The Alliance of International Science Organizations (founded 2018 by CAS + 36 institutions) funds 400–500 young scientists a year for master's and PhD study at China's top science universities — USTC and UCAS. The full package covers tuition, a monthly stipend, insurance, your flight to China and visa costs, with no application fee.
Why it is notable: one of the largest science-specific scholarship pools in the world that is NOT the CSC — applied for inside the USTC/UCAS admission system (no separate scholarship form), with a PhD stipend that steps up to CNY 7,000 after the qualification test.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
Full tuition waiver
Monthly stipend: CNY 3,000/month (Master's, up to 36 months); CNY 6,000 or 7,000/month (PhD, up to 48 months, depending on the qualification test)
Health insurance
Application fee waiver
International travel allowance/reimbursement from the home country to China (one trip per awardee; NOT available if already in China at application)
One-time visa/residence-permit allowance
(For ANSO-CAS-TWAS/UNESCO PhD awardees: items 1–4 sponsored by CAS; travel + visa items sponsored by TWAS/UNESCO.)
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Graduationfor MastersMasters/MPhilfor PhD
This scholarship is offered for Master's and PhD programs.
Who can apply
NOT hold Chinese citizenship; valid foreign passport; open to all countries (the ANSO-CAS-TWAS/UNESCO PhD sub-category is for developing countries). Friendly to China and abiding by Chinese law and university regulations.
Experience
No experience required.
Language Certificate
proficient in English or Chinese (no single mandated test published — per UCAS/USTC admission criteria).
Master's applicants born after 1 January 1996 (2026 UCAS rule — under ~30); PhD applicants born after 1 January 1991 (2026 UCAS rule — under ~35). Reconfirm in the 2027 call.
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
eligible = non-Chinese citizens of any country. Excluded = Chinese citizens; current same-level students in China.
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Nationality
non-Chinese citizen with a valid foreign passport.
02
Age
born after 1 Jan 1996 (Master's) / 1 Jan 1991 (PhD) per the 2026 UCAS call — reconfirm for 2027.
03
Qualification
meet USTC/UCAS international-student admission criteria; proficient in English or Chinese.
04
Single route
apply via USTC or UCAS only — never both.
05
Documents
the full package above; referee deadline = applicant deadline.
06
No concurrent commitments
no other assignments/scholarships during the award; centralized language/culture training is mandatory.
Document checklist
01(1) application form
02(2) passport
03(3) degree certificates + transcripts
04(4) CV
05(5) study/research plan
06(6) 2 recommendation letters
07(7) language proof
08(8) photo
09(9) publications (PhD, if any).
Application fee
No fee — completely free (application fee waiver is part of the award).
Visa, kept concise: Visa type: X1 (study over 180 days); one-time visa/residence-permit allowance is part of the award.
Application Procedure
5 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Choose your route
USTC OR UCAS (never both) — identify the institute and supervisor whose research matches yours.
→
02
Read that university's 2027 international graduate admission
guideline when published (expected ~Oct 2026).
→
03
File in the university's online admission system
before the deadline; select "the CAS-ANSO Scholarship" in the application; PhD candidates wanting the ANSO-CAS-TWAS/UNESCO sub-category tick that box too.
↓
05
Annual assessments after enrollment —
keep grades and research milestones on track.
←
04
Brief your referees early —
the referee deadline is the SAME as the applicant deadline.
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official University of Science and Technology of China… platform.
When is the 2027 deadline? A: Not published yet. The 2026 cycle ran 15 Oct 2025 – 31 Jan 2026 (Beijing time); expect a similar window — watch anso.org.cn and the USTC/UCAS admission pages from OctoberIs there a separate ANSO application form? A: No — you apply inside the USTC/UCAS admission system and select "the CAS-ANSO Scholarship" (plus the TWAS/UNESCO sub-category box if applicable).Can I apply through both USTC and UCAS? A: No — that disqualifies you. Pick one.What is the ANSO-CAS-TWAS/UNESCO PhD Scholarship? A: A sub-category (launched 2022): up to 40 PhD awards/year for developing countries, 10 prioritized for climate research, with special consideration How much is the stipend? A: Master's CNY 3,000/month (up to 36 months); PhD CNY 6,000/month, rising to 7,000 after the qualification test (up to 48 months).Is the application free? A: Yes — application fee waiver is part of the scholarship.What happens if I fail the annual assessment? A: The scholarship is terminated and study discontinued — you receive only a certificate of attendance, not a degree.I'm already studying in China. Can I apply? A: Not for the same level — current master's students in China can't apply for the master's program, and current PhD students can't apply for the PhD progra
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