EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism - China Innovation Funding

The EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism (CFM) is a joint initiative launched by the European Union and the Chinese Government to support joint research and innovation projects between European and Chinese universities, research institutions and enterprises in strategic areas of common interest under the framework of Horizon 2020.

The CFM was first agreed at the 2^nd EU-China Innovation Cooperation Dialogue in June 2015, endorsed by the 17^th EU-China Summit in the same month, and officially launched in September 2015 in the occasion of the visit of European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas to China. Based on the successul results of the first round of calls, during the 3^rd EU-China Innovation Cooperation Dialogue it was then agreed to further extend the EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism to the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2018-2020.

Through the EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) will grant funding to China-based participants of H2020 research and innovation projects.

What is the scale of funding of the EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism?

Building on the EU’s Horizon 2020 and relevant research and innovation funding programmes on the Chinese side, during the period from 2016 to 2020 the EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism will mobilise over 500 million EUR from the EU side, and 1 billion RMB from the Chinese side.

Specifically, from the Chinese side up to 200 million RMB will be made available annually by MOST for China-based entities that will participate in joint projects with European partners under H2020. The EC has committed to funding about 100 million EUR per year for funding Europe-based entities in joint projects under H2020 with Chinese participants.

How to apply for funding under the EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism?

The EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism funds EU-China joint research and innovation projects under the framework of Horizon 2020.

Europe-based entities can only apply from the European side through the Horizon 2020 Participant Portal, with the most recent Work Programme for 2018-2020 published on 27 October 2020.

China-based entities can only apply from the Chinese side through specific calls published on MOST website (see section below). A key requirement is that China-based applicants should have already submitted a joint proposal with their European partners under the EU’s H2020 Work Programme 2018-2020. In the last call published on MOST website on 26 March 2020, Chinese partners in such H2020 proposals could apply irrespectively of whether their H2020 proposal had been submitted for a stage 1, stage 2, or single stage deadline, or whether the H2020 proposal had still to be evaluated.

China-based affiliates of European entities can apply from the Chinese side, provided that they meet the basic eligibility requirements and conditions indicated in the call from the Chinese side.

What are the areas/sectors targeted by the EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism?

The EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism targets two main categories of topics:

Topics under the three EU-China STI Flagship initiatives with MOST:
1. Food, Agriculture, and Biotechnologies;
2. Sustainable Urbanisation; and
3. Surface Transports

Topics belonging to the nine priority areas of common interest eligible for co-funding:
1. New generation information networks;
2. Intelligent and green manufacturing;
3. Safe, clean and efficient energy;
4. Advanced, effective, safe and convenient health technologies;
5. Marine equipment;
6. Space;
7. New materials;
8. Large research infrastructures; and
9. Public security.

Different budget ceilings and requirements may apply depending on the category of topics (see below “how many projects are usually funded”).

How and when are EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism calls published?

From the Chinese side, calls are published on MOST website (http://www.most.gov.cn/tztg/) and on China’s National S&T Information System, Public Service Platform (http://service.most.gov.cn/). They are usually published with a group of other calls with other international partners, and are labelled as “Intergovernmental S&T Cooperation National Key R&D Programmes”.

MOST will regularly publish EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism calls during the 2018-2020 period. Annual calls could also be published under more different batches. Exact timing, terms and conditions however is not determined and may vary time by time. Five calls have so far been published, with the last one being published on 26 March 2020 (link).

From the European side, calls are published on the Horizon 2020 Participant Portal, with the most recent Work Programme for 2018-2020 published on 27 October 2020.

How many projects are usually funded, for which amount and duration?

The last EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism call published on 26 March 2020 allocated a total budget of 110 million RMB to support around 20 projects in total. Among these, 60 million RMB were allocated to support 4 to 5 projects from the first category of topics (EU-China STI Flagship initiatives), equalling to around 12 to 15 million RMB per project; the remaining 50 million RMB were allocated to support around 15 projects belonging to the nine priority areas of common interest, equalling to an average funding scale of 3 million RMB per project.

The duration of each project normally lasts up to 3 years, with possibility of extension when duly justified.

One specific condition is that the amount of funding requested by China-based entities in its application to MOST must not exceed the amount of funding indicated by in the corresponding H2020 proposal.

What are the elibigility requirements for applicants?

From the Chinese side, eligible applicants are eligible applicants are research institutes, universities and enterprises registered with independent legal person status in mainland China, usually for around 1 year before the date of publication of the EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism call (e.g. for the call published in March 2018, candidates had to be registered in mainland China before 31 December 2020). Applicants should possess strong R&D capacities with experience in international cooperation, while principal investigators must meet certain requirements in terms of academic level, age (generally not exceeding 60), time to be dedicated in the proposed project (usually at least 6 or 9 months per year), limit on the total number of projects currently under implementation, especially if already receiving funding from other national projects (in which case the PI is not eligible for the EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism). Scientists of foreign nationalities recruited by China-based entities can be presented as Principal Investigators. Last, but not least, Chinese applicants must have already applied in consortium with the European partner to a H2020 project (a copy of the H2020 proposal in English submitted should be included in the application dossier).

Other relevant conditions may also apply for China-based actors depending on the specific call.

