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What is Theme-based Research Scheme?
  • To reaffirm its continued support to research and development, the Government set up the Research Endowment Fund with a one-off grant of $18 billion in 2009. The investment income from up to $4 billion (or around $200 million per annum, assuming a 5% return) will be used to finance research projects on specific themes under the “Theme-based Research Scheme? The objective of the scheme is to focus academic research efforts of the UGC-funded institutions on themes of strategic importance to the long-term development of Hong Kong.

  • A Steering Committee has been set up to advise the Government on the selection of research themes as well as the framework and policy issues concerning the Theme-based Research Scheme. Having consulted the academic sector and non-academic sector, the Steering Committee has selected the following three themes for the first round of the Theme-based Research Scheme:

    • Promoting good health
    • Developing a sustainable environment
    • Enhancing Hong Kong’s strategic position as a regional and international business centre

  • The RGC has invited academics to put forward "grand challenge topics" under the three selected themes through submission of "white papers". A total of 305 white papers were received. These white papers were examined and honed down to four to six topics for each of the three selected themes by a multi-disciplinary White Paper Review Panel formed mainly by external experts. Workshops were held in August 2010 to discuss, refine and recommend the selection of the "grand challenge topics". Following presentations and discussions at the workshops, the initial grand challenge topics under each theme have been further selected and refined by the facilitators who are external experts. They were subsequently endorsed by RGC's Ad Hoc Committee on Theme-based Research and the Education Bureau. The following grand challenge topics have been adopted in the First Round of Theme-based Research Scheme:

    The theme on "Promoting good health"

    - Infectious diseases
    - Genomic medicine
    - Stem cells and regenerative medicine

    The theme on "Developing a sustainable environment"

    - Water pollution and water treatment
    - Sustainable built environment
    - Organic photo-voltaic and light emitting diodes
    - Air quality

    The theme on "Enhancing Hong Kong's strategic position as a regional and international business centre"

    - Hong Kong's future as an international financial centre
    - Promoting Hong Kong's business through networking capability
    - Promoting Hong Kong as a centre of excellence for business services innovation
    - Entrepreneurship and enterprise organization

  • In the first round exercise, 89 preliminary proposals were received and 22 of them were shortlisted for submission of full proposals. Among them, 15 were invited for selection interviews. Finally, six proposals were supported for funding with a total of some $248 million (including on-costs and indirect costs). Relevant funding result can be found at http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/theme/results.htm. The second call for Preliminary Proposals was issued in July 2011. The funding results will be known in July 2012.