Visiting Researchers Program – Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

Applications must comply with Global Affairs Canada’s Travel advice and advisories by destination.

This Call for Proposals is designed to support existing and new research collaborations with divisions of CAS, including 104 research institutes and three universities: the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), and ShanghaiTech University. 

To be eligible to apply, the uOttawa applicant must hold a full-time tenure or tenure-track position at the University of Ottawa or hold an appointment at an affiliated hospital and be an active member of APUO (Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa).

The visiting researcher must either (i) hold a tenure or tenure track position at a CAS institute, or (ii) be enrolled as postdoctoral fellow at a CAS institute.

Only one application per faculty member will be accepted. Applicants who have previously received funding from IREX programs must explain how the proposed collaboration differs from their previously funded research projects.

Successful applicants will receive an award of up to $6,000, depending on distance and duration, for research visits of two to four weeks. Eligible travel expenses include return economy airfare, ground transportation, accommodation, and a living allowance.

The visiting researcher’s or postdoctoral fellow’s salary is paid by their home institution and they may not receive an honorarium from uOttawa. The award may not be used to buy software or other equipment, nor may it be used for travel to conferences outside of Ottawa. The rules for travel expenses as defined in Policy 21 apply. 

Applications are completed by the uOttawa faculty member using the online application form, which includes:

-    Description of the project
-    Description of planned activities
-    Expected impact of the project
-    Description of student involvement
-    Budget
-    CVs
-    Completed and signed RE form filled out via eAwards

Excellence of the project. /25
Complementarity between the invited researcher’s and the applicant’s interests and expertise. /25
Expected impact of the project on further research and spin-off ideas, and the potential for publications and knowledge transfer, external funding, international collaborations. /15
Quality of the short CVs. /15
Description of how many students will be involved in the project and the anticipated impact on their learning. /10
Budget justification. /5
Feasibility of planned activities, including a timeline. /5

The visit must take place between May 1, 2027, and May 1, 2028, preferably during the fall or winter academic terms to maximize the impact on student involvement and the availability of uOttawa researchers. Visits may not be divided into two or more parts.

In addition to conducting research, visiting researchers or PDFs will be asked to offer the university community at least one seminar or public lecture, to be organized by the uOttawa faculty member. The support of the OVPRI and IREX should be acknowledged whenever funds are used to organize public events or to publish relevant research results. Applicants and visiting researchers or PDFs are strongly encouraged to use this opportunity to work on joint publications and develop grant applications that move the partnership forward.

The applicant is responsible for issuing an invitation letter and for directing the visiting researcher or PDF to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for information on visas and other requirements. The applicant must be prepared to host their visiting researcher or PDF at uOttawa and must ensure that an office equipped with a computer and internet connection and office supplies, as well as access to the main library, is ready before their guest’s arrival.

All uOttawa researchers and visiting scholars are subject to and must comply with the university's academic regulations and with policies, procedures, instructions, and directives (as may be amended from time to time):

• Responsible conduct of research and its related procedures;
• Ethics standards, regulations for research involving humans, animals, and animal care, as applicable;
• Training requirements (e.g. lab safety training, hazardous materials); and
• Applicable laws, government rules, and policies governing the conduct of research activities in Canada and the partner country.

Research security refers to the actions that safeguard the integrity of research domestically and internationally and that protect against threats to national and economic security. In alignment with the Canadian government, uOttawa maintains a collaborative approach to protect research and innovation. International research collaborators must have low-risk profiles and must not be affiliated with, obtain funding from, or receive in-kind support from an institute on the Named Research Organizations list. This list comprises universities, research institutions, and laboratories connected to military, national defence, or state security entities that the federal government has determined could pose a risk to Canada’s national security.