The Shanghai Astronomical Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced on Dec 19 that exceptional young talents from overseas are invited to apply for the Excellent Young Scholars Fund (Overseas) of the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

The Excellent Young Scholars Fund (Overseas) aims to encourage exceptionally talented overseas scholars who have demonstrated notable accomplishments in natural science, engineering technology, and other fields to return to or come to China for employment.

The foundation will provide a fund of 1-3 million yuan ($137,000 – $411,000) for three years.

In addition to the funding support from the foundation and the support from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory will provide a research startup fund of no less than 1 million yuan.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Born on or after Jan 1, 1985.
• Hold a doctoral degree.
• Must have held a formal teaching or research position at an overseas university, research institute, or corporate R&D center for at least 36 consecutive months after earning their doctoral degree.
• For applicants with a doctoral degree earned overseas who have made exceptional achievements, the work experience requirement may be relaxed.
• Must not have taken up full-time employment in China, or have been working in China for no more than one year at the time of application.
• Upon approval, applicants must resign from any overseas positions or provide proof they are no longer engaged in overseas employment, and commit to full-time work in China for at least three years.

Research areas

The Shanghai Astronomical Observatory encourages applications in the following areas:

(1) Astronomical Geodynamics:

• Precision Orbit Determination and Applications of Spacecraft
• Celestial Measurements and Reference Frames
• Satellite Navigation and Remote Sensing
• Satellite Laser Ranging and Applications
• Earth Observation and Global Change

(2) Astrophysics:

• Black Hole and Compact Astrophysics
• Cosmology and Galaxy Astrophysics
• Stellar Physics
• Planetary Physics
• Radio Astrophysics
• High-Energy Astrophysics
• Time Domain Astronomy
• Gravitational Wave Astronomy

(3) Astronomical Techniques and Methods:

• Ground/Space Radio Astronomy and Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Techniques
• Big Data Analysis for Radio Interferometer Arrays
• Space Electronics
• Ultraviolet and Infrared Astronomical Techniques
• Optical Interferometry Techniques
• Extrasolar Planet Detection and Research
• Time-Frequency and Atomic Clock Techniques
• Application of Artificial Intelligence in Astronomy

For more details, please visit the observatory's official website.

Contacts

Interested applicants are requested to submit their detailed resumes, major academic achievements, and supporting documents to rjc@shao.ac.cn before March 15, 2025. Please use "海外优青" (NSFC Excellent Young Scholars) as the subject of the email.

For inquiries regarding eligibility and policy-related matters, please contact the Human Resources Office of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory.

Ms. Wu, 021-34775035

Ms. Shang, 021-34775031

Source: Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of Chinese Academy of Sciences