The
Research Grants Council
The Research Grants Council is a non-statutory advisory council
operating under the aegis of the University Grants Committee. It
was formally established on 1 January 1991 to replace the Research
Sub-Committee of the UGC.
The
Councils members are appointed by the Chief Executive (1)
and comprise overseas academics, local academics and local lay persons.
All members are appointed on an ad personam basis. The Councils
membership for 2002-2003 is listed in Appendix
D.
(1) The HKSAR Chief Executive has delegated his authority to
appoint the Council members to the Secretary for Education and Manpower.
Terms
of Reference
The
Research Grants Councils Terms of Reference are:
To
advise the Government, through the University Grants Committee,
on the needs of the institutions of higher education in Hong Kong
in the field of academic research, including the identification
of priority areas, in order that a research base adequate for the
maintenance of academic vigour and pertinent to the needs of Hong
Kong may be developed.
To
invite and receive, through the institutions of higher education,
applications for research grants from academic staff and for the
award of studentships and post-doctoral fellowships; to approve
awards and other disbursements from funds made available by the
Government through the University Grants Committee for research;
to monitor the implementation of such grants and to report at least
annually to the Government through the UGC.
How
the Research Grants Council is Organised
The
Council works in close partnership with the UGC and advises and
reports to the Government through the UGC on matters within its
purview. The organisational structure of the Research Grants Council
is presented in Chart
3.1
The
Council meets twice a year in Hong Kong, usually in June and in
December. The June meeting focuses on allocation of the Earmarked
Research Grant. The second meeting is devoted to resource allocation
among various established and new funding initiatives for the following
year, and a preliminary consideration of applications for competitive
research grants.
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RGC
panel meetings in June 2002. |
Specialist Subject
Panels
The
Council is assisted in its work by the following four specialist subject
panels:
Engineering
Panel (2)
Physical
Sciences Panel (2)
Biology
& Medicine Panel
Humanities,
Social Sciences & Business Studies Panel (3)
These
panels consist predominantly of local academics, with some overseas
academics. The panels normally meet once in June every year, before
the Council meetings, primarily to consider applications for allocations
from the Earmarked Research Grant as well as to monitor on-going projects
and assess completed projects. Membership details of the four subject
panels for 2001-2002 are in Appendix
E.
Applications
for research grants are assessed through peer review by panel members
and external referees, all of whom are recognised experts in their
fields in Hong Kong or overseas. The panels report to the Council
with recommendations on which projects should be funded.
(2) The former Physical Sciences and Engineering Panel was split
in two in December 1993.
(3) The Humanities & Social Sciences Panel was retitled, becoming
the Humanities, Social Sciences & Business Studies Panel in June
1994.
Central
Allocation Sub-Committee
The
Central Allocation Sub-Committee (CASC) is charged with selecting
major collaborative research equipment and group research projects
for support by the Council through the Central Allocation funding
programme, as well as monitoring funded projects.
Central
Allocation funding is provided in response to bids from the institutions
for major research facilities and / or equipment or library collections
to support collaborative research involving two or more institutions,
or group research activities that operate across disciplines and /
or normal institutional boundaries.
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Members
of the Co-operative Research Centres Sub-Committee visit The
Chinese University of Hong Kong in October 2002. |
Co-operative
Research Centres Sub-Committee
The
Co-operative Research Centres Sub-Committee (CRCSC) was established
in June 1992 to examine the feasibility of setting up Co-operative
Research Centres in Hong Kong. The main objective of the CRC is
to stimulate and encourage industrial participation in, and support
for, applied research at tertiary institutions.
The
CRCSC is charged with monitoring the progress of projects funded
under the CRC scheme and conducting reviews and assessments as appropriate.
CRCSC
membership is in
Appendix F.
A
brief history of the CRC programme is in Appendix
G.
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