Abstract: Using researchers working in the State Key Laboratories of China as a sample, this paper analyzes the impact of policy nudge, innovation search mechanism on the research performance. By constructing two single-mediator model and a double-mediator model with problem framing and boundary spanning mechanisms as the mediating constructs, we tested the proposed models through Bootstrap and PRODCLIN methods. Results show that policy nudge is positively related to the research performance; innovation search mechanism play a full mediating role in the impacting process of policy nudge on research performance; the paths of problem framing and boundary spanning are statistically significant in the mediating tests, but the impact of the former is less than that of the latter. This study enhances the previous studies by paying attention on the antecedent factors of innovation search and the impacts of policy on the individual behaviors.