The CAS-ANSO Scholarship is one of the most generous fully funded scholarships in China for international students who want to do science. It funds Master’s and PhD study at the University of Science and Technology of China, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and research institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with full tuition, a strong monthly stipend, travel support, and more. If you are planning toward the 2027 intake, this guide covers what it offers, who can apply, the documents, the deadline, and how to apply.
A quick note before the details: this is the CAS-ANSO Scholarship, funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and run through ANSO. It is its own program, separate from the standard Chinese Government Scholarship most people know, and that distinction matters for how you apply. The deadline falls at the end of January, so for this cycle plan around 31 January 2027, and confirm it on the official sites since the host universities sometimes set slightly different dates.
What is the CAS-ANSO Scholarship?
The CAS-ANSO Scholarship, formerly called the ANSO Scholarship for Young Talents, was launched in 2019 to train young scientists from around the world. It is funded mainly by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and administered by the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), a non-profit network founded in 2018 by CAS and dozens of science institutions worldwide.
This is the part the recycled listings get wrong: the CAS-ANSO Scholarship is not the same as the Chinese Government Scholarship, the CSC program. It is a separate award with its own funder, its own application route, and its own host institutions. Each year it supports roughly 100 to 200 Master’s students and 300 PhD students to study at CAS-affiliated institutions across China.
There is also a notable sub-stream. The ANSO-CAS-TWAS/UNESCO PhD Scholarship, launched in 2022, sets aside up to 40 PhD places a year for students from developing countries, with priority given to applicants from Least Developed Countries, women in science, and those working on climate-related research. If that describes you, you can flag your interest in it during the same application.
Where you would study
The scholarship places you at one of China’s leading science institutions:
- University of Science and Technology of China (USTC): A member of the elite C9 League and one of the country’s top research universities, often called the cradle of China’s scientific talent, regularly ranked around the global top 100.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS): The largest graduate school in China, built around the CAS research network, with tens of thousands of students and a heavy concentration of doctoral researchers.
- CAS institutes across China: A vast network of research institutes covering the natural sciences, technology, and high-tech innovation.
For a science or engineering researcher, this is access to some of the best-equipped labs and supervisors in the country.
What the CAS-ANSO Scholarship covers
This is a comprehensive package, not just a tuition waiver. Awardees receive:
- A full tuition waiver for the program
- A waiver of the application fee
- A monthly stipend
- Comprehensive health insurance
- A one-time travel subsidy from your home country to China
- A visa and residence-permit allowance
- An accommodation subsidy or on-campus housing support
The stipend depends on your degree. Master’s students receive 3,000 CNY per month for up to 36 months. PhD students receive 6,000 CNY per month, rising to 7,000 CNY once they pass the qualification test their university sets for doctoral candidates, for up to 48 months.
One detail to note on travel: the one-time subsidy is for your trip from your home country to China. If you are already in China at the time you apply, you are not eligible for the travel subsidy.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the CAS-ANSO Scholarship, you need to meet the following:
- You must be a citizen of a country other than China.
- You must be proficient in English or Chinese.
- For a Master’s program, you need a Bachelor’s degree. For a PhD, you need a Master’s degree.
- You must meet the international admission requirements of USTC or UCAS.
- You must not already be pursuing the same level of degree in China. A current master’s student in China cannot apply for the ANSO master’s, though they may apply for the PhD.
- You cannot hold another scholarship or take on other work during the scholarship period.
On age, Master’s applicants are generally expected to be under about 30 and PhD applicants under about 35. The exact rule is a birth-date cutoff that moves forward each year. Recent cycles required Master’s applicants to be born on or after 1 January 1996 and PhD applicants on or after 1 January 1991, so the 2027 round will likely shift those to around 1 January 1997 and 1 January 1992. Confirm the exact dates in the official 2027 call.
Language requirements
On language, the requirement depends on your program, and there is no blanket HSK Level 4 rule. What you need is proficiency in the language your program is taught in. Many programs at USTC and UCAS are taught in English, in which case you provide English proficiency evidence such as an IELTS or TOEFL score or a medium-of-instruction certificate. If you choose a Chinese-taught program, then you will need HSK. Check your specific program before assuming either way.
Required documents
The exact list can vary by host institution, but a CAS-ANSO application typically calls for:
- A copy of your valid passport, with at least two years of validity
- A study or research proposal
- A summary of your academic and professional background, or CV
- Two letters of recommendation from full or associate professors, with their contact details
- The Foreigner Physical Examination Form
- An HSK certificate, if relevant to your program
- An IELTS or TOEFL score, if relevant to your program
- Notarised copies of your Bachelor’s and, for PhD applicants, Master’s degree certificates and transcripts
- Official proof of your student status and expected graduation date, if you have not yet graduated
- Notarised translations of any documents not in English or Chinese
The deadline for 2027
The CAS-ANSO Scholarship runs to a steady annual schedule. Applications usually open in mid-October and close at the end of January. For the 2027 cycle, expect the application to open around mid-October 2026, with a deadline of 31 January 2027.
