Since 1978, public soft science research institutions have gone through stages of development and entered a new stage of high quality development. Focusing on the key of staff innovation incentive, this paper compares four research institutes in East China and conducts a questionnaire survey on one of them. The results show that young researchers are active in innovation, but their evaluation of the institute is low, and their demand for innovation incentives is diversified; the current income distribution mechanism of institutions needs to be reformed; and the national innovation incentive policies need to be fully implemented. In the future, public soft science research institutions should take high quality development as the main line, continue to promote market-oriented reform, implement innovative incentive policies, optimize the management of scientific research funds, and establish multiple incentives.