• To support scholarly collaboration between individual Hong Kong and French researchers.

• To advance dialogue amongst Hong Kong and French researchers working in similar fields, through exchanges on recent (i.e. yet to be published) research work.

• There is no quota on the number of applications to be submitted by each institution.

• Applicants may apply for one-year or two-year grants.

• An applicant (Project Co-ordinator) can only submit one application in an exercise but may participate as a member of another project in the same exercise.

• The RGC grant provides only for air passage(s), accommodation and subsistence costs directly related to the proposed exchanges between the two partners in France. If free or less expensive air-tickets and/or accomodation are available, a Project Co-ordinator may undertake additional visits or visits of longer duration.

• The RGC grant does not cover expenditure on equipment, consumables or other project-related expenses, as well as insurance. Each Project Co-ordinator must make provision for these and any other costs associated with the project.

• Funding will not be provided to the same project for more than two years.

• The RGC funds are solely for use by the Hong Kong Project Co-ordinator.

• Save in very expectional circumstances (such as prolonged illness of the Project Co-ordinator) and with proper justifications stated in the "Travel Plan" of the application form as well as prior approval of the RGC, the Project Co-orindator cannot delegate the trip to his Co-Investigator nor his project team members. An application without proper justifications for delegation of the trip to Co-Investigator or project team members does not meet the eligibility criteria of the scheme and will be disqualified.

• If, for operational reasons, a project team member is required to make the trip (in addition to the trip made by the Project Co-ordinator) by using the grant, the Project Co-ordinator should state it explicitly with justifications in the "Travel Plan" of the application form. Failing this, the RGC will only consider the application in respect of the trip for the Project Co-ordinator.

• If a trip under application includes more than one traveller, the applicant should provide a clear breakdown on the expenses requested for each traveller in the "Travel Plan" of the application form. In the case that such application has no breakdown of expenses, and the RGC approves a trip for only one or not all of the travellers under application, the grant will be approved on a pro-rata basis.

• The travel grants should under no circumstances be used to support a student.

• The scheme would award two grants per exercise to sponsor an event each to be held in Hong Kong and France. The two events are to focus on different research subjects/fields/topics, and are separate and independent.

• An applicant (Main Orgainser) can only submit one application in an exercise and cannot participate as a co-applicant (Co-organiser) in other applications in the same exercise.

• Applicants may apply to seek sponsorship of a two- or three-day conference/ workshop. The RGC grant covers travel, accommodation and subsistence costs of guest speakers from France to Hong Kong, and the direct organising costs e.g., reservation of meeting venue, production of conference/workshop materials etc. Expenditure on meals is not covered by the grant.

• The RGC funds are solely for sponsorship of the conference/workshop to be held in Hong Kong.

• For each proposed research project, there should be a Hong Kong and a French Project Co-ordinator to facilitate and co-ordinate work in their respective teams.

• The event comprises sessions where overseas and local guest speakers present on-going research work; local postdoctorate fellows and postgraduate research students post up their current work; and/or interested local parties attend hands-on sessions to acquire new techniques.

• For each conference/workshop, there should be a Main Organiser and a Co-Organiser. The Main Organiser is responsible for the overall coordination of the event; and the Co-Organiser assists in drawing up the main programme, e.g., in suggesting possible guest speaker(s) to invite. For the event to be held in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong applicant should be the Main Organiser, and his/her French counterpart should be the Co-Organiser. For the event to be held in France, the French applicant should be the Main Organiser, and his/her Hong Kong counterpart should be the Co-Organiser.

• Maximum HK$31,250 per year.

• The Secretariat would release funds on an annual basis upon notification of results of applications.

• Maximum HK$150,000 per event.

• The Secretariat would release funds upon notification of results of applications.

• The Hong Kong and the French applicants (as the respective Project Co-ordinators of their teams) must submit applications in parallel:

  1. Hong Kong applicants should submit their applications to the RGC through the respective institutions. The RGC will not accept individual applications directly; and

  2. French applicants should submit their applications directly to CGF. Further details are available at http://www.consulfrance-hongkong.org/spip.php?article2639.

