Organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the "Annual Humanities and Social Sciences for Taiwanese Overseas Pioneers " (TOP Grants), implemented by the Science and Technology Policy Research and Information Center (STPI) of the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs), was officially announced to be launched at 2 pm on May 28, 2019 at MOST (Room 12, 2F, No. 106, Sec. 2, Heping E. Rd., Taipei).

The purpose of the project is to encourage talents of Taiwan in the field of humanities and social sciences, and to help them focus on the writing of academic books and dissertations to enhance the quality of academic research so that they can achieve certain status or position at foreign universities or academic institutions. As such, it should help strengthen and consolidate the status of our humanities and social sciences of our country in the field of international academic research.

Profound cultivation upon academic impact of the new generations

In order to cultivate outstanding research talents of our country in humanities and social science overseas, this project has aimed at two types of research and new blood with great academic potential: the first category is of those talents who are PhD candidates at the last stage of their studies in Europe and the United States; of the second category, they are talents who obtain doctoral degree for less than 10 years, and they are now working at research institutions in Europe and United States as full-time teachers or researchers. With financial assistance, it should help them focus on the writing of academic books and dissertations, consolidating their firm foundation on international academic and research community.

Of those talents to be cultivated, they will be selected by the "Academic Review Committee," which is made up of scholars with academic prestige, academic achievement, and impartiality from the field of humanities and social sciences based on theoretical value and innovation of the candidate's research theme, extent of rigor with the application content, feasibility of the research plan, academic potential or research experience of the applicant, and academic achievements and other criteria of selection.

The project has recently been reviewed and approved by the Academic Review Committee with a total of 10 PhD Candidates and 5 New Scholars selected, and they will be awarded such research funding respectively as NT$900,000 and NT$600,000. In addition, the New Scholars can also apply for NT$200,000 on publication expenses of academic books. The name-list of the award has already been announced on the home-page of STPI of NARLabs, whose official website is at: https://www.stpi.narl.org.tw.