One honest caveat: USTC and UCAS sometimes set slightly different dates, occasionally running into February, and your referees usually have to submit by the same deadline. So confirm the exact date for your specific host institution well in advance, and do not leave your recommenders until the last minute.
How to apply for the CAS-ANSO Scholarship
The process has a step that catches people out, so read this order carefully:
- Find a host supervisor first. Identify an eligible supervisor at USTC, UCAS, or a CAS institute whose research matches yours, and secure their agreement to accept you. This is central to a strong application, not an afterthought.
- Create your account on the ANSO online application system and complete the form, selecting the ANSO Scholarship for Young Talents. If you want to be considered for the TWAS/UNESCO PhD sub-stream, check that box too.
- Apply through the USTC or UCAS online admission system as well, uploading all your documents in the required format.
- Make sure your referees and supervisor complete their parts before the deadline, since their submissions are part of your application.
- Submit before 31 January, then track your status through the portal.
What makes the CAS-ANSO Scholarship stand out
A couple of things set this apart from the more common Chinese Government Scholarship. The first is the money. The PhD stipend of 6,000 to 7,000 CNY a month is well above the 3,500 CNY most CSC universities pay doctoral students, so for a research degree the financial support is genuinely stronger here. The second is the research environment. The Chinese Academy of Sciences is the country’s top research body, running over a hundred institutes and some of its best-equipped labs, and ANSO scholars plug directly into that network alongside leading scientists. There is also a clear mission behind it. ANSO was built to support science capacity in the Global South, which is why the TWAS/UNESCO sub-stream exists, so applicants from developing countries are not an afterthought here but part of the point.
Tips for a stronger application
- Start with the supervisor. This is the single most important move. An aligned supervisor who agrees to take you on transforms your chances, so reach out months ahead with your CV and research interests.
- Write a real research proposal. This is a science scholarship, so the proposal carries weight. Tie it to work your prospective supervisor and institute actually do.
- Mind your referees. They must submit by the deadline, so brief them early and chase them politely.
- Get documents notarised and translated in good time. This step causes most last-minute failures.
- Consider the TWAS/UNESCO stream if you are from a developing country, especially for climate-related research, since it is a genuine extra route to the same funding.
Common mistakes that cost applicants
- Treating it as a CSC application. It is a separate program with its own portal and rules.
- Skipping the supervisor step, or leaving it too late to secure an acceptance.
- Assuming you need HSK 4 when your program is taught in English, or assuming English alone is enough for a Chinese-taught program.
- Letting referees miss the deadline, which can sink an otherwise strong application.
- Applying for a degree level you are already enrolled in within China, which makes you ineligible.
- Misreading the age cutoff, which shifts each year.
Frequently asked questions
Is the CAS-ANSO Scholarship fully funded? Yes. It covers full tuition, the application fee, a monthly stipend, health insurance, a one-time travel subsidy, a visa and residence-permit allowance, and accommodation support.
How much is the stipend? Master’s students receive 3,000 CNY per month for up to 36 months. PhD students receive 6,000 CNY per month, rising to 7,000 CNY after passing the qualification test, for up to 48 months.
Is it the same as the CSC scholarship? No. It is funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and run through ANSO, with its own application route, separate from the Chinese Government Scholarship.
Do I need HSK or IELTS? It depends on your program. English-taught programs need English proficiency such as IELTS or TOEFL or a medium-of-instruction certificate. Chinese-taught programs need HSK.
Do I need a supervisor before applying? Yes. Securing an eligible host supervisor at USTC, UCAS, or a CAS institute is a core part of the application.
What is the deadline? The application closes at the end of January, so the 2027 deadline is around 31 January 2027. Confirm the exact date with your host institution, as USTC and UCAS can differ slightly.
Conclusion
The CAS-ANSO Scholarship is an outstanding, fully funded path into science research in China, at institutions like USTC, UCAS, and the CAS institutes that sit at the centre of the country’s research effort. It covers tuition, a strong stipend, travel, insurance, and more, and it has a dedicated stream for students from developing countries through the TWAS/UNESCO sub-scholarship. For the 2027 intake, work toward the 31 January 2027 deadline, but start much earlier than that, because finding a supervisor and getting your documents and referees in order is the real work. Confirm every date and requirement on the official ANSO and host-university sites before you apply.
Official sources
- ANSO Scholarship (official): https://www.anso.org.cn/programmes/talent/scholarship/
- University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) international admissions and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) international admissions
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
