Since 2018, SUES has been awarded 175 projects under the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) as the first host institution, including one Joint Fund Key Project and one NSFC Major Research Plan Cultivation Project. In 2020, SUES was granted a major project under Ministry of Science and Technology’s 2030 Science and Technology Innovation Plan, focusing on New Generation Artificial Intelligence. Furthermore, 61 projects under the National Social Science Fund of China (NSSFC) have been approved as the first host institution, including four key NSSFC projects, along with two projects under the National Arts Fund. Over 500 provincial and ministerial-level research projects have also been granted, placing SUES among the top municipal institutions in Shanghai in terms of total project approvals.

SUES has also demonstrated robust growth in other landmark research achievements. Since 2018, 50 provincial and ministerial-level science and technology awards have been received, including eight first prizes, along with 12 awards in philosophy and social sciences, two of which were first prizes. The total number of Science and Technology Awards and Decision-Making Consultation Awards ranks among the highest for municipal universities. In addition, the University’s policy advisory capabilities in philosophy and social sciences have been continuously strengthened, with dozens of Think Tank research outputs receiving endorsements from national and provincial-level government leaders.

In the 7th edition of the World’s Top 2% Scientists List released by Stanford University and Elsevier, eight scholars from SUES were recognized for their lifetime scientific impact, while 16 scholars were listed among the 2024 Annual Scientific Impact Rankings.

Platform development and multidisciplinary collaboration remain a key focus. Currently, SUES hosts 21 provincial and ministerial-level research platforms, including collaborative innovation centers, public R&D service platforms, engineering and technology research centers, government decision-making research bases, and university Think Tanks, etc. In terms of intellectual property and technology transfer, over 3,800 patents have been granted, with 257 research findings successfully commercialized into real-world applications.