First Round Exercise

• Information Technology
  
  
  • Fund Allocated : HK$51M
  
  
  • Indicative Project Time-Frame : 2000 - 2005
  
  
  • Co-ordinating Institution : The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Prof Roland Chin)
  
  

  Building on the proven strengths of world-class researchers and the excellent facilities of each university in information technology, the project aims to put Hong Kong on the world map as one of the key players in information technology, thereby contributing to the transformation of Hong Kong into an information technology society with a strong value-added economy. This collaborative effort of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and The University of Hong Kong will achieve its mission through the promotion of information technology education; the conduct of high impact research and development projects including networking technology, multi-media technology and Internet applications; and the transfer of relevant technology to the commercial world.

• Hong Kong Institute of Economics and Business Strategy
  
  
  • Fund Allocated : HK$36.2M
  
  
  • Indicative Project Time-Frame : 2000 - 2006
  
  
  • Co-ordinating Institution : The University of Hong Kong (Prof Richard Wong)
  
  

  HIEBS aims to become the leading international center for the study of economic policy and business strategy focusing on the dynamic role of Hong Kong in China and the Asia Pacific Region, as well as in the world. It also conducts independent and pioneering research studies, to advance the frontiers of both theoretical and applied knowledge in this area, to develop and deliver innovative educational programs to train researchers and practitioners for Hong Kong, Mainland China and the Asia-Pacific region, and to have an impact on the formulation of policy choices and business strategies. This new adventure is co-ordinated by The University of Hong Kong and benefits from cooperation with other local and overseas institutions.

• Center for Plant and Agricultural Biotechnology (Previously known as Plant and Fungal Biotechnology)
  
  
  • Fund Allocated : HK$63.823M (HK$38.823M (2000-2006) + HK$25M Sustained Funding (2007-2010))
  
  
  • Indicative Project Time-Frame : 2000 - 2010
  
  
  • Co-ordinating Institution : The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Prof Samuel Sun)
  
  

  To address the problems due to increasing population, shrinking and low-yielding cultivation lands that China and the region face, it is the mission of this project to increase crop production and enhance quality through biotechnology, by generating improved agricultural products, novel technological platforms and knowledge, and well-trained manpower in the field of biotechnology, to serve Hong Kong, China, and beyond.

  The main issues related to agricultural production include: (1) quality improvement (e.g. improved nutritional value), (2) per acreage yield enhancement (e.g. more effective utilization of solar energy); and (3) increase in stress tolerance (e.g. cultivation on marginal lands with adverse environmental conditions). This project selected special issues (related to these major agricultural problems) based on the emerging needs in China and the world. To boost the potential economic value of agriculture, the project team will also attempt to generate value-added products from crop plants.

  In summary, the overall strategy of this project is to build a pipeline for biotechnology crop production, through identification of useful genes from elite germplasms; transfer those genes into designated crops (e.g. rice) to produce new lines with improved agronomic performance; conduct field trials and safety assessment; and finally to deliver a set of carefully designed and assessed parental lines to traditional breeders.

Second Round Exercise

• Molecular Neuroscience: Basic Research & Drug Discovery
  
  
  • Fund Allocated : HK$54.3M (HK$26.8M (2001-2006) + HK$27.5M Sustained Funding (2007-2010))
  • Indicative Project Time-Frame : 2001 - 2010
  
  
  • Co-ordinating Institution : The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Prof Nancy Ip)
  
  

  Neuro-related diseases and disorders such as neurodegenerative diseases, stroke and dementia typically affect the elderly. Over the past decade, however, the incidence of these ailments in Hong Kong and other developed countries has greatly increased due to longer life expectancies. Therefore, the development of effective therapeutic drugs to treat diseases and disorders of the brain is of high importance.
  
  A cross-institutional Area of Excellence (AoE) research project led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology was awarded in 2001 to push the frontiers of neuroscience research with the goal of developing therapeutic treatments. Cutting-edge research was undertaken and a unique drug development approach based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was established. The combined efforts led to significant research advances in molecular neuroscience that have been recognized in prestigious international journals. Novel TCM-derived drug candidates as potential treatments for brain-related ailments were also identified.
  
