NSFC Young Scientists Fund (Class C)

The Young Scientists Fund (Class C) — renamed from the original Young Scientists Fund effective 2025-01-01 — is NSFC's entry-level career grant for researchers who have not previously held an NSFC grant. It targets investigators within 3 years of their PhD appointment, with a hard age cap of 35 for men and 40 for women. Grants run for 3 years at CNY 300,000 direct cost. The program forms the base of NSFC's three-tier talent ladder: Class C (entry) → Class B (formerly Excellent Young Scientists, CNY 2M) → Class A (formerly Distinguished Young Scholars, CNY 4M). The renaming, effective January 2025, is purely nomenclatural; eligibility criteria and amounts are unchanged from the prior cycle.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.