About

San José State University will proudly host the 40th Annual California State University Student Research Competition, April 23-25, 2026. This prestigious, three-day statewide event showcases outstanding research, scholarship, and creative work by undergraduate and graduate students from all academic disciplines across the CSU’s 22 campuses. 

The competition puts the state’s top research-active public university students on stage, providing a platform for emerging researchers to present their original work to a panel of expert judges.

About SJSU

San José State University is the oldest public university in California and the founding campus of the CSU system. Established in 1857 in what is now the heart of Silicon Valley, SJSU is known for its history of innovation and serves over 37,000 Spartans annually. In 2025, the university earned recognition as a Carnegie R2 research-active institution and was ranked the #4 best public university in the nation by the Wall Street Journal.

Event Team

The 2026 CSU Research Competition is organized by the San José State University Office of Research, within the Division of Research and Innovation. The campus contact is Emily Chan, Director of Research and Engagement.  Questions may be directed to csustudentresearchcomp2026@sjsu.edu.

Event Logo

The 2026 CSU Student Research Competition logo, seen at the top of this page, was designed by SJSU master’s student Naeem Mannan (right) and refined by SJSU Marketing and Communications. The design shows an SJSU Spartan constellation comprised of 22 stars — one for every CSU campus represented at the competition — together symbolizing our shared upward trajectory.

Industry Partnerships

The CSU Student Research Competition is funded by the California State University and, this year, is further strengthened by industry engagement. Hosted in the heart of Silicon Valley, the 2026 competition recognizes Adobe as a sponsor and includes judges from local industry and applied research sectors. San José State University welcomes additional partnerships that help connect student scholarship with real-world impact. Email csustudentresearchcomp2026@sjsu.edu for more information.