  Having received sustained funding for this AoE project, the multidisciplinary team is set to embark on the next phase of this highly commended project. The focus is to further elucidate the complex processes within the brain and determine the mechanisms underlying specific neuro-related diseases and disorders. The team will also focus on developing treatments for other brain disorders, such as depression, while driving the further development of the existing portfolio of TCM-derived novel compounds towards clinical use.

• Chinese Medicine Research and Further Development
  
  
  • Fund Allocated : HK$32.992M (HK$25M (2001-2007) + HK$7.992M Sustained Funding (2008-2011))
    
  • Indicative Project Time-Frame : 2001 - 2011
    
  • Co-ordinating Institution : The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Prof Ping-chung Leung)

  A consortium co-ordinated by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, with close collaboration from City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, has been formed to promote the modernization of Chinese medicine and to provide clinical research for drug development. The efficacy driven approach adopted by this consortium has received wide recognition and enabled it to establish a unique evidence-based scientific model for Chinese medicine research, with a view to identifying complementary or alternative treatments for clinical problems that are not adequately solved by modern medicine.

  Five selected herbal formulae for anti-hepatitis B infection, alleviating menopausal symptoms, promoting ulcer healing, managing childhood asthma and promoting cardiovascular health, have been fully explored for their clinical efficacies, underlying mechanisms of action and safe applications. The present project represents a continuation of the joint efforts of the consortium in further pursuit of the two formulae for promoting ulcer healing and cardiovascular health. It will not only set models for clinical evidence on the efficacy of selected herbal formulae, but will also establish models for clinical trials and drug authentication for Chinese medicine, thereby paving the way for drug development and commercialization.
  

• Institute of Molecular Technology for Drug Discovery and Synthesis
  
  
  • Fund Allocated : HK$64.8M (HK$48M (2001-2006) + HK$16.8M Sustained Funding (2007-2010))
  
  
  • Indicative Project Time-Frame : 2001 - 2010
  
  
  • Co-ordinating Institution : The University of Hong Kong (Prof Chi-Ming Che)

  Institute of Molecular Technology for Drug Discovery and Synthesis combines the expertise of leading academics with high international repute in chemistry and life sciences from The University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the City University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with scientific and industrial leaders from around the world. The mission of this AoE is to implement world-class science and technology in the area of drug discovery and synthesis and to invent novel methodologies for the preparation and structural modification of new drug candidates as well as for proven drugs that carry no patent rights. The Institute will also develop technologies for potent drugs evaluation. Through this AoE, libraries of useful drug candidates and chiral technologies will be created. The institute will invent environmental-friendly technologies for drug synthesis, study the chemical biology of Inorganic Medicines and natural products, and devise new biosensors for disease monitoring and drug screening.

Third Round Exercise

• Developmental Genomics and Skeletal Research
  
  
  • Fund Allocated : HK$50M
  
  
  • Indicative Project Time-Frame : 2004 - 2010
  
  
  • Co-ordinating Institution : The University of Hong Kong (Prof Kathryn Cheah)

  Skeletal disorders cause long-term pain and physical disability for millions of people. In 2000, over 300,000 workdays were lost in Hong Kong through degenerative low back disorders which can cause back pain and $200 million paid in workers compensation. This multidisciplinary AoE programme aims to discover and understand the genes, proteins and regulatory networks that maintain normal growth and integrity of the skeleton; how unfolded proteins within cells contribute to skeletal disorders, and what genetic factors underlie degeneration of discs in the spine. The research team, a model of scientist-clinician cooperation, from The University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, will employ state-of-the-art technologies in genomics, proteomics, cell biology and transgenic animal models. Through the production of trained scientists, quality publications, intellectual property for genetic tests, unique mouse models and drug targets, the AoE will contribute to biotechnology in Hong Kong. Ultimately, the team hopes to develop methods for reconstituting damaged skeletal tissue, leading to new clinical applications and improved quality of life for the disabled.

