Research & Collaboration Framework
Three tiers of joint research, seven thematic Working Groups, and a single open-science mandate binding them together.
From grand challenges to seed pilots
Flagship Programs
4–5 years · multi-WG · multi-country
Transformative grand challenges in grafting science — the problems no single laboratory can tackle alone. Funding via Horizon Europe, NSFC, and bilateral programmes.
Collaborative Projects
2–3 years · 3+ institutions · single WG
Hypothesis-driven studies involving at least three member institutions. Funding drawn from member contributions complemented by competitive grants.
Seed Grants
6–12 months · 2+ institutions · exploratory
Competitively awarded from the IPGS Fellowship & Mobility Fund, with a preference for collaborations that include under-represented regions.
FAIR, open, and reproducible
- All joint data deposited in the Knowledge Commons under CC-BY 4.0.
- All joint publications open-access (Gold or Diamond).
- All protocols released through the Protocol Repository before project end.
- All datasets assigned persistent DOIs.
Seven thematic clusters
Each Working Group is self-organising and co-led by two investigators from different member countries.
WG 1 Grafting Biology & Genomics
Molecular and systems-level understanding of graft union formation, long-distance signalling, and epigenetic reprogramming.
Current questions: molecular markers of successful union formation · mobile RNA and scion phenotype · genomic prediction of compatibility · graft-interface microbiome.
WG 2 Climate-Adaptive Grafting
Drought, heat, salinity, and waterlogging tolerance through strategic rootstock selection and breeding.
Current questions: physiological mechanisms of rootstock-mediated stress tolerance · cross-crop transferability of tolerant rootstocks · interaction with irrigation and soil management.
WG 3 Soil Health & Biotic Stress
Grafting as a sustainable alternative to chemical soil fumigation — targeting Fusarium, Verticillium, Phytophthora, and plant-parasitic nematodes.
WG 4 Yield, Quality & Nutrition
Quantifying rootstock effects on yield, nutritional composition, sensory quality, and post-harvest performance.
WG 5 Mechanization & AI
Robotic grafting systems, machine-vision quality control, and AI-assisted rootstock–scion compatibility models.
WG 6 Standardization & Protocols
Authors and maintains the Minimum Information for Grafting Experiments (MIGE) standard and the IPGS-endorsed protocol suite for grafting technique, union evaluation, and crop-specific phenotyping.
WG 7 Capacity Building & Education
Coordinates the HZAU Summer Institute, the Doctoral Fellowship, postdoctoral mobility, and the South–South Exchange Programme; curates a shared curriculum for plant-grafting instruction.
Joint PhD and postdoctoral programmes
With equity at the centre.
Joint PhD
Co-supervision across at least two member institutions, with a mandatory six-month mobility. Graduating students receive an IPGS-affiliated PhD designation in addition to their home-institution degree.
Postdoctoral Mobility
18-month rotating fellowships across 2–3 member laboratories — building lasting inter-institutional research relationships.
HZAU Summer Institute
Two-week residential programme at HZAU-CHFS every July for MSc students and early-career researchers nominated by member institutions worldwide.
Doctoral Fellowship
Funded 3–6 month laboratory exchanges at partner institutions for PhD students enrolled at Full or Associate Member universities.
South–South Exchange
Fully funded placements prioritising researchers from under-represented institutions — a core equity mandate of IPGS.
Funding pathways
Horizon Europe · NSFC International Cooperation Programme · bilateral Sino-European and Sino-African calls · CGIAR and FAO instruments · the internal IPGS Fellowship & Mobility Fund.