The China Jinping Underground Laboratory (CJPL) is the world’s deepest underground laboratory with the lowest cosmic-ray muon flux, the largest usable space, extremely low radiation background, and exceptional overall conditions for experimental research.

In 2025, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) launched the "Jinping Large Scientific Infrastructure International Cooperation Research Program". Following the organizational model of the NSFC Major Research Plan program, this program supports Integrated Projects, Key Supported Projects, and Cultivation Projects to foster collaboration between Chinese scientists and leading international researchers, with the aim of positioning CJPL as a world-leading hub for deep-underground scientific research with broad international participation. 2026 will be the second year of implementation for this program.

I. Scientific Objectives

Leveraging the unique strengths of CJPL, this international cooperation program focuses on three major scientific goals: the search for neutrinoless double beta decay, the precise measurement of key nuclear astrophysical reactions, and the exploration of frontier deep-underground science. The program aims to improve experimental sensitivity, obtain accurate data, and develop new principles, methods, and technologies crucial for breakthroughs in future underground science experiments.

II. Core Scientific Issues

(i) Search for Neutrinoless double beta decay.

(ii) Direct measurement of key nuclear astrophysical reactions within the Gamow window.

(iii) Exploration of new principles, methods, and technologies at the frontier of deep-underground science.

III. Project Types and Funding Areas for 2026

The project types to be funded this year include:

(i) Integrated Projects: High-precision measurement of underground nuclear astrophysics key reactions at CJPL, encompassing:

1. Research on key technologies for the transmission, diagnosis, and remote control of the low-energy high-current beam at CJPL. This research aims to address key issues related to the efficient and stable transport of high-intensity low-energy beams to ensure the long-term stable operation of the deep-underground low-energy and high-current accelerator at CJPL.

2. Research on key technologies for neutron suppression in underground nuclear astrophysics experiments. This research aims to conduct neutron coincidence measurements and measurements of relevant key nuclear astrophysics reactions to achieve high-precision characterization of neutron events.

3. Research on key technologies for angular distribution measurements of underground nuclear astrophysical reactions with extremely low cross sections. This research will develop angular distribution measurement technologies to study the mechanism of extremely low cross-section reactions.

4. Theoretical studies and high-precision measurements of nuclear astrophysical reactions near the Gamow window. Direct measurements will be carried out as close as possible to the Gamow window for cross sections of alpha-capture, and proton-capture reactions, and to reveal their impact on the origin of elements and evolution of stars.

(ii) Cultivation Projects: Frontier exploration in deep-underground science, including but not limited to:

1. Deep-underground quantum technologies, including research on quantum error correction, radiation effects on quantum computing, quantum radar detection, and related topics.

2. Deep-underground medical research, including studies of radiation dose-biological response in deep-underground environments, genetic variation of cells, and related topics.

3. Deep-underground materials science, including high-performance molecular sieves, carbon storage materials, and related topics.

4. Other frontier deep-underground science research, including electronics for dark matter detection and neutrinoless double decay experiments, and related topics.

IV. Funding Plan for 2026

One Integrated Project will be funded. The NSFC grant is up to RMB 10 million per project (direct costs) for a period of 4 years, from January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2030.

Two to four Cultivation Projects will be funded. The NSFC grant is RMB 0.8-1.2 million per project (direct costs) for a period of 4 years, from January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2030.

V. Application Requirements and Important Notes

(i) Application Requirements

1. Basic Requirements

(1) International collaboration is required. The international collaborators should have clearly defined responsibilities, make substantive contributions, and carry out specific experiments or research work at CJPL for a certain period of time each year. A Collaborative Agreement between Chinese applicants and international partners must be uploaded as an attachment (a template is provided in the Attachment I).

(2) A pre-approval letter from CJPL is required (contact email: cjpl@tsinghua.edu.cn, email title: Pre-approval for the 2026 Jinping International Cooperation Research Program, template provided in the Appendix II). The pre-approval letter from CJPL shall state that the proposed project can be conducted at CJPL after it passes review. Applications that do not meet this requirement will not be accepted.

