Call for applications

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation invites Germany-based early- & mid-career researchers in the fields of engineering and natural sciences to apply to participate in a symposium jointly organised with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The symposium aims to incentivise and establish international engagement and collaboration between researchers working in Germany and China in a broad range of disciplines, thereby encouraging the exchange of ideas across disciplinary and national boundaries. From June 3 to 6, 2027, participants will gather in Berlin, Germany. 

During the symposium, participants will engage in cross-disciplinary discussions about the four session topics and their interlinkages. There will be considerable time for networking among all 60 researchers. All participants will have the opportunity to present their work with a poster. 

After the symposium, all participants can apply for funding through the follow-up programme CONNECT to carry out joint research activities with participants from the partner country.

Thematic focus

The 2027 Sino-German Frontiers of Science and Technology Symposium centers on the design of matter across scales and disciplines. From the engineered arrangement of electrons in quantum materials to the metabolic architectures of living organisms, science is increasingly moving from observation to intentional design. The symposium brings together researchers working at the frontiers of materials physics, biology, ecology, and measurement to explore how matter can be understood, constructed, and transformed. Cutting across these sessions is a shared commitment to fundamental inquiry: what principles govern matter at each scale, and how can we use them to create new structures, functions, and knowledge?

The symposium is structured around four session themes:

Session A – Exploring matter at the quantum and atomic scale 

Quantum phenomena and fundamental physics at the microscale represent one of the most active frontiers in research today. This session explores how materials are understood and characterised at quantum and microscopic scales, and what new physical and chemical phenomena they reveal. Contributions may draw on condensed matter physics, quantum optical platforms, materials chemistry, or theoretical approaches. 

Session B – Engineering functional living and biomedical materials 

Biological systems are both a source of and an interface for functional materials at the macro scale. This session sits at the intersection of biology, materials science, and bioengineering. The scope encompasses engineered living materials that embed biomolecules and cells into self-organizing structures, as well as intelligent biomedical materials that sense, adapt to, and act on living tissue to improve health and quality of life.

Session C – Governing sustainable material systems 

The transition to a sustainable society requires more than new materials: it requires rethinking how material systems are designed, governed, and transformed. This session brings together perspectives from materials science, engineering, ecology, economics, and the social sciences to explore how we build material systems that are durable, circular, and equitable. 

Session D – Seeing inside and beyond matter

Understanding materials requires observation across a wide range of scales, from the atomic to the macroscopic. Advances in imaging, spectroscopy, and other characterisation techniques are transforming how we identify and probe materials in the laboratory and in industrial processes, revealing structures and dynamics that were previously inaccessible. The session-scope extends to the characterisation of biological systems, including the brain, and to how imaging and measurement techniques are being applied to understand neural structures, brain function, and the physical basis of cognition.

Follow-up Programme CONNECT

To encourage and support long-term collaboration and networking, participants may apply for the follow-up programme CONNECT offered by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. All participants are eligible to apply after the symposium. The funding is designed to facilitate collaborations that arise directly from the symposium. CONNECT provides residence allowances for short working visits up to 30 days to Germany or China that can be taken up at any time following the symposium.

Eligibility requirements for participants from Germany

Participants must

• work in Germany at a research institution or in the industry sector,    
• have obtained a PhD no more than 12 years ago (by the time of the symposium), 
• be fluent in spoken and written English.

Participants must attend the entire symposium.

Application process

Applications may be submitted online until October 11, 2026. Only applications received within this deadline will be considered. The link to the application form will be published here on 1 September. 

Applicants should provide:

• the completed application form
• link to their personal scientific profile or CV
• link to their list of key publications (max. one page)

Applications must be in English. Please click “submit” after completion of the online form to make sure your application will be transferred. 

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Proven research interest and/or experience in at least one of the session topics of the symposium
• Commitment to and experience in interdisciplinary research activities
• Added value of the symposium to applicant’s academic career development

Applicants will be notified regarding final decision by end of November 2026.

Logistics

Date of Symposium: June 3, 2027 (begins in the evening) until June 6, 2027 (ends early afternoon)

Accommodation: The Alexander von Humbolt Foundation will make room reservations for all participants at the conference venue and will cover hotel expenses for three nights from 3 to 6 June 2027. Expenses for meals for the duration of the symposium will also be covered by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Any additional costs must be paid individually. 

Travel Expenses: The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation covers the travel expenses for outward and return journeys between the home institutes and the conference venue for all participants from Germany. The reimbursement of travel expenses is generally based on the Deutsche Bahn 2nd class fare for the shortest route between the participants' place of work and the conference venue.

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact the SINOGFOST Programme Coordinator, Mr. Matthias Hergenhan (matthias.hergenhan[at]avh.de).