2026 STCSM Soft Science Research Program on Science and Technology Policy

2026 STCSM Soft Science Research Program on Science and Technology Policy
2026年度高水平机构建设运行计划“软科学研究”项目

May 6, 2026

The Official Announcement in Chinese

Sponsor: 
Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (STCSM)

About: 
In order to implement the innovation-driven development strategy in depth and accelerate the construction of a science and technology innovation center with global influence, the sponsor has issued a call for proposal on "Soft Science Research Program”, which supports policy-oriented and strategic research related to science, technology, and innovation.

Project Areas:

Area 1: Key Projects (Topics are fixed, but can add sub-titles)

Project Period: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027

Funding Amount: Fixed funding of RMB 200,000 per project

Direction 1: Seize the commanding heights of strategic frontiers and strengthen the role as a source of innovation

Topics (full details can be found in the announcement):

1. Research on the identification, selection, evaluation, and funding mechanisms for non-consensus innovation
2. Research on AI for Science–driven transformation of research paradigms and innovation governance
3. Research on intellectual property and governance issues of AI training data
4. Research on accelerating the development of major application scenarios for future industries in Shanghai
5. Research on building frontier technology application scenarios driven by major sporting events in Shanghai

Direction 2: Focus on the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, and enhance the dynamism of the innovation ecosystem

Topics (full details can be found in the announcement):

6. Research on enhancing the professional development capacity of innovation and entrepreneurship platforms in Shanghai
7. Research on building a multi-stakeholder collaborative proof-of-concept system in Shanghai
8. Research on developing a science and technology finance system in Shanghai that supports early-stage, small-scale, long-term, and hard-tech investments
9. Research on promoting the professionalization and high-end development of science and technology services in Shanghai
10. Research on advancing the internationalization of the biopharmaceutical industry in Shanghai

Direction 3: Deepen the reform of science and technology systems and mechanisms, and activate the effectiveness of the innovation system

Topics (full details can be found in the announcement):

11. Research on deepening the “scientist + entrepreneur” model for cultivating innovative talent in Shanghai
12. Survey on innovation and entrepreneurship activities of overseas young scientific and technological talent in Shanghai
13. Research on benchmarking international frontiers to enhance Shanghai’s regulatory and service capacity in the biopharmaceutical sector
14. Research on cross-park industrial linkage and benefit-sharing mechanisms in the Yangtze River Delta
15. Research on promoting market-oriented development mechanisms for science popularization in Shanghai

Area 2: Independent Research Projects (Topics are fixed, but can add sub-titles)

Project Period: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027

Funding Amount: Fixed funding of RMB 150,000 per project

Topics (full details can be found in Attachment):

1. Survey on the innovation and development needs of technology-based enterprises in Shanghai
2. Evaluation study of the implementation of science and technology innovation policies in Shanghai
3. Survey on policy and institutional innovation in Shanghai’s key science and technology industries
   
    

Area 3: Youth Projects

Project Period: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027

Funding Amount: Fixed funding of 100,000 RMB per project.

Research Objective: Encourage young researchers in soft science to independently select research topics addressing key, emerging, and challenging issues related to Shanghai’s development as an international technology innovation hub. The chosen topics must not overlap with those in Area 1.

Eligibility Requirement: Applicants must be under 35 years old (born on or after January 1, 1991).

Application Requirements

• For new projects proposed by applicants based on previous projects funded by municipal financial funds or other institutions (such as the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Natural Science Foundation, etc.), the similarities and differences, and the inheritance and development relationship between the two should be clearly explained.
• Those who are currently leading two or more STCSM projects as PIs cannot apply for this project.
• Each applicant can only apply for one project.
• Soft science research should adhere to the major needs of national and Shanghai scientific and technological strategic decision-making, highlight the timeliness and effectiveness of research results in serving government decision-making, focus on in-depth investigation and research, pay attention to data and case analysis, and put forward practical and operational policy recommendations.

For more requirements, please refer to the official guideline. 

Important Dates: