Program Overview
The Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas) aims to attract and encourage outstanding young scholars working abroad—including foreign nationals of non-Chinese descent—who have achieved strong results in the natural sciences, engineering, and related fields to return to China (or come to China) to work, to carry out innovative research in self-chosen directions, and to support the rapid growth of early-career researchers. The program seeks to train a cohort of promising academic leaders who can compete at the frontiers of global science and technology, and to contribute to building China into a strong country in science and technology.
The School of Integrated Circuits And Microelectronics at Northwestern Polytechnical University invites outstanding scholars worldwide to apply for the 2026 Overseas Excellent Young Scientists Fund under its sponsorship.
Research Areas
Including but not limited to:
IC design and EDA
Micro- and nano-electronic devices and integration
Novel semiconductor materials and devices
Advanced IC materials, process technology, and key equipment
Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS)
Smart microsystems and advanced packaging and integration
Photonic and optoelectronic chips
AI and quantum chips
Interdisciplinary applications of integrated circuits in aviation, aerospace, marine engineering, and biomedicine
Key Eligibility Requirements
(Specific requirements are subject to the official national documents issued for 2026.)
Abide by the laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China, uphold sound scientific ethics, and practice the spirit of scientists of the new era.
Be no older than 40 (born on or after January 1, 1986).
Hold a doctoral degree.
Work mainly in the natural sciences, engineering, technology, or related fields.
After receiving the doctorate, and by April 15, 2026, have generally held a formal teaching or research position at an overseas university, research institution, or corporate R&D organization, with at least 36 consecutive months of work experience. For those who earned the doctorate overseas and have especially outstanding records, the length-of-service requirement may be relaxed as appropriate (this does not apply to overseas doctorates earned through joint Chinese–foreign training programs). Time spent in a paid position inside China while working overseas does not count toward overseas work experience.
Have research, technical, or other achievements recognized by peer experts, and the potential to become an academic leader or outstanding talent in the field.
Have not yet begun full-time work in China, or have returned to China (or come to China) to work on or after January 1, 2025. After receiving the funding notice, the applicant must resign from any overseas post (or hold none) and work full-time in China for at least three years.
Positions and Benefits
01 Appointment
A university establishment post, with appointment as full professor, PhD supervisor, and holder of a senior professional title.
02 Compensation
(1) A competitive annual salary, settlement allowance and cash housing subsidies, performance-based pay, special contribution awards, and other income—no upper limit.
(2) A one-time bonus from the School.
(3) A dynamic and stable salary growth mechanism.
03 Research support
(1) Sufficient research start-up funding, up to RMB 6 million in total (including 1:1 matching funds from the university).
(2) Strong research platforms and laboratory space: the university has over 200 national and provincial/ministerial-level laboratories and engineering centers, including 28 at the national level.
(3) Access to shared facilities: the university’s Analysis and Testing Center is a research-grade, public-service platform meeting international standards, providing straightforward and reliable analytical and testing services.
04 Team building
(1) Guaranteed admission quotas for one PhD student per year during the first three years after joining.
(2) No cap on postdoctoral appointments in the first three years; their salaries are covered in full by the university.
05 Development support
(1) An assigned “growth mentor” for one-to-one guidance and support across the full career path.
(2) Close ties with defense industry groups and sectoral research institutes; the university runs the “100 Chief Designers Training Program” for young faculty and offers secondment opportunities in industry and research institutes, with channels for collaboration.
(3) Strong support for forming academic innovation teams. After joining, you may apply for an “Aoxiang Young Scientist Studio,” with dedicated funding and resources to promote interdisciplinary research and collaboration.
06 Living benefits
(1) Access to Northwestern Polytechnical University’s affiliated kindergarten, primary, and middle schools (among the top in the country).
(2) A “Sanqin Talent Card,” with access to airport and railway station VIP services, medical “green channels,” physical examinations at top-tier hospitals, free entry to Grade-A scenic sites in Shaanxi, and other services for high-level talent.
07 Additional notes
(1) Candidates who reach the defense stage but are not selected for the Overseas Excellent Young Scientists Fund may be supported under the “Aoxiang Overseas Scholar + tenure-track professor + university establishment” package: annual salary of RMB 550,000 and RMB 1 million in research start-up funding.
(2) Especially strong candidates in relevant fields may receive extra support from the “Aoxiang Talent (Special Support) Fund.”
(3) Applicants for the Overseas Excellent Young Scientists Fund may apply at the same time for the “Shaanxi Provincial Talent Plan” and the university’s “Aoxiang Overseas Scholar.” If selected under both the national fund and a provincial talent plan, support will be provided at the higher level.
The School offers one-stop service and end-to-end support—from policy consultation and application preparation to onboarding and benefit implementation. Experts will advise on drafting and revising the application, and dedicated staff will help complete and refine the materials. Where a candidate is recommended through the School and is successfully selected into a national talent program, the School will provide a generous “Bole Award.”
About Northwestern Polytechnical University
Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), located in Xi’an, Shaanxi, is a national “Double First-Class” university with distinctive strengths in education and research in aeronautics, astronautics, and marine engineering. It is administered by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and has long been a key university under Project 985 and Project 211.
The university remains committed to its talent-driven strategy and to the “four orientations”: toward the frontiers of global science and technology, toward the main fields of economic development, toward major national needs, and toward people’s life and health. It continues to strengthen research and innovation, educate leading talent, build major national capabilities, and take on responsibilities of national importance, making notable contributions to the country and to national defense.
About the School of Integrated Circuits And Microelectronics
The School of Integrated Circuits And Microelectronics is located in Xi’an, Shaanxi. Its foundations go back to 1987, with the establishment of the Institute of Integrated Circuits at Northwestern Polytechnical University. In 1995, it was designated the Aviation Microelectronics Research and Training Center by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. In 2004, the Ministry of Education approved its National Integrated Circuit Talent Training Base. In 2015, it was among the first 26 schools selected as National Demonstration Schools of Microelectronics. In 2021, it was among the first 18 institutions authorized to grant doctoral degrees in the first-level discipline of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering.
The School leads the development of the first-level discipline of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering and contributes to the first-level discipline of Electronic Science and Technology. It offers two undergraduate programs: Microelectronic Science and Engineering (a national first-class major) and IC Design and Integration Systems. Through deep industry–education collaboration with research institutes and leading firms—including CASC Institutes 771 and 772, AVIC Institutes 631 and 618, CETC Institutes 58 and 13, Huawei, ZTE, and Empyrean (Huada Jiutian)—the School has built strong platforms for talent development and research.
The School has distinctive research strengths in aviation and aerospace application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), aerospace micro- and nano-electromechanical systems, and optoelectronic integrated chips and microsystems. It has undertaken a series of major national R&D programs and played a substantive role in major national engineering projects, contributing to both economic development and national defense science and technology.