• Although the Hong Kong applicant and his/her French counterpart would be submitting their applications separately, they are obliged to ensure that the applications contain sufficient and consistent information for evaluation. The RGC will not seek or accept supplementary information / revision after the application deadline. The CGF would verify the applications upon receipt of the Hong Kong applications from the RGC. Applications containing inconsistent information will be disqualified.

• Applications will be disqualified if the proposals are found to have exceeded the allowable page limits or excessive attachments.

Application

• For each application, please submit five copies of:

  1. application form;

  2. two-sheet (i.e. four sides) project proposal (see below); and

  3. one A-4 page (with a maximum of 400 words) curriculum vitae(CV) of each project team member, with information on name, academic qualifications, previous academic position(s) held (with date(s)) & present position (state if applicant is a visiting academic from overseas), previous relevant research work, publication records including the five most representative publications in the recent five years and five representative publications beyond the recent five years (ten at maximum), and others including research-related prizes and awards, brief description of experience in consultancies, service as a referee in evaluating other grant applications, patents, PhD theses supervised, etc.

• The project proposal should contain the following details:

  1. project title;

  2. project objective(s);

  3. research plan and methodology of the proposed work. The applicant should write in a manner that allows easy understanding by reviewer(s) in related field(s). This section should also include an outline of the work plan according to a proposed time schedule to be executed in the year (if applying for a one-year grant), or to be executed in the first year and in the second year (if applying for a two-year grant);

  4. reason(s) for the choice of the French Project Co-ordinator; and

  5. plan for collaboration (indicate the respective roles and the specific tasks that the Project Co-ordinators of Hong Kong and France as well as each of their team member are each responsible for).

• Hong Kong applicants may refer to the Proposal Template enclosed at the Appendix to the application form in preparing their proposals and CVs.

• Applications must be received by the RGC by 22 May 2009. Applicants should check with the relevant research offices of their institutions for internal deadlines.

Release of second year funds for the two-year grants awarded previously

• The release of second year funds will be subject to the satisfactory progress of projects in the first year.

• Institutions must submit applications for release of second year funds to the RGC by 28 August 2009. Two copies of the PROCORE report documenting the progress of the research in the first year are required. Applicants should check with the relevant research offices of their institutions for internal deadlines.

• The Hong Kong and the French applicants (as the Main or Co-Organiser)must submit applications in parallel:

  1. Hong Kong applicants should submit their applications to the RGC through the respective institutions. The RGC will not accept individual applications directly; and

  2. French applicants should submit their applications directly to CGF. Further details are available at http://www.consulfrance-hongkong.org/spip.php?article2639.

• Although the Hong Kong applicant and his/her French counterpart would be submitting their applications separately, they are obliged to ensure that the applications contain sufficient and consistent information for evaluation. The RGC will not seek or accept supplementary information / revision after the application deadline. The CGF would verify the applications upon receipt of the Hong Kong applications from the RGC. Applications containing inconsistent information will be disqualified.

• Applications will be disqualified if the proposals are found to have exceeded the allowable page limits or excessive attachments.

Application

• For each application please submit five copies of:

  1. application form;

  2. half-page summary by each guest speaker (i.e. both French and Hong Kong) on his/her presentation at the proposed conference/workshop; the current understanding in the field on the topic he/she will be speaking on; and the latest research findings and their significance; and

  3. one A-4 page (with a maximum of 400 words) curriculum vitae (CV) of each guest speaker, with information on name, academic qualifications, previous academic position(s) held (with date(s)) & present position (state if applicant is a visiting academic from overseas), previous relevant research work, publication records including the five most representative publications in the recent five years and five representative publications beyond the recent five years (ten at maximum), and others including research-related prizes and awards, brief description of experience in consultancies, service as a referee in evaluating other grant applications, patents, PhD theses supervised, etc.

• Applications must be received by the RGC by 22 May 2009. Applicants should check with the relevant research offices of their institutions for internal deadlines.

• Hong Kong applicants may refer to the Proposal Template enclosed at the Appendix to the application form in preparing their CVs.