• Centre for Marine Environmental Research and Innovative Technology
  
  
  • Fund Allocated : HK$45M
  
  
  • Indicative Project Time-Frame : 2004 - 2009
  
  
  • Co-ordinating Institution : The City University of Hong Kong (Prof Rudolf Wu)

  The project focuses on the development of innovative technologies for early detection, assessment, prediction and control of impacts arising from anthropogenic activities in the marine environment. Led by a cross-institutional multidisciplinary team of outstanding researchers and world-class scientists in marine environmental research, the proposed initiative will not only be unique globally and at the forefront of research, but also foster economic development along with enhanced environmental protection. Through this project, the team aims to develop a range of innovative technologies and marketable products for assessing the status of the marine environment and environmental risk; the provision of an early warning system, as well as cost-effective pollution control and bioremediation technologies suitable for practical use. The high quality outputs from this project will establish Hong Kong as a leading centre in marine environmental research, and enable Hong Kong to capitalize on the rapidly growing commercial opportunities presented by the enormous world environmental market. Through teaching and industrial attachment schemes, as well as the provision of local and regional training, this project will also produce competent environmental professionals in the forefront of technology to meet future demands

Fourth Round Exercise

• Centre for Research into Circulating Fetal Nucleic Acids
  
  
  • Fund Allocated : HK$29.92M (1st Phase : HK$11.28M (2008-2011) + 2nd Phase : HK$18.64M (2012-2015))
  
  
  • Indicative Project Time-Frame : 2008 - 2015
  
  
  • Co-ordinating Institution : The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Prof Dennis Lo)

  Prenatal diagnosis is an indispensable component of health care. Definitive diagnostic methods in current use, e.g. amniocentesis, are invasive and pose a risk to the unborn child. In 1997, the project coordinator and his research team discovered, for the first time in the world, the presence of cell-free fetal DNA in the plasma of pregnant women, offering new possibilities for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. The project team has further pioneered many diagnostic applications, a number of which are now used clinically by many centres globally. To maintain Hong Kong at the forefront in non-invasive prenatal diagnostic research, a Centre consisting of a multidisciplinary conglomerate of local and international researchers is formed under this Area of Excellence project, coordinated by The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Centre will address a number of high-profile unsolved questions in the field of circulating fetal nucleic acids, including non-invasive molecular methods for the diagnosis of fetal Down syndrome. Our ultimate goal is to make safe prenatal diagnosis available to citizens around the world and to promote the development of expertise in molecular diagnostics in this region.

• Control of Pandemic and Inter-Pandemic Influenza
  
  
  • Fund Allocated : HK$76M (1st Phase : HK$40M (2008-2011) + 2nd Phase : HK$36M (2012-2015))
  
  
  • Indicative Project Time-Frame : 2008 - 2015
  
  
  • Co-ordinating Institution : The University of Hong Kong (Prof JSM Peiris)

  Influenza pandemics are unique in spreading world-wide to affect over one-third of the global population within months of their emergence. If, for example, the H5N1 "bird-flu" virus acquires capacity for efficient transmission in humans, it could give rise to devastating consequences for human health. Furthermore, in today's globalised world, such an event will have unprecedented economic and social consequences. In addition to influenza pandemics which arise from animals and occur at irregular intervals, "human" influenza viruses cause outbreaks every year contributing to over 1000 deaths, many more hospital admissions and significant economic loss through absenteeism within Hong Kong. However, many key questions about the emergence and spread of these viruses and how they cause disease remain unanswered. This AoE program brings together researchers at The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Hong Kong Baptist University working in close partnership with relevant Hong Kong government organizations, with the aim of identifying novel options to control influenza. Furthermore, through knowledge transfer, the development of trained scientists and generation of intellectual property, this AoE will contribute to Hong Kong's development as a regional hub for bio-medical education, research and biotechnology.