China issues guidelines on global sustainable development cooperation

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) released guidelines for the Sustainable Development International Cooperation Program (SDIC) in 2026, which involves multiple international partner organizations and covers areas such as life and health, green resources, and climate change.

According to the guidelines issued on Wednesday, this year's SDIC will focus on key challenges in global sustainable development, combining common challenges with global sci-tech frontiers. It will provide joint funding with international partner organizations in fields including life and health sciences, green resource development, biodiversity, climate change, agricultural and food sciences and marine sciences.

The guidelines encompass organizational partnership, cooperation, and strategic research. The first batch of international partner organizations includes the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) of Brazil, the State Research Agency (AEI) of Spain, the Mongolian Foundation for Science and Technology (MFST) and the Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI).

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) are also in the first batch of partner organizations.

The guidelines emphasize that project proposals should highlight the cultivation of young talent and the building of international cooperation networks, particularly multilateral cooperation. They also encourage research teams from different disciplinary fields to submit joint applications.

The SDIC was jointly launched by the NSFC and international organizations and research funding agencies from various countries. It aims to conduct scientific research addressing global challenges, promote bilateral and multilateral international exchanges and cooperation, and expand the scope of international collaboration.