Europe-based entities will apply for Horizon 2020 funding, following the rules and procedures of Horizon 2020, including for budget allocation for their Chinese partners. Chinese applicants, submitting requests for funding in the EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism calls, follow the rules and procedures governing National Key R&D Programmes, particularly the Interim Measures for the Management of National Key R&D Programmes and the Fund Management Measures for National Key R&D Programmes.

How does the application and evaluation process take place?

The rules, procedures and criteria governing the application, evaluation and approval of EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism calls are the same of those governing National Key R&D Programmes, particularly the Interim Measures for the Management of National Key R&D Programmes and the Fund Management Measures for National Key R&D Programmes. For more information, including on the scoring system for the evaluation of applications, see the factsheet on National Key R&D Programmes on this website at this link.

How can I keep track of the application process?

In line with the reforms of the Chinese national funding system for research and innovation, results of each stage of evaluation (pre-application and formal application) will be communicated timely by the professional management agency responsible for the daily operations of EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism calls – the China Science and Technology Exchange Center. Relevant information, including lists of experts sitting in evaluation committee, and final lists of winners, will also be regularly published on the National S&T Information System, Public Service Platform (http://service.most.gov.cn/).

Examples of EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism projects

Ageing with elegans (AWE), coordinated by KU Leuven and participated by Tsinghua University: http://www.h2020awe.eu/
URBAN-EU-CHINA – EU-China Innovation Platform on Sustainable Urbanisation, coordinated by NTNU and participated by the University of Nottingham Ningbo, EUCCC, Chinese Academy of Urban Planning and Design, China Centre for Urban Development, and Tongji University’s CIUC: http://www.urban-eu-china.eu/en/
EXCITING – EU-China study on IoT and 5G, coordinated by Martel and participated by Huawei, CAS, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, BII Group, etc.: https://euchina-iot5g.eu/

Useful contacts

Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology:

Dai Qian: daiq@most.cn; hzs_ozc@most.cn. Tel. (86) 10 58881358

China Science and Technology Exchange Center (CSTEC):

Xin Bingqing: xinbq@cstec.org.cn. Tel: (86) 10 68598010
Lin Xiyan: linxy@cstec.org.cn. Tel: (86) 10 68573441

Additional information/links

Factsheet on National Key R&D Programmes, including application and evaluation procedure, and scoring system: http://chinainnovationfunding.eu/national-key-rd-programmes/

Last call notice in English (unofficial translation): https://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/most_notice_en.pdf ; application guidelines: https://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/most_application_guidelines_en.pdf ; administrative check requirements: https://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/most_admin_check_requirements_en.pdf

European Commission DG RTD – China Country page: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/other/hi/h2020_localsupp_china_en.pdf

Q&A in Chinese: http://service.most.gov.cn/2015tztg_all/20180410/2574.html

Webinars: http://chinainnovationfunding.eu/webinars/

Are there any other co-funding opportunities for EU-China joint projects?

There currently exist two other STI Flagship Initiatives with the Natural Sciences Foundation of China (NSFC), and with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT):

Biotechnologies for Environment and Health (NSFC), 3 topics (2 closed)
Aviation (MIIT), 1 topic

On 3 January 2020, the NSFC published the call for the first joint topic “New Biotechnologies for Environmental Remediation” with a deadline for submission of proposals on 12 April 2020. Two projects, each with three interrelated sub-topics, will be supported. The ceiling of fund scale per project will not exceed 15 million RMB (direct cost) to cover the cost of research and international cooperation and exchanges. For further information please visit the NSFC call website: http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/publish/portal0/tab434/info72596.htm

Contacts:

Fan Yingjie: fanyj@nsfc.gov.cn. Tel: (86) 10 62325309 (NSFC);
Qiu Chunhong: qiuch@nsfc.gov.cn. Tel: (86) 10 62327005 (NSFC)
Carmen DE-VICENTE: Carmen.DE-VICENTE-COLL@ec.europa.eu (EC DG RTD)

MIIT will also provide co-funding for the topic “LC-MG-1-6-2020: Aviation operations impact on climate change”. On 17 January 2020, MIIT published the notice announcing the call for proposals on the following specific research topics. Proposals should be sent to MIIT Department of Equipment Manufacturing Industries during the period from 4 December 2020 to 24 April 2020. Chinese participants in joint projects under H2020 are expected to apply to MIIT for co-funding. Applications should be compiled in line with the content provided in the project guidelines – covering two topics (each with description of key research areas):

Safer and More Efficient Certification of Green Aviation Alternative Fuel (AAF)
Trajectory Based Greener Air Traffic Operations

For further information please visit MIIT website: http://xxgk.miit.gov.cn/gdnps/wifbContent.isp?id=6017273

Contacts:

Luo Jie: luojie@miit.gov.cn. Tel: (86) 10 68205645 (MIIT)

Other NSFC bilateral agreements

The Natural Science Foundation of China also supports a series of international (regional) cooperation and exchange projects under framework agreements with institutions or countries worldwide. These include 17 EU Member States, ERC, CERN, as well as other international organisations based in Europe. For a full list of agreements with European partners, see the NSFC Factsheet on this website (section “Programmes targetting international cooperation: International (Regional) Cooperation and Exchange Programmes under Framework Agreements”): http://chinainnovationfunding.eu/national-natural-science-fund/

EU-China Co-Funding Mechanism