The Early-Career Fellowship (ECF) is a pilot program launched in 2022, which aims to implement the development concept of innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing, and help promote the achievement of sustainable development goals. The ECF program is organized by Future Earth Global Secretariat Hub China with support from China Association for Science and Technology. The mission of the ECF program is to provide a forum in which early-career researchers from various disciplines (e.g., natural, social, and human sciences) can share their interdisciplinary research, pursue unique collaborations, and build a network of colleagues who can share their interest in improving the global sustainable development goals. Since the early years are critical in shaping a researcher’s career, the ECF funds are relatively unrestricted and the recipients will enjoy sufficient independence, flexibility and a built-in support network during his/her tenure as ECF fellow.

Program Details

Future Earth convenes researchers and scholars from all parts of the world, across different societal and academic sectors, and across the natural, social, and human sciences. Future Earth initiates and supports international collaboration programs between these researchers and stakeholders. The aim is to identify and generate the integrated knowledge needed for successful transformations towards societies that provide good and fair lives for all within a stable and resilient Earth system. Future Earth uses a rigorous transdisciplinary research and systems thinking approach throughout its work in which basic and applied research are combined to generate actionable, solution-oriented knowledge to inform and guide decisions by policy makers and practitioners at all levels of governance. The Future Earth’s ECF program will select outstanding early-career scholars who has obtained their doctoral degree or is in the last year of their doctoral program in any discipline of natural, social, and human sciences clearly related to global sustainable development.

 Award Details

The ECF program plans to award 15 early-career researchers every year. Each of the recipients is entitled to receive a scholarship of 30,000-50,000 Chinese Yuan (RMB). The scholarship can be used for research-related expenses, including professional travel, professional development courses, conferences, or any other costs directly related to the fellow’s research. The use of these funds for any other expenses requires pre-approval from the Future Earth China Hub. It should be note that the management organization of the funds is Sun Yat-sen University and the funds can not be allocated to other units.

 Eligibility

At the time of application, the applicants must:

• Be an early-career researcher/scientist/postdoc, etc. who is in the last year of their Ph.D. program or has received their doctoral degree (or equivalent) within the past 5 years and born on or after January 1, 1988.

• Be in the field of social sciences, engineering sciences, earth and life sciences, or interdisciplinary scientific fields clearly relevant to the global sustainable development.

• Having an experience of more than 12 months of overseas study/work/research at a college or university, research institute, etc., or intending to study/work/research overseas and return to China.

• Having a collaborator in the related disciplines at Sun Yat-sen University (Future Earth China Hub may assist the applicant to find a collaborator).

 The successful applicants are expected to have the following qualities:

1. A strong scientific and/or technical background and preferable to have received prestigious scholarship/fellowship in the past.
2. Strong research background with a clear alignment towards global sustainable development goals.
3. Experienced and/or demonstrated the willingness to work in an interdisciplinary field or participated in interdisciplinary collaborative activities.
4. Efficient verbal and written communication skills to address the scientific and non-scientific audiences.
5. The successful applicants should have good organizational and interpersonal skills for successful accomplishment of the projects.
6. The successful applicants are expected to come to China (overseas applicants) or abroad (domestic applicants) for a period of exchange or cooperation.

 Application materials & Process

To apply for the ECF Program, please include the following documents/information in your application:

Latest CV (PDF): Must include educational/work experiences (in reverse chronological order), publications/patents/awards/projects etc.

A brief statement addressing the following:

1. A description of applicant’s research works and projects (consisting of background, process, and value), which must include the primary discipline and a statement on how applicant’s research intersects with the objectives of sustainable development.
2. A description of personal experiences and feelings related to research or sustainable development. For instance, memorable experiences during study and research periods, the original intention for choosing research work, etc.
3. A description of the proposed research work and the goals applicant plan to accomplish under the ECF program, including the plan of international exchange or cooperation.
4. Names and contact details of 3 referees (supervisor/collaborator/anyone who is aware of applicant’s research and skills)
5. A supporting letter from their current supervisor, mentor or collaborator is highly recommended.

Applications will be evaluated based on research originality, productivity, and potential as well as the committee’s assessment on how likely the applicant will be benefitted from the ECF program and will contribute to the FE’s objectives. Efforts will be made to balance representation across different disciplines and gender. The selected ECF fellows will need to fill out couple of forms to receive the scholarship, and a FE science officer will be assigned to the selected ECF fellows to follow up periodically to provide support.

The deadline for applying the ECF program is 31 October 2023.

For inquiries/sending application: please contact Future Earth China Hub (zhongming.gao@futureearth.org)

Email format: Application for Future Earth-ECF Program (Year)+(Name)+(Nationality)