European Commission

Collaboration opportunities

China and Europe have a solid ground for cooperation in the area of Science & Technology through the signing of a cooperation agreement in 1998 which pledged to develop and facilitate cooperation in scientific research and development and created a steering committee to manage the implementation of this agreement. This steering committee meets on a yearly basis and has as main tasks to promote cooperative activities, indicate priority sectors of mutual interests and advise on ways to improve cooperation.

Since the signing of the 1998 agreement and its renewal in 2004, a major effect of which being the opening of FP7 funding to Chinese researchers, the 2006 Joint Declaration on EU-China Science and Technology Cooperation has emphasized the importance of:

1. focusing on strategic projects in specific research areas;
2. strengthening the mobility of researchers;
3. putting in place practical measures to allow participation in each other’s research activities.

The establishment in 2009 of the Science and Technology Partnership Scheme between the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the European Commission (CESTYS) intends to practically address the launching of joint strategic projects by planning coordinated calls on topics of mutual interest. Coordinated calls can also be launched with Chinese partner institutions other than the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST).

For researchers in China this cooperation framework and its latest developments mean increased opportunities for cooperation and funding, be it through the EU’s 7th Framework Programme and in particular through its calls targeted at China in which Chinese participation is either encouraged or mandatory, or through the Chinese programmes such as the 863 High-tech R&D program or the 973 basic research program.

Among the Chinese major research institutions, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) has the particularity of being financially autonomous and thus of acting as a major research funding agency, particularly open to international cooperation.

Taking this into account, the European Commission Directorate General for Research signed with NSFC on 26 March 2010, the "administrative arrangement on joint projects" in Brussels. According to this document, both sides will launch joint projects in the fields of common interest. Concrete research cooperation projects, submitted through joint applications by European and Chinese scientists, and selected through joint evaluation by both European and Chinese experts, will be jointly funded by both sides.

Besides creating the conditions to allow reciprocal participation of Chinese and European researchers in each other’s research programs, specific activities for enhancing the mobility of researchers have been recently launched:

• the IRSES initiative (International Research Staff Exchange Scheme) promoting short-term exchanges of personnel amongst selected universities and research institutes established in Europe, in China and in other countries (http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/mariecurieactions/irses_en.html).
• the STF-China initiative promoting the mobility of EU researchers to China and offering to 30 selected researchers from EU member states 6-month tailor-made Chinese language and culture training in Beijing and 18-month practical research work in a Chinese host organisation (www.euchinastf.eu).

European research institutions active in China also offer collaboration opportunities. They often work with Chinese research institutions, both local and national ones including NSFC, CAS, CASS etc.  (access all useful links including to an overview of the Chinese research system on our Useful Links page)

Several projects initiated under the external-aid funds of the European Union may also target the promotion of S&T cooperation between Europe and China:

• The China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy (ICARE)  aims at educating post-graduate students in the field of clean and renewable energy and at training professionals. ICARE is established at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan (central China) and  provides a Master Degree in renewable energy taught by leading European academic institutions. In addition, ICARE hosts an international research platform. More information about this new project (2010) in the In Focus article of our Newsletter July 2010 edition.
• The EU-China Clean Energy Center (EC2) was launched in April 2010. It is an autonomous body co-financed by the Chinese government and the European Commission to promote the use of cleaner energy technologies in the following areas: clean coal, sustainable biofuel, renewable energy sources, energy efficiency in energy consumption and sustainable and efficient distribution systems. For more information on the Clean Energy Centre and the EC2 project you can read the In Focus article of our Newsletter April 2010 edition as well as contact the co-directors of EC2:
  • Dr. Alessandro Costa, project supervisor of the Sino-Italian Cooperation Program for Environmental Protection (alessandro.costa@feem.it)
  • Professor Shi Dan, head of the Department of Energy, Institute of Industrial Economics, CASS (shidan01@163.com)

Finally, European Union Member States have developed many cooperation programs with China in the fields of research and science and technology, facilitating collaborative projects between European and Chinese research laboratories, increasing researchers’ mobility and promoting scientific exchanges between Europe and China.

To review the range of grants and funding opportunities that are available, please check our comprehensive Funding opportunities section.

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