The Sixth INSF - NSF Joint Call Announced

Call Description

The Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) announced their sixth joint call for proposals with the aim of supporting up to 15 joint research projects.

Applicants are encouraged to give special consideration to the development of scientific networks among research institutes, organizations, universities, and experts in the relevant fields in the design and implementation phase of their proposed projects. Priority will be given to projects that foster scientific synergy, strengthen inter-institutional collaboration, and demonstrate significant potential to achieve the research objectives of the program.

Priority Research Areas

1. Water and Energy

• AI-powered smart irrigation systems for water-scarce and saline environments
• Integrated water resource management under drought and climate variability conditions
• Energy-efficient advanced technologies for water treatment and seawater/brackish water desalination
• Energy storage and hydrogen technologies
• Renewable energy integration into national grids and distribution networks

2. Agricultural and Medical Biotechnology

• Genetic improvement of strategic crops for drought, salinity, and heat resistance using molecular breeding techniques
• Microbial biotechnology for food security, including biofertilizers, single-cell proteins, probiotics, biopesticides, and biological control
• Recombinant drugs and biosimilars: process development, purification, and quality control
• Novel drug delivery systems based on biological origins (nano-carriers, liposomes)

Eligibility Criteria

• Iranian applicants must be full- time faculty members of universities or research institutions in Iran.
• The Iranian Principal Investigator (PI) must have previously completed, through INSF, at least:
  • one research project as PI (with 100% completion and supervisor approval), or
  • one PhD/postdoctoral project as PI/project leader (with 100% completion and supervisor approval).
• Proposals must be jointly developed by Iranian and Chinese researchers; eligible Iranian applicants are required to complete the Joint Research Agreement and the Joint English Proposal Form together with their Chinese collaborators and upload them through the INSF Research Management System.
• In addition to the required documents, applicants must complete the Persian online application form and upload:
  • Updated CVs of both Iranian and Chinese PIs
  • A valid and updated faculty appointment decree (issued in 2025–2026)

Applicants are strongly advised to carefully review the general call guidelines and eligibility requirements before submitting their proposals.

Timeline

• Call Announcement: July 5, 2026
• Proposal Submission Deadline: August 24, 2026  
• Final Results Announcement: December 2026
• Project Start Date: January 2027

Funding

For the Iranian research team, selected joint research project will receive up to 50 billion IRR from INSF for a maximum duration of three years.

Funding for the Iranian research team will be provided according to project progress and INSF regulations. Financial support for the Chinese research team will be provided in accordance with the regulations of NSFC.

Files for Download

• Joint Research Proposal Form (English)
• Proposal Submission Guidelines
• Budgeting Guidelines for International Joint Research Projects
• Joint Research Agreement
  (Iranian and Chinese researchers must jointly prepare this document and, after approval and signature by the host university or research institution, submit it together with the proposal to both INSF and NSFC.)

Application Procedure

Applicants should register through the INSF Research Management System via the Applicants/Researchers section.

Researchers who do not already have an account must first create a profile and then log in using their registered email address and password.

After logging in, proposals can be submitted through:

New Proposal Submission → International Projects → NSFC Joint Call

Contact Information

INSF (for Iranian researchers):

Dr. Somayeh Moradhaseli

Researchers who have questions regarding the submission process, eligibility requirements, or scientific content of the call should submit a support ticket to the International Affairs Office (Dr. Moradhaseli) through their INSF Research Management System profile after reviewing the call guidelines and regulations.

NSFC (for Chinese researchers):

Dr. SONG Shengqiang

Email: songshengqiang@nsfc.gov.cn