• Members of the Joint Selection Committee, appointed by the RGC and the CGF, would review the applications based on:

  1. the academic merits of the proposed research;

  2. the possible synergy, the expected benefits, and the prospects for longer-term collaboration; and

  3. opportunities for training of young researchers through the proposed exchanges

• Based on the recommendations of the Joint Selection Committee, the RGC and the CGF would jointly short-list the applications to be supported.

• Members of the Joint Selection Committee, appointed by the RGC and the CGF, would review the applications based on:

  1. the research standing of the Main and Co-Organisers, and that of the guest speakers;

  2. the degree of intra- and inter-institutional participation by local researchers and students; and

  3. prospects for new/longer-term research collaboration.

• Based on the recommendations of the Joint Selection Committee, the RGC and the CGF would jointly short-list the conference(s)/workshop(s) to be sponsored in Hong Kong and in France.

• The RGC and the CGF would announce the results around November 2009.

• The RGC would convey the results to the Hong Kong applicants through their respective institutions. Feedback on assessments by the Joint Selection Committee will not be provided.

• The results would also be available at the RGC homepage at http://www.ugc.edu.hk/rgc or in the "cultural and scientific news" column at the CGF homepage http://www.consulfrance-hongkong.org/.

• Same as detailed in the description of the Travel Grants.

• Project Co-ordinators should use one-year or first year grants awarded in 2009/2010 between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2010 inclusive; and second year funds of the two-year grants, , between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2011 inclusive.

• For two-year grants awarded, Project Co-ordinators cannot carry over the unspent balance from the first year to the second year, and they should return the balance to the RGC within six months upon expiry of the related funding period.

• The 2009/2010 conference/workshop should take place between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2010 inclusive.

• All publications arising from research collaboration under this Scheme should carry an acknowledgement as follows: "The work was supported by a grant from the PROCORE-France/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme sponsored by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong (Reference No. [F-HK][serial number of 2 digits]/[year][type], e.g. F-HK02/09T".

• No postponement of the completion date will be allowed.

• On completion of the project, the Hong Kong Project Co-ordinator should submit one copy of the PROCORE report summarizing the work completed to the RGC through the respective institution six months upon expiry of the funding period. He / she should also attach publications arising directly from the sponsored work.

• The institution should also return the unspent balance and the relevant financial statement to the RGC within six months upon expiry of the related funding period.

• All conference/workshop materials should carry where appropriate an acknowledgement as follows: "The conference/workshop (delete where appropriate) was supported by a grant from the PROCORE-France/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme sponsored by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong (Reference No. [F-HK][serial number of 2 digits]/[year][type], e.g. F-HK02/09C".

• The Main Organiser in Hong Kong should submit one copy of a document enclosing the conference/workshop programme, a list of local and French participants, and a breakdown of expenditure to the RGC through the institution within six months of the conclusion of the event.

• The institution should also return the unspent balance of the grant for the event held in Hong Kong to the RGC within six months of the conclusion of the event.

Ms Sun Siu Ling Cecilia
City University of Hong Kong
83 Tat Chee Avenue
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon

Tel.: 3442 6832

Fax : 3442 0136

Ms. Jade Fong
Hong Kong Baptist University
FSC7d, HSH Campus
224, Waterloo Road
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon

Tel.: 3411 7940

Fax : 3411 5133

Ms Connie Lam
Lingnan University
8 Castle Peak Road
Tuen Mun
New Territories

Tel.: 2616 7683

Fax : 2591 9618

Miss Jaco Hui
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Shatin
New Territories

Tel.: 2696 1997

Fax : 2603 7414

Ms Clara Fong
The Hong Kong Institute of Education
10 Lo Ping Road
Tai Po
New Territories

Tel.: 2948 7700

Fax : 2948 7697

Ms Kath Lui
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hung Hom
Kowloon

Tel.: 2766 7933

Fax : 2355 7651

Mrs Jenny L Cheng
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Clear Water Bay
Kowloon

Tel.: 2358 6946

Fax : 2358 1541

Miss Annie Ngai
The University of Hong Kong
Pokfulam Road
Hong Kong

Tel.: 2859 1911

Fax : 2803 0558