(3) For Integrated Projects, the number of domestic collaborating institutions shall not exceed 4. For Cultivation Projects, it shall not exceed 2.

2. Eligibility Requirements for Applicants

(1) Have prior experience in undertaking basic research projects.

(2) Hold a senior professional or technical position (title).

Postdoctoral researchers currently in a postdoctoral research station, individuals pursuing a graduate degree, and those without an employing institution or whose institution is not the designated host organization are not eligible to apply.

3. Requirements for International Collaborators

(1) Engage in scientific research full-time at a foreign institution.

(2) The foreign principal investigator should hold a senior professional or technical position (title) in the host country and have experience conducting scientific research abroad as a project leader and managing research projects funded by institutions in the host country.

(ii) Limits of Parallel Application

1. As the Principal Investigator, an applicant shall not apply for more than one project under this program.

2. The total number of NSFC projects that researchers with senior academic ranks (or titles) can apply for or undertake (as the Principal Investigator or major participants) is limited to two.

3. More requirements can be found in the NSFC Guide to Programs 2026.

(iii) Application Notes

1. Applicants and their host institutions shall carefully read and follow this call for proposals, the NSFC Guide to Programs 2026, and the Notice on the Application and Completion of NSFC Projects in 2026.

2. Applicants must log into the Internet-based Science Information System (Grants System) to submit applications online (https://grants.nsfc.gov.cn/).

(1) Log in using the "Project Principal Investigator" user group. After logging in, click "Online Application" to enter the application interface. Then click the "New Project Application" button, select the relevant Scientific Department, and choose "Apply for Regular Science Department Projects" to enter the project category selection interface.

(2) Select "Science Fund for Global Challenges and Sustainability (面向全球的科学研究基金项目)", and then select "Large Scientific Infrastructure (CJPL)(重大科学基础设施(CJPL))"，and select one project type，either "Integrated Project (集成项目)" or "Cultivation Project (培育项目)", depending on the proposed research content of the application. Please select the appropriate application code based on the proposed research topic.

(3) Applicants must complete and submit the electronic application form and all required attachments online in accordance with the instructions and writing outline provided in the NSFC Grants System.

3. Requirements for Application Materials

(1) Applicants shall complete and submit electronic application forms and supporting documents online according to the instructions and guidelines provided in the NSFC Grants System. The main part of the application shall be written in English. Applications that do not meet this requirement will not be accepted.

(2) A Collaborative Agreement between the Chinese applicants and the international partners must be uploaded as an attachment (a template is provided in Appendix I). Applications that do not meet this requirement will not be accepted.

(3) A pre-approval letter officially stamped by CJPL must be uploaded as an attachment (a template is provided in Attachment II). Applications that do not meet this requirement will not be accepted.

(4) The applicant must submit English-language CVs for the Principal Investigator, key domestic participants, and international collaborators as part of the proposal attachments.

4. Responsibilities of the Host Institution

The host institution shall verify each item of the electronic application package via the NSFC Grants System and submit the complete application package and supplementary documents to NSFC before the deadline.

5. Additional Notes

To monitor project progress, an annual academic exchange meeting will be held for all funded projects. In addition, academic seminars in relevant research fields may be organized from time to time. Principal Investigators of funded projects are required to participate in academic exchange activities organized by the program's advisory expert group and management team.

(iv) Application Period

The online application submission period in the NSFC Grants System is from June 30, 2026 to 4:00 p.m. on August 5, 2026. (Beijing Time)

(v) Contact Information

Division III, Department of International Programs, NSFC
Tel: 010-62328487, 010-62326440
Email: lijia@nsfc.gov.cn, songshengqiang@nsfc.gov.cn
Technical Support (Information Center): +86-10-62317474

Attachment

1. Template of the Collaborative Agreement

2. Template of Pre-approval Letter from CJPL

Department of International Programs

National Natural Science Foundation of China

June 29, 2026