To thoroughly implement the national strategic plan for enhancing innovation capacity in higher education and cultivating top-tier innovative talents, to stimulate research enthusiasm and innovative potential among students, to foster a robust academic atmosphere, to enhance students' academic literacy, research capabilities, and practical skills, and to lay a solid foundation for their future engagement in high-level scientific research, the application process for the 2026 Institute of Language Sciences Student Research Innovation Program is hereby initiated.
I. Application Requirements
The project leader must be a full-time undergraduate, master's, or doctoral student at the Institute of Language Sciences. The applicant's supervisor must serve as the co-project leader for the project. Undergraduate students may freely choose a faculty member from the Institute as their project advisor.
The project leader should demonstrate strong academic performance and moral character, possess a solid professional foundation, and show strong research potential.
Project leaders are encouraged to freely form and lead research groups for collaborative applications. However, each student may only serve as the leader for one project at a time and cannot participate as a member in other projects during the same period. Each student may participate as a member in no more than two projects. Applicants who have a project under this program that is currently in progress and has not yet been completed are not eligible to apply for a new project.
To optimize the allocation of research resources and avoid duplicate funding, projects that have already received funding from university-level (or above) or other various vertical or horizontal fund projects, or projects with highly similar research content, are not eligible for this program. Projects that have already received support from the SISU Supervisor Academic Leadership Program are also not eligible.
II. Project Categories and Funding
Key Projects: Designed to support projects with novel academic ideas and clear research objectives that are expected to produce high-level innovative outcomes. Each project will receive funding of RMB 5,000.
General Projects: Designed to support students in conducting foundational and exploratory research under the guidance of their supervisors, aiming to cultivate research capabilities. Each project will receive funding of RMB 3,000.
III. Research Period
The research period is generally one year. If necessary, the project leader may submit a written extension request two months before the end of the research period. With the supervisor's approval and the Institute's endorsement, a one-time extension of no more than one year may be granted.
The latest application date for project completion must be no later than 90 days before the project leader's graduation defense date, ensuring sufficient time to complete the finalization process and utilize the remaining funds. If the project fails to pass the final appraisal by this date, the project will be canceled, and the use of funds will be terminated.
IV. Completion Requirements
Upon applying for project completion, the project leader must submit a final project report. The completion outcomes must at least meet the following conditions:
Form of Outcomes: (1) General Projects: The project leader must publish one original research paper in their discipline as the first author in an academic journal included in the Peking University Core Catalogue. (2) Key Projects: The project leader must publish one academic paper as the first author in a journal indexed in one of the four major overseas indexing systems (SCIE, SSCI, A&HCI, EI), or in a CSSCI source journal (excluding extended editions and collections), or achieve outcomes such as obtaining a patent, or publishing a theoretical article in a major provincial or ministerial-level newspaper (theory section).
Acknowledgement: All completed outcomes must clearly acknowledge support by stating This research was supported by the Research & Innovation Program of Institute of Language Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University. Furthermore, Shanghai International Studies University must be credited as the primary affiliation.
Outcome Evaluation: The classification of all types of outcomes will be determined by the Institute's Academic Committee in accordance with the relevant standards outlined in the SISU Research Performance Management Measures.
V. Application Procedure
Interested students should send the electronic versions of the Application Form (Attachment 1) and the Summary Form (Attachment 3) to ils2002@shisu.edu.cn by April 20, 2026, with the subject line Applicant Name + Student ID + Student Research Innovation Program. Additionally, three printed copies of the Application Form should be submitted to Room 102, Teaching Building No. 5.
For detailed information and attachments, please refer to the official website: https://ilas.shisu.edu.cn/20/34/c9715a204852/page.htm
Institute of Language Sciences
Shanghai International Studies University
