Introduction to the Innovative Talent Program of China’s National Talent Program

Project 1

Innovative Bronze Talent Scheme

​Pre-requisites:

The talent must have a doctorate degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) and post-Ph.D. work experience of more than three years in well-known enterprises, universities, research units, and related institutions and achieve outstanding performance.

An agreement of at least 3 years of contract after being selected.

Project 2

Innovative Silver Talent Scheme

Pre-requisites:

The team is composed of a leader and 2-to-5 core members.

Each member (leader and core members) must sign at least 3 years of contract after being selected.

Leader Requirements:

The leader fulfills any or most of the following requirements:

The selected candidate for the Innovative Bronze Talent Project (Project 1)；

The first author (including the author with the same contribution as the first author) or the sole corresponding author of a paper published in Nature, Science, Cell, or famous scientific journals with an impact factor of 30 or more in the past 5 years；

Have served as a senior member (fellow) of an internationally renowned academic organization

Served as a professor or associate professor of a world-renowned university；

A holder of international invention patents or domestic invention patents, and have been the chairman or general manager, or chief technology officer of an enterprise with an annual business income of 500 million RMB or more or an annual tax payment of 20 million RMB or more；

Any equivalent achievements discussed above.

Core members’ Requirements:

The talent must have a doctorate degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) and post-Ph.D. work experience of more than three years in well-known enterprises, universities, research units, and related institutions and achieve outstanding performance.

An agreement of at least 3 years of contract after being selected.

Project 3

Innovative Gold Talent Scheme

Pre-requisites:

The team is composed of a leader and 2-to-5 core members.

Each member (leader and core members) must sign at least 3 years of contract after being selected.

Leader Requirements:

The leader fulfills any or most of the following requirements:

Nobel Prize winner (physics, chemistry, physiology, or medicine), China’s highest national science and technology award, Copley Medal, Turing Award, Fields Prize, Wolf Prize in Mathematics, Abel Prize, Lasker Prize, Crafoord Prize, Japan International Prize, Kyoto Prize, Shaw Prize, U.S. National Medal of Science, U.S. National Medal of Technological Innovation, French National Medal of Scientific Research.

Served as a member of the academy of sciences and the Academy of Engineering from a developed country around the globe.

Served as the chief executive officer or chief technology officer of one of the Fortune 500 companies, or in an equivalent position within the past 10 years.

Served as president or vice-president of the following prestigious international academic organizations: IEEE, IEE, IEC, APS, AIMBE, ACM, ASME, and SI. American Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP), World Society of Pediatric Infection (WCPID), World Federation of Ophthalmology Societies (IFOS), World Psychiatric Association (WPA), World Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons (WSCTS).

Served as the president or vice president of the following world-renowned universities: universities within or outside China ranked in the top 150, as ranked by a renowned ranking agency.

An equivalent to the above-mentioned achievements.

Core member’s Requirements:

The talent must have a doctorate degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) and post-Ph.D. work experience of more than three years in well-known enterprises, universities, research units, and related institutions and achieve more outstanding performance.

An agreement of at least 3 years of contract after being selected.

Eligibility Criteria

Any applicant who aims in applying to this program must fulfill the following basic criteria.​

Must have completed Ph.D. before 31st August 2021.

Must belong to the science and technology field. Applicants from the fields like humanities, linguistics,  and other non-scientific fields are not eligible for this program. Applicants involved in the application of technology like Artificial Intelligence and other mathematical algorithms to non-scientific fields are welcome to apply.​

Must not be working in Mainland China as a regular employee.

Tentative Dates

(2025 Innovative Scheme):

Research problem statements received from Chinese enterprises: 15 May 2024 – 31st May 2025

Researcher’s problem statement matching with researcher work: 1st May 2024 – 30th May 2025

Final results announcement: 1st week of November 2025

Start of work: Feb-March, 2026 (Researcher may delay the start of work by submitting the request)

Remunerations

Complimentary airfare to China will be provided for the purpose of signing the contract.

A generous gift of 1 million RMB will be presented upon signing the contract.

Personal funds ranging from 5 to 8 million RMB will be allocated for a duration of 3 years. Young talents (experience less than 10 years) will be eligible for personal funds ranging from 2 to 4 million RMB.

Project funding of up to 100 million RMB will be available, subject to the specific requirements of the project.

Complimentary accommodation and tuition-free education for children will be provided to researchers residing in China for the entire duration of the project. This benefit is not applicable to remote consultants.

Upon successful completion of the project tenure, the researcher will be eligible to apply for a Chinese green card.

Upon completion of the project tenure, the researcher will be entitled to post-retirement social welfare benefits.

Team leaders have the option to propose a commission percentage during the initial agreement if the research problem leads to a successful business income.