The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) have delivered the ASSA-CASS Joint Action Program since 1998.
The program is currently under review, and we look forward to continuing this longstanding partnership with CASS with new opportunities to be announced in due course.
The Academy are not currently receiving applications.
Program Objective
This research funding program is intended to provide Australian and CASS researchers the opportunity to collaborate in areas of shared interest. It is suited to early-career researchers who wish to pursue research opportunities with an international colleague, with the intention that this may lead to larger research projects. To apply, researchers must submit a proposal to conduct research with an overseas partner having similar interests. Each application must contain at least one researcher from Australia and one from CASS. As the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia encourages the participation of early-career researchers, one researcher involved in the project must be fewer than eight years beyond the completion of their PhD. The work undertaken on the project may involve online or in-person meetings. Proposals with an interdisciplinary character are encouraged.
The following topics have been identified as priorities for the program:
- Urban Development
- Population and/or Migration
- Environmental Protection
- Regional Security and Cooperation
- National Development Measures and Evaluation
- New Developments in IT Communication and Commerce
- The Social and Linguistic Study of Human Settlement in Asia
Details of previously awarded projects
| 2025 | ‘A study on the prospects of the Australia-China Cooperation in the South Pacific region’ – Edward Chan (Australian National University) and Dr Qin Sheng (CASS – Oceania International Relations) |
| 2025 | ‘Reconstructing trust in uncertain times: historical insights into regional security and Australia-China cooperation’ – Dr Lingyu Kong (University of Adelaide) and Dr Chaoqun Gao (CASS – Business History) |
| 2025 | ‘A study on the synergistic mechanisms for advancing climate governance and economic growth’ – Le (Laura) Luo (Macquarie University) and Dr Xiaoxi Zhang (CASS – Institute of Economics) |
| 2024 | ‘Research on Social Service and Community Integration of Aging Migration in China and Australia’ – Professor Bingqin Li (UNSW) and Dr Jing Wang (CASS) |
| 2024 | ‘Integrating AI in Decision-Making: A Comparative Study on Managerial Cognition and Performance Outcomes in Sustainable Enterprises Across China and Australia’ – Dr Miles Yang (Macquarie University) and Assistant Professor Jiang Hong (CASS) |
| 2024 | ‘Environmental Security and Governance in the Mekong Subregion and Australia-China Cooperation’ – Associate Professor Fengshi Wu (UNSW) and Dr Zhifei Li (CASS) |
| 2023 | ‘The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism’s Potential Impact on Australia-China Trade’ – Dr Xunpeng Shi (University of Technology Sydney) and Dr Yuangling Liu (CASS) |
| 2023 | ‘The rise of algorithmic human resource management (HRM): Implications for organisations and employees’ – Dr Mingqiong (Mike) Zhang (Monash) and Dr Qin Wang (CASS) |
| 2023 | ‘A Comparative Study of Legal Pathways to Secure the Target of Net Zero Carbon Emissions in China and Australia’ – Dr Xiaobo Zhao (University of Southern Queensland) and Dr Zhongli Zhang (CASS) |
| 2023 | ‘The Impact of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on China-Australia Bilateral trade’ – Dr Yixiao Zhou (ANU) and Dr Song Zhang (CASS) |
| 2022 | ‘Digitising into the ageing future: a comparative analysis of Australia and China’s digital ageing discourses’ – Dr Wilfred Yang Wang (University of Melbourne) and Dr Fangfang Ji (CASS) |
| 2022 | ‘Carbon trading, ESG and green finance practice’ – Dr Meixia (May) Hu (RMIT) and Dr Xiaoxi Zhang (CASS) |
| 2022 | ‘The Effect of Anti-poverty Policies on Improving the Health Status of Rural Residents in China – What could be Proposed from the Lessons Learnt in Australia?’ – Dr Pundarik Mukhopadhaya (Macquarie University) and Dr Zhu Fengmei (CASS) |
| 2021 | ‘Australia-China Security Cooperation Against Cross-Border Crime: Examining the Past, Looking to the Future’ – Dr Enshen Li (University of Queensland) and Dr Xupeng Jiao (CASS) |
| 2021 | ‘Coproducing social support for migrants in the digital era – Online migrant peer support groups in Australia and China’ – Dr Qian Fang (UNSW) and Dr Chunguang Wang (CASS) |
| 2021 | ‘Patterns of Digital Platform Employment and Regulatory Implications: A Comparative Analysis of China and Australia’ – Professor Fang Lee Cooke (Monash) and Dr Wang Tianyu (CASS) |
| 2021 | ‘Research on the supply of market-oriented elderly care services with involvements of financial institutions’ – Dr Peter Shi (Macquarie University) and Dr Zhang Deyong (CASS) |
View past versions of Guidelines and sample application form
Download the 2025 Guidelines here.
Download the 2025 Application form here.
For an application to be valid, applicants from both ASSA and CASS must communicate and agree to apply together ahead of submitting their applications. A letter of confirmation in support of an applicant is also required as part of a valid application. The letter should be from the applicant’s current supervisor or university/institution and confirm that they support the applicant to undertake the specified project.
Signed application forms must be submitted separately to both ASSA and to the Bureau of International Cooperation of CASS.
Please note that CASS will have a separate application form and application procedures. Applicants are advised to contact the Bureau of International Co-operation of CASS to obtain the relevant CASS application form and application procedures (including their closing date for applications). The assessment of applications is carried out by ASSA and CASS separately, with grants awarded to applications ranking highly in the assessment of both.
Contact for Enquiries
Anna Devenport
Email: international@socialsciences.org.au