1. Overall scientific goals

Achieving sustainable development is the core task of global governance and building a community with a shared future for mankind, and global change has become one of the biggest challenges facing sustainable development of mankind. In order to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is necessary to understand the dynamic mechanism of the surface earth system composed of natural environmental systems and socio-economic systems from the perspective of earth system science, through multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary research, study the dynamic characteristics of environmental systems and socio-economic systems and the relationships between various subsystems. Most developing countries and regions are located in ecologically fragile areas. They jointly face various challenges of ecological environment evolution and sustainable development under global changes. They are key areas for achieving SDGs and ecological environment governance. The undergraduate program aims to select typical social-ecological systems, such as desert systems, through scientific and humanistic cooperation with relevant countries and regions (Arid and semi-arid deserts, grasslands, agricultural-pastoral ecotones), karst systems, plateau mountain systems and coastal systems, aiming at the SDGs related to ecology, environment and social and economic development, based on the concept of earth system science, study these typical social-ecological systems structure, composition and material cycle processes, ecosystem service functions and their changes, man-earth coupling relationship and evolution trends, ecological environment carrying capacity and change thresholds, water resources, soil resources, The sustainable use of biological resources provides scientific decision-making support for achieving sustainable development in relevant countries and regions. 2. Main funding directions

For the research on the four surface earth systems that were mainly funded in the early stage, this guide focuses on funding social-ecosystem in arid and semi-arid areas, mountain social-ecosystem around the Pan-Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, karst social-ecosystem in southwestern China, and comprehensive (or integrated) research on social-ecosystem dynamics and sustainable development in coastal cities. Carry out comprehensive (or integrated) research on the basis of fully integrating past funded project research and original research results of this plan, research, analyze, summarize and summarize past theoretical research results, build models for comprehensive analysis, and evaluate relevant system dynamics and ecological environmental risks, and propose corresponding policy recommendations to adapt to multiple goals. (1) Socio-ecosystem dynamics and sustainable development direction in arid and semi-arid areas

(2) Mountain social-ecosystem dynamics and sustainable development direction (3) Karst society-ecosystem dynamics and sustainable development direction (4) Socio-ecosystem dynamics and sustainable development direction of coastal cities

3. Basic principles for selecting projects

(1) Project applications should aim at achieving the United Nations SDGs and conduct research based on the main elements of the social-ecosystem and their interactions. (2) The research content must be oriented to relevant scientific issues and relevant scientific challenges to sustainable development in developing countries, and clearly carry out overall comprehensive research on socio-ecosystem dynamics and sustainable development related to the realization of SDGs. (3) Encourage exploratory research in cutting-edge fields, and give priority to supporting research on original new concepts, new theories, new methods and new technologies. (4) Highlight the cultivation of young talents and the construction of international cooperation networks (especially multilateral cooperation) during the project implementation process. (5) Encourage research teams from different subject fields to apply jointly to promote interdisciplinary research. 4. 2025 funding plan

(1) Type and scale of funding It is planned to fund 4 "overall comprehensive research projects" on key surface earth systems to provide scientific decision-making support for the sustainable development of relevant countries and regions. (2) Funding intensity The funding intensity for "Overall Comprehensive Research Project" is 4 million yuan/item (direct cost). (3) Funding period The funding period is 4 years, and the research period in the application form should be filled out from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2029. 5. Matters needing attention for application

(1) Application conditions

1. Chinese applicants should have senior professional and technical positions (professional titles) and should be undertaking or have undertaken NSFC projects for more than 3 years (inclusive) as the person in charge.
2. Foreign collaborators should engage in scientific research overseas, have professional and technical positions (professional titles) equivalent to associate professors or above in the country (or place where they are located), and independently preside over laboratories or important research projects (the person in charge of the foreign collaborators is referred to as the "foreign person in charge", and the default person is the first person in the "Overseas Partner" column of the Chinese application form).
3. There shall be no more than 2 domestic cooperative research units for this project.
4. For more detailed descriptions of applicant conditions, please refer to the "2025 National Natural Science Foundation of China Project Guide". (2) Provisions on restricted applications International (regional) cooperative research projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China include inter-organization international (regional) cooperative research projects (hereinafter referred to as inter-organization cooperative research projects) and key international (regional) cooperative research projects. The "overall comprehensive research project" under the framework of the undergraduate program belongs to inter-organization cooperative research projects, and the application restrictions are as follows:
5. Included in the scope of the total number of projects applied and undertaken by persons with senior professional and technical positions (professional titles) is limited to 2 (only applicable as applicants and undertaken as persons in charge).
6. Applicants can only apply for 1 international (regional) cooperative research project in the same year.
7. The person in charge who is undertaking an international (regional) cooperative research project may not apply for an international (regional) cooperative research project as an applicant.
8. Other restrictions on the number of applications in the 2025 National Natural Science Foundation of China Project Guidelines. (3) Matters needing attention for applicants
9. Application path. Applicants must log in to the NSFC network system and fill in the "Application Form for International (Regional) Cooperative Research Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China"(hereinafter referred to as the "Chinese Application Form") online
10. Instructions for filling out the application form. In the "Chinese Abstract" section of the application form, the applicant should first explain that the application conforms to the main funding directions listed in the project guidelines.
11. Budget preparation. Applicants should carefully read the budget preparation requirements in the "2025 National Natural Science Foundation of China Project Guidelines" application instructions, and strictly follow the "Measures for the Management of Funds for Projects Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Caijiao [2021] No. 177)" and "National Natural Science Foundation of China Project Fund Budget Table" requirements, carefully and truthfully report the project budget.
12. Attachment materials. The applicant and the foreign partner should jointly write an English application form (Attachment 1), upload it to the "Attachment" column of the Chinese application form and submit it together. The foreign person in charge should sign the application form in English or provide a confirmation letter signed by him or her. application entry 　　项目获批准后，申请人须与外方负责人签署合作协议(附件2)，装订在《资助项目计划书》最后，一并提交。

　　6. 材料报送。

　　申请人应当认真阅读本指南及附件、《2025年度国家自然科学基金指南》的相关要求，在线填写并提交项目申请书及附件材料，无需报送纸质申请书。项目获批准后，将申请书的纸质签字盖章页装订在《资助项目计划书》最后，一并提交。签字盖章的信息应与电子申请书严格保持一致。

　　7. 学术交流。

　　为加强项目的学术交流，促进项目群的形成和多学科交叉与集成，本科学计划将定期举办资助项目的年度学术交流会，并将不定期地组织相关领域的学术研讨会。获资助项目负责人有义务参加并协调外方合作者参加本科学计划指导专家组和管理工作组所组织的上述学术交流活动。

科学基金网络信息系统在线申报接收期为2025年9月9日至2025年10月8日16:00时。请申请人注意提醒依托单位科管部门在科学基金网络信息系统关闭在线申报前确认并提交电子版申请书。