Opportunities

Ph.D. Candidates: Full-time Ph.D. students for 2027/28 intake

Research direction:
-Wet-chemical synthesis of novel low-dimensional inorganic nanomaterials for catalytic, optical, or biomedical applications. 
-Physicpchemical property studies of inorganic nanomaterials.

Scholarships:  
– Postgraduate Studentships (Monthly stipend: 18,725+ HKD)

Due to limited quota, only candidates satisfying the following scholarships are considered for now:
– Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) (Annual stipend of HK$337,200 with annual conference and research-related travel allowances of HK$14,000, tuition fee waiver, guaranteed first-year on-campus housing, etc.)
– CUHK Vice-Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship Scheme (Annual studentships of HK$224,700, an award of total HK$80,000, conference and research-related travel allowance in a total of HK$30,000 within the normative study period)

Fees: https://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk/admissions/scholarships-fees/scholarships#fees

Requirements:
1. Hard-working, passionate about research, good at teamwork.
2. Both master and bachelor’s degrees are welcome. Chemistry, Materials Science, Physics, or related fields are all welcome.
3. Priorities will be given to applicants with backgrounds in nanomaterial synthesis, nanomaterial characterization, crystallography, electrochemical/photochemical catalysis, or nanozyme.
4. Admission requirement by Graduate School:
4.1. Academic Grades: 80/100 or 3.3/4.0
4.2. English: obtained a degree from a university in Hong Kong or taken a degree programme of which English was the medium of instruction; or TOEFL: 550 (Paper-based)/79 (Internet-based); IELTS (Academic): 6.5; GMAT: Band 21 (Verbal)
4.3. Applicants must fulfill all the requirements by Graduate School, details: https://www.gs.cuhk.edu.hk/admissions/admissions/requirements

Research Fellows:
1. Calling applicants for CUHK-CUHK(SZ) “Joint Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme”
(Contact both Prof. Ye Chen and Prof. Zhongxin Chen by May 31, 2026)

The “Joint Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme” is jointly initiated by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK(SZ)), and the Shenzhen Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. The funding provided under this program will support postdoctoral fellows in conducting research at both campuses of CUHK and CUHK(SZ), where they will be recognized as full-time research staff at both institutions. This Scheme lasts for two years. Postdoctoral fellows are expected to work full-time on the designated research project and are not required to undertake teaching assistant duties.
Postdoctoral fellows employed under this Scheme will hold the title of Honorary Postdoctoral Fellow at CUHK and will be registered as Postdoctoral Fellow at CUHK(SZ). Postdoctoral researchers who complete the Scheme will be awarded a postdoctoral certificate from Chinese Mainland and a postdoctoral certification from CUHK.

Research Direction and Start Date:
Research Direction: The research will primarily focus on benchtop X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS)/X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and related in situ characterization platforms. In addition to completing their own research tasks, the appointee’s early work will involve the installation and commissioning of the benchtop X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS)/X-ray emission spectrometer. The work location will generally and flexibly cover both campuses of CUHK (Shatin, Hong Kong) and CUHK(SZ). The specific allocation of time and location shall be arranged in consultation with the supervisors.
Start Date: Expected to be between July and September 2026. Negotiable with the supervisor, but no later than September 27, 2026.

Salary:
(1) The total annual income for a general postdoctoral fellow is approximately RMB 525,000.
(2) For postdoctoral fellows eligible for the Guangdong Province Overseas Postdoctoral Talent Program, the total annual income is approximately RMB 615,000 (Note: Postdoctoral fellows who obtained their doctoral degree from a university ranked within the global top 200 in the year of graduation may apply for the Guangdong Province Overseas Postdoctoral Talent Program).
(3) Should the postdoctoral funding policy be adjusted, the latest official regulations shall prevail.

Basic Requirements:
(1) The applicant must have obtained a doctoral degree (graduated no more than 3 years ago) or must obtain the doctoral degree no later than August 31, 2026. The doctoral degree must be directly related to “X-ray absorption/emission spectroscopy and related in situ characterization.”
(2) The applicant must be under 35 years of age, with high moral and academic integrity, as well as good physical and mental health. The applicant should possess strong independent logical thinking, communication, and writing skills, as well as the ability to work in a team.
(3) The applicant must be fluent in English and must pass an English interview conducted by both supervisors.
(4) During the doctoral period, the applicant must have published at least one high-quality research paper as the first author (or as the first among co-first authors), and this paper must involve X-ray absorption/emission spectroscopy and related in situ characterization.
(5) The applicant must meet any additional requirements set by the co-supervisors.

Application Deadline and Important Notes:
Interested applicants must send their curriculum vitae (CV), research experience/achievements, publications, and other relevant materials by May 31, 2026, to both Prof. Ye Chen and Prof. Zhongxin Chen (yechen@cuhk.edu.hk; chenzhongxin@cuhk.edu.cn), and indicate “Postdoc application_Name” in the email subject.

2. Calling applicants for RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme
(Contact Prof. Chen by Sept 2026)

The scheme supports for a period of 36 months in terms of full-time appointment as a postdoctoral fellow (PdF) at a UGC-funded university, including CUHK. For each awardee, the supporting university will receive an annual stipend of HK$420,090 per year for the awardee’s basic salary as well as a conference and research-related travel allowance (of HK$13,350 per year inclusively).

Basic Requirement: he/she should have obtained/been conferred a PhD degree or an equivalent qualification on or after 1 January 2022 (i.e. not more than three years before 2025), or will complete the requirement of a PhD degree or an equivalent qualification by 31 Aug 2026.

Candidates will be assessed by:
1. record of academic excellence;
2. research ability and track record to date;
3. leadership potential in the respective field;
4. merit of the proposed research project(s) /activities;
5. potential impact of the proposed research project(s); and
6. university’s support.

Details and other requirements can be found at:
https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/pdfs/index.html

If you are interested to apply this Scheme under Prof. Chen’s group, please email yechen@cuhk.edu.hk with your CV and other relevant materials .