Results of Proposal Evaluation
The RGC endorsed the selection results of the various research funding schemes as follows –
| Funding Scheme | Results | Announcement of Results |
|---|---|---|
| Research Impact Fund | 14 proposals amounting to $75 million are funded. | Letter to Heads of Universities dated 27 December 2024 |
| Collaborative Research Fund | 58 proposals amounting to $300 million are funded, including 36 Collaborative Research Project Grant (CRPG) proposals, six Collaborative Research Equipment Grant (CREG) proposals and 16 Young Collaborative Research Grant (YCRG) proposalsNB. NB Two YCRG proposals are supported for one-year exploratory funding. |
Letter to Heads of Universities dated 31 December 2024 |
| Strategic Topics Grant | 11 proposals are shortlisted for submission of full proposals. | Letters to Vice Presidents (Research) dated 10 December 2024 |
| Areas of Excellence Scheme | 13 proposals are shortlisted for submission of full proposals. | Letters to Vice Presidents (Research) dated 20 December 2024 |
| Theme-based Research Scheme | 30 proposals are shortlisted for submission of full proposals. |
Research Funding Schemes
Research Impact Fund (RIF)
The RIF 2024/25 exercise was concluded successfully. The 14 approved proposals are well-crafted, demonstrating robust justifications, rigorous research methods, and clear pathways to impact. Submission of proposals in high-demand fields such as artificial intelligence, computer science, and chip technology, etc. are encouraged. Furthermore, the RGC hopes for increased interactions of universities/ project teams with and greater participation from commercial entities, allowing for more direct input from these external organisations.
Collaborative Research Fund (CRF)
The CRF 2024/25 exercise was carried out successfully. There had been a significant increase by some 26% regarding the total number of CRF applications received. In spite of this, the overall quality of proposals received had been outstanding. The subject fields covered by the proposals were found to be more diverse and inter-disciplinary as compared with past rounds.
The overall success rate for CRPG & CREG is 10.4% for this round, and 51.6% for YCRG, which is significantly higher than 43.8% of last year. The proposals submitted by the young researchers were found to be original, novel, and achievable.
Areas of Excellence (AoE) Scheme and Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS)
For the 2025/26 exercise, a total of 33 AoE and 88 TRS proposals were processed. The Selection Panels shortlisted 13 AoE and 30 TRS proposals for submission of full proposals.
Strategic Topics Grant (STG)
For the 2025/26 exercise, a total of 29 STG proposals were received. The Assessment Committee shortlisted 11 STG proposals for submission of full proposals.
Budget for Various Funding Schemes Funded by the Research Endowment Fund (REF) in 2025/26
The indicative broad allocation for the various funding schemes funded by REF in 2025/26 was approved by the RGC as follows –
| Funding Schemes | Budget ($ million) |
|---|---|
| (A) Funding schemes under the Earmarked Research Grants | |
| (1) General Research Fund | 979.0 |
| (2) Early Career Scheme | 141.0 |
| (3) CRF | 250.0 |
| (4) Joint Research Schemes (including Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards (Hong Kong) (HLCA(HK)) | 119.6 |
| (5) Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme | 10.0 |
| (6) Postgraduate Students Conference / Seminar Grants | 0.8 |
| (B) TRS | 300.0 |
| (C) AoE SchemeNB NB The total budget, including $50 million from REF, in 2025/26 is $150 million. |
50.0 |
| (D) Exploratory funding for TRS and AoE Scheme | 30.0 |
| (E) Funding schemes for self-financing degree-awarding institutionsNB NB In the event that the amount of funding required to support meritorious proposals from self-financing institutions exceeds the total of $90 million, additional funding of up to $10 million may be provided. |
90.0 |
| (F) RIF | 75.0 |
| (G) Tuition waiver for local research postgraduate students | 90.0 |
| (H) STG | 130.0 |
| Total: | 2,265.40 |
The allocation above reflects broad indicative figures and may be subject to further adjustments.
Given the volatility in the global financial markets, the latest projected investment return rate of REF is expected to remain on the modest side. With the outlook of the economy remained uncertain, the RGC has and will continue to adopt a more prudent approach in budgeting until the condition improves. In the event that the financial position of REF continues to deteriorate, the RGC might have to adopt more rigorous cost-saving measures, as compared to the current soft approach, to ensure the REF’s sustainability.
