--- seo_title: "Foreign Researchers Can Lead Projects in China's Quantum Hardware Call" description: "China's quantum materials, devices and equipment call includes foreign researchers employed by mainland institutions, including non-full-time appointments. Beijing has opened its recommendation channel." title: "Foreign Researchers Can Lead Projects in China's Quantum Hardware Call" canonical: "https://www.cybernomadchina.com/briefings/china-quantum-hardware-foreign-researchers" topic: - "foreign founder" - "Beijing" - "Foreign Researchers Can Lead Projects in China's Quantum Hardware Call" geography: - "Beijing" - "China" evidence: - "official / primary source" - "editorial synthesis" last_reviewed: "2026-10-03" operator: "Meridian Flow LLC" primary_language: "en" contact_email: "support@meridianflowllc.com" content_id: "CNC-BRIEFINGS-CHINA-QUANTUM-HARDWARE-FOREIGN-RESEARCHERS" canonical_url: "https://www.cybernomadchina.com/briefings/china-quantum-hardware-foreign-researchers" human_url: "https://www.cybernomadchina.com/briefings/china-quantum-hardware-foreign-researchers" agent_url: "https://www.cybernomadchina.com/agent/briefings/china-quantum-hardware-foreign-researchers.md" representation: "agent" publisher: "CyberNomad China" language: "en" date_published: "2026-10-03" date_modified: "2026-10-03" last_editorial_review: "2026-10-03" version: "2026.10.03" --- Content build ID: 20261016.01 # Foreign Researchers Can Lead Projects in China's Quantum Hardware Call AI & technology · Decision Briefing China's quantum materials, devices and equipment call includes foreign researchers employed by mainland institutions, including non-full-time appointments. Beijing has opened its recommendation channel. ## Operating decision relevance Foreign scientists employed by mainland institutions can lead projects or research topics in China's current quantum materials, devices and equipment call. The notice explicitly covers both full-time and non-full-time appointments. That gives researchers with a Chinese institutional connection a concrete route into the program. Scientific-instrument companies also have a reason to look at the teams being assembled. The call was issued by Hefei National Laboratory on September 17 under the National Key R&D Program. Beijing's science commission published its own recommendation notice on September 21, providing a municipal contact for applicants. ## Build the project around an existing institutional relationship For a foreign principal investigator, employment must cover the project's execution period. Non-full-time appointments require employment documentation from all employing institutions. The call also sets academic and experience requirements and at least six months of project work annually. For a researcher already working with a mainland university, institute or company, the practical conversation can start with the proposed research task. Which part would they lead? What facilities and staff would the host provide? How would the work fit with their existing commitments? These questions turn an academic connection into a project proposal. They also give the institution something specific to discuss internally when deciding whether to organize an application. The detailed research guide is available through the national application system. The lead institution should retrieve it first and use its technical objectives to assemble the team. ## Instrument companies have a defined role A non-enterprise lead must include at least one company working on high-end scientific instruments. Projects can contain up to four research topics and six participating organizations. For an instrument business, this is a useful reason to contact research groups preparing a proposal. A company can start by identifying the equipment capability it would contribute and the development work required to meet the selected topic. The strongest introduction would include existing performance data, the proposed technical improvement, the facilities needed for validation and the engineering team available to do the work. A research lead can then assess that contribution against the rest of the project. For an instrument company with an eligible mainland entity, the decision is which research team and technical task to pursue. For a foreign researcher, it is which institutional relationship can support the proposed leadership role. ## The institutional route is established before filing Mainland participating organizations need independent legal status and registration before August 31, 2025. The notice also includes a designated list of eligible Hong Kong and Macao institutions. That timing directs this round toward existing organizations. A team evaluating the call now should identify its proposed host or participating entity early, then build the technical and financial plan around that organization. The consortium discussion should settle the work allocation, access to equipment, staffing and delivery schedule. Agree the treatment of existing technology and new results while defining each partner's role. These decisions help the lead institution put together a coherent proposal and help the participating business decide whether the project supports its product plans. ## Beijing has published a contact and filing window Beijing's recommendation notice directs applicants to submit through the National Science and Technology Management Information System. Online filing closes at 16:00 Beijing time on November 5, 2026. The municipal contact is Mr./Ms. Xiong, +86 10 5552 4735. The next step for a Beijing-linked team is to bring the selected guide topic and proposed institutional arrangement to that channel. The conversation can then focus on the actual application: the entity submitting it, the researcher leading it and the instrument or technology contribution the team will deliver. Develop a research partnership ## Which capability would your team bring to the project? Send a short outline of your instrument or research capability, existing institutional links and the technical task you want to pursue. - [Discuss your project](mailto:support@meridianflowllc.com?subject=Quantum%20research%20partnership) - [How We Work](https://www.cybernomadchina.com/how-landing-works) ## Related reading - [Explore Beijing capability nodes](https://www.cybernomadchina.com/beijing-capability-nodes) - [How We Work](https://www.cybernomadchina.com/how-landing-works) ## Sources - [Hefei National Laboratory: 2026 first-batch quantum materials, devices and equipment call, September 17, 2026](https://service.most.gov.cn/kjjh_tztg_all/20260917/5874.html) — official / primary source - [Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission / Zhongguancun Administrative Committee: recommendation notice, September 21, 2026](https://kw.beijing.gov.cn/zwgk/zcwj/202609/t20260921_4874679.html) — official / primary source ## Contact - Email: [support@meridianflowllc.com](mailto:support@meridianflowllc.com) This file is the agent-readable representation of the canonical public page. Its sources and project-specific conditions apply to both representations.