CIVL PhD Student Awarded 2025 NSFC Young Student Basic Research Grant and Best Presentation Award at RocDyn-5

We are pleased to announce that PhD candidate Changyi YANG, under the supervision of Prof. Jidong ZHAO, has been awarded a grant under the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Young Student Basic Research Program (for PhD students), totaling RMB 300,000. Established in 2023, the NSFC Young Student Basic Research Program (PhD Student) aims to strengthen the training of early-career scholars, encourage independent thinking and innovation in them, and support their active engagement in scientific research. The grant provides two years of funding to help recipients explore new research directions, broaden their academic perspectives, and enhance their research capabilities as well as project management skills.

HKUST was added in 2025 to the program’s list of pilot institutions, so for the first time our students were eligible to apply for these NSFC grants. Changyi’s grant — one of six awarded to an HKUST student in this round — not only showcases his strong research potential but also reflects our Department’s ongoing commitment to nurturing outstanding young researchers. Changyi’s project which received the NSFC funding is entitled “A Peridynamic-based Multiphysics Computational Framework for Seamless Phase Transitions and Fracture Dynamics”, and with the guidance of Prof. Zhao, Changyi will continue to carry out innovative research and contribute to advancing the field.

In addition, Changyi also recently won a Best Presentation Award at the “Fifth International Conference on Rock Dynamics and Application” (RocDyn-5), held in Singapore on 15–17 January 2026. This recognition further highlights his exceptional presentation skills and contribution to the field.

We extend our warm congratulations to Changyi and look forward to seeing him blossom in his academic journey.