CSCC Student-Initiated Research and Creative Inquiry Grant (Max. 500 USD)

Submission Deadline: Tuesday, 24 February 2026 midnight China time

*This is a strict deadline. Late applications will not be considered.

Award Notification Date: within six weeks

Program Description:

The Student-Initiated Research and Creative Inquiry Grant empowers undergraduate students at DKU to undertake their own research and creative projects that advance our understanding of the society, politics, and economy of contemporary China. Students are encouraged to explore innovative ideas and contribute to the scholarly and creative atmosphere at DKU. To ensure successful execution and academic growth, all student-initiated projects must have a faculty supervisor who will mentor the students throughout the grant period. This grant provides up to USD 500 per project. The project duration is maximum 1 year.

Eligibility:

• All DKU undergraduate students are eligible to apply for this grant.
• Applicants must have a committed faculty mentor throughout the project duration.
• Project proposals without funding opportunities from other sources will be prioritized.

Application Materials:

Proposals must be submitted as one PDF file and include the following components:

• Project description (maximum 2 pages), including project title, goals, rationale, research methodology, intended output(s) and impact, applicant’s relevant expertise and skills, name of the faculty supervisor, and brief list of references.
• Timeline (maximum 1 page) listing project tasks, including Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, if applicable.
• Budget (maximum 1 page) describing, quantifying, and justifying expected expenses. The budget must specify whether the project is already supported by other (internal) grants and whether applicants have or are actively applying for other support.
• Up-to-date (2026) resume or CV of the student applicant(s) and the faculty supervisor.
• Faculty supervisor support letter describing their relevant experience, availability, role and level of commitment throughout the project.

A list of previously awarded projects is available here.

Evaluation Criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated by a CSCC grant committee based on the following criteria:

• Relevance and Significance
  • Does the project offer meaningful insights into contemporary Chinese society, politics, and economy, and demonstrate scholarly, social, or policy relevance?
• Project Design
  • Are the project goals clearly articulated and appropriately matched with a rigorous and well-justified research approach?
• Project Impact
  • Does the project have the potential to make a significant contribution to the student(s)’s academic career, DKU community, and/or the field of study or creative discipline?
• Project Feasibility
  • Are the project objectives achievable within the grant duration given the skills, resources, and time availability of the applicant and the faculty supervisor?
• Budget Justification
  • Does the applicant clearly justify the need for the grant funds and propose a reasonable and realistic plan for how the funds will be used to achieve the project’s goals?

Grant conditions:

• Grant recipients are required to submit a 2-page progress report (after one semester) and a final project report (after two semesters), instructions will be provided.
• All publications, presentations, exhibitions, events, and other outputs generated under the grant must acknowledge support from the Center for the Study of Contemporary China.
• If working with human subjects, IRB approval may be obtained after the grant is awarded, but must be submitted before grant funds can be accessed. Student applicants should account for this process in their project timeline and consult with their project mentor accordingly. More information about the DKU IRB procedure is available here.

Submission and questions:

Proposals need to be submitted before Tuesday, 24 February 2026 midnight China time by email to cscc@dukekunshan.edu.cn. To ensure a fair and equitable process for all applicants, late submissions will not be considered. Grantees will be notified within six weeks.

All grant proposals and inquiries should be sent to Chi Zhang, senior program coordinator for the Center for the Study of Contemporary China.

List of CSCC Research Grant for Student Initiated Research or Creative Projects