2025 Peking University Boya Postdoctoral Fellowship Call for Applications

Originated as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898, Peking University was China’s first national comprehensive university and the supreme education authority at the time. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, it has developed into a comprehensive university with fundamental education and research in both humanities and science.

Boya Postdoctoral Fellowship, initiated in 2016, aims at drawing prospective young talents worldwide to conduct postdoctoral research and pursue academic excellence at Peking University, Beijing, China. It provides young researchers with opportunities to engage in research across various academic fields, including natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, economics and business, information technology and engineering, as well as interdisciplinary studies.

Funding

In the academic year of 2025, a maximum of 380 postdoctoral fellowships will be awarded to highly qualified, early-career postdoctoral researchers. Each Fellowship is awarded for a continuous period of 24 months. The Fellowship package comprises an annual pre-tax salary of 200,000 RMB, along with social insurances, housing allowances, and other benefits. Additionally, there is a 60,000 RMB subsidy available for postdocs who do not have access to postdoctoral housing. Furthermore, Postdoctoral Supervisors at Peking University have the discretion to offer an additional subsidy (30,000 RMB, 60,000RMB or 90,000 RMB per year) based on the applicant's academic potential, excellence, and overall performance.

Promotion Opportunities

Postdocs with two years of postdoctoral research experience are eligible to apply for senior research positions within postdoc track at Peking University.

     Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria

The fellowship is open to outstanding researchers of all nationalities, who are under the age of 35 and have obtained their PhD within the past three years, as per the deadlines specified in the corresponding call for applications listed below. Registered postdocs at Peking University may apply for the fellowship if the commence/expiring date of his/her contract is not exceeding six months, as per the commence dates specified in the corresponding call for applications listed below. Registered postdocs at Peking University must submit application documents to the school, department, institute or center in which he/she registered.

Selection is based on the applicant’s education backgrounds, academic excellence, quality of the proposed research project, compelling demonstration of the anticipated synergy of the proposed research project and the host institution, the strength of recommendations, and the commitment of postdoctoral supervisor at Peking University. An outstanding research proposal should detail how the project will leverage and benefit from Peking University's unique research capabilities and resources.

Application

The application process requires candidates to choose a Peking University faculty member as their postdoctoral supervisor and get his/her written endorsement. For the 2025 academic year, the fellowship program is capped at 380 awards, distributed over two rounds of selection. In the first round, generally not exceeding230 fellowships will be granted, while the second round will offer about 150 fellowships. Eligibility for the first round is open to Ph.D. candidates who are set to complete their degree in 2025. For the second round, candidates who anticipate receiving their Ph.D. by July 1, 2026, can apply.

Time Table

Round One

• January 1, 2025 to February 28, 2025: call for applications

• March 20, 2025: preliminary evaluation decisions, etc. by schools, departments, institutes or centers of Peking University

• Tentatively scheduled for Mid-April 2025: final evaluation and award decisions

Round Two

• September 1 to October 10, 2025: call for applications

• November 10, 2025: preliminary evaluation decisions, etc. by schools, departments, institutes or centers of Peking University

• Tentatively scheduled for the end of November, 2025: final evaluation and award decisions

Application Materials

All application documents must be prepared in either Chinese or English and should include the following:

• Application Form for Peking University Boya Postdoctoral Fellowship (refer to the attached document)

• One explicit endorsement letter from the prospective postdoctoral supervisor at Peking University, outlining the applicant’s academic background, research potential and achievements, and comprehensive qualifications, detailed information on the added value for the research project and a clear statement of commitment regarding the physical and intellectual research support that the supervisor will provide to the applicant.

•Two recommendation letters (one must from the applicant’s doctoral advisor, who should specifically address the applicant's academic integrity.). The letters should be sent to the corresponding coordinators (see the table below) directly by the referees.

• For information of faculty members at Peking University, please visit: https://www.pku.edu.cn/department.html

Application Deadlines

Round One: February 28, 2025

Round Two: October 10, 2025