application Form for Mobility Program (see Attachment 5) for further details. Both applicants and all participants must include a short CV in the proposal application form.

ii. Precautions

1. Research involving humans and animals is subject to strict compliance with the relevant regulations and requirements for patient informed consent and related ethical issues.

2. The collection, management and exchange of data and related materials must strictly comply with the relevant laws and regulations of both countries.

iii. Attachment requirements

In addition to completing and submitting the application form, applicants must submit the following documents together as attachments.

1. Cooperation agreement (see Attachment 6 for a sample copy of the Mobility Program Collaboration Agreement). Chinese and German applicants must sign a Mobility Program Collaboration Agreement in which they reach a consensus on issues such as the collaboration content, exchange plan, and intellectual property. This agreement can be submitted after approval of the proposal.

2. For research involving humans and animals, both applicants must provide a certification of review by the ethics committee of their organizations or superior relevant authorities (The Chinese applicant must submit it for application and the German applicant can submit it after approval of the project).

iv. Submission deadline

Digital versions of the Application Form for Mobility Program and its attachments must be submitted via Email to mobility@sinogermanscience.org.cn before 18:00 Beijing time on September 30, 2021. Any proposals which are submitted late will be declined. The digital version of the application form must be submitted in PDF format (converted from WORD format). The total size of all application materials must not exceed 15 MB. The materials should be named in the form specified in the instructions for completing the Application Form for Mobility Program (see Attachment 5).

Please note that after submission via email, three print copies of the application form and its attachments for each proposal must be signed by the Chinese and German applicants (electronic signature allowed for the German applicant), sealed by the Chinese applicant's support organization, and mailed to SGC before September 30, 2021 (subject to the postmark date; Address: Sino-German Center for Research Promotion, No. 83 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, 100085 Beijing).

V. Contacts

i. Contact person for Chinese applicants:

Bi Jinshun

Phone: +86-10-82361301

Email: bijinshun@sinogermanscience.org.cn

Shen Jiabin

Phone: +86-10-82361306

Email: shenjiabin@sinogermanscience.org.cn

ii. Contact person for German applicants:

Ms. Anne Münchau

(formal aspects of application and administration)

Phone: +49 228-885-4802

+86-10-82361314

Email: muenchau@sinogermanscience.org.cn

Dr. Ylva Schuberth

(programmatic and procedural matters)

Phone: +49 228-885-3137

Email: ylva.schuberth@sinogermanscience.org.cn

iii. If you require any technical support, please contact:

Zhang Nan

Phone: +86-10-82361303

Email: zhangnan@sinogermanscience.org.cn

National Natural Science Foundation of China

Sino-German Center for Research Promotion

July 1, 2021

Attachment:

Criteria for Funding Research Visits to Between Chinese and German Science Centers

Criteria for Funding Bilateral Workshops

Proposal to the Sino-German Mobility Programme

Mobility Programme

Mobility 2021 – Supplementary Information for Applicants

Mobility Program Agreement

(Note: Content source is from NCSTI.)