Jun Chen Receives Research Excellence Award
Jun Chen Receives Research Excellence Award
Jun Chen received the 2026 Research Excellence Award at the UIC Business Fall 2026 Faculty Meeting. It recognizes his research in entrepreneurial finance, especially how venture capital, skilled workers, and public policy shape where startups locate and whether they succeed. Over the past few years, this work has appeared in leading journals, including the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics, the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, and Management Science.
Chen studies what helps new companies form and grow: who funds them, where they locate, and whom they can hire. In particular, he looks at how venture capital and high-skilled talent, including immigrant workers, drive the creation, innovation, and success of startups. Startups create a large share of new jobs and new ideas, but most fail. Chen wants to understand what sets the ones that succeed apart. Policies such as visa rules, R&D tax credits, and capital gains taxes shape startups’ access to talent and capital, so the answers matter to founders, investors, and policymakers.
Chen plans to continue studying entrepreneurship, innovation, and high-skilled labor, including how new technologies such as AI are changing the way startups hire and raise capital. He is excited about his Journal of Finance paper with Michael Ewens, “Venture Capital and Startup Agglomeration.” It asks why high-growth startups cluster in a handful of places, such as Silicon Valley and Boston, and it shows that access to local venture capital plays an important role in where startups choose to locate and grow. These findings have real implications for cities and regions trying to build their own startup ecosystems. He also looks forward to bringing these ideas into the classroom.
Receiving this award meant a great deal to Chen. “Research takes years to go from a first idea to publication, so it’s especially rewarding to see that work recognized,” says Chen. “I am so grateful to my coauthors, colleagues in the Finance Department, and the College for their support.”
When not on campus, Chen can be found exploring Chicago’s restaurants and parks or running along the lakeshore.