Research Matching Grant Scheme (RMGS): Progress and New Round
In the twentieth (and the last) processing cycle of the debut round of RMGS, the amount of donations/ sponsorships/ research contracts secured by the participating universities and institutions for matching was around $466.29 million. Matching fund disbursements were fully made to universities and institutions in mid-October 2024, and with the full allocation of the $3-billion matching grants, the debut round of RMGS had been completed. Since its launch on 1 August 2019, RMGS has attracted a total of $5.77 billion donations/ research funds from private corporations, charity foundations, trusts, non-governmental organisations, individual donors, etc.
Furthermore, the Chief Executive (CE) in his 2024 Policy Address announced another round of RMGS, with a total commitment of $1.5 billion spanning a period of four years from mid-2025 to mid-2029. The RGC understands that consultation had been carried out with universities and self-financing institutions in mid-November 2024 regarding the proposed arrangements of this new round (e.g. “floor”, “ceiling”, matching ratio, and upper limit that each university may obtain from RMGS in each financial year), and general agreement had been reached. Following the endorsement by the University Grants Committee (UGC), the proposal has been presented to the Education Bureau for consideration.
The RGC welcomes the new round of RMGS and is optimistic that it will continue to achieve a multiplying effect, and substantial fresh research funding from non-government sector is expected to support the local higher education sector over the next four years. The scheme demonstrates the Government’s unwavering support to promoting innovation and collaborative research activities between the academia and the wider community, and universities have been encouraged to capitalise on the scheme to further leverage resources by this means.
Internationalisation Strategy: Broadening Exposure of Faculty
The CE in his 2024 Policy Address has set out the Government’s strategic directions for building Hong Kong into an international hub for high-calibre talents, through nurturing future talents and establishing the “Study in Hong Kong” brand amongst the policy measures. Against this background and with the support of the UGC, the RGC is taking steps to set up a new Overseas Research Fellowship Scheme (ORFS) to support mid-career professors/ faculty members to visit overseas institutions/ units for immersive collaboration experience internationally.
The RGC is hopeful that the scheme will provide further incentive to the local academia in widening their international perspective and deepening the exposure of the Hong Kong research community. The proposed fellowship scheme should also help boost the visibility of Hong Kong universities as a whole. Universities will be consulted before finalization of the detailed arrangements for the ORFS nearer the time.
CRF and RIF Symposium & TRS Public Symposium
The 2024 CRF and RIF Symposium, and the fifth TRS Public Symposium were successfully held on 5th and 8th December 2024 respectively. The RGC is grateful to The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology for their staunch support and hospitality. The RGC was much encouraged by the active participation of the project teams and the exchange of knowledge during the event. The presentations were very well-received and the efforts of all participating universities were appreciated.
Engagement and Communication Initiatives
To strengthen engagement and communication with the universities, the Chair of RGC had regular meetings with Vice-Presidents (Research) of the UGC-funded universities. The last meeting was held on 13 December 2024 after the RGC meeting to apprise universities on the RGC December meeting discussions.
In addition, to promote the efforts and support rendered by the RGC in encouraging research excellence and nurturing research talents, five relevant press articles about RGC Senior Research Fellow Scheme (SRFS), RGC Research Fellow Scheme (RFS) and RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme were published in local newspapers from September to early December 2024. In addition to printed versions, the advertorials were also published online and via social media posts (e.g. Facebook). Two more advertorials covering Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (HSSPFS) and Early Career Award (ECA), and SRFS and RFS were published in January 2025.
To arouse public interest in research subjects, local research development and introducing the work of local researchers, four public lectures were held between 19 October and 9 November 2024, covering Greater Bay Area, economy, health, technology and innovation. More than 900 audience participated in person or via online streaming platform at these lectures.
An award presentation ceremony was held on 19 November 2024 to honour the fifth cohort (2024/25) of SRFS, RFS and Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme awardees, as well as awardees of the HSSPFS and recipients of the ECA. The Secretary for Education (SED) officiated the event as the Guest of Honour. More than 180 guests including awardees and their families and acquaintances, RGC Senior Research Fellows and RGC Research Fellows of past cohorts, RGC Members, as well as university leaders and representatives attended the event. A press release on the event was issued after the ceremony. SED also shared about the event, including photos and posts, on her social media account.
For the local self-financing degree sector, the RGC hosted the workshop on the competitive research funding schemes at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong on 20 November 2024. The workshop invited faculty members who had successfully obtained research grants to share their stories. The achievements of completed projects were also featured at a poster session organised for the first time alongside the workshop. The Chairman of the Assessment Panel of the Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Local Self-Financing Degree Sector together with members of the Panel also shared their observations on proposals submitted in the latest round of exercise.
Other Matters
The progress and selection results of the following schemes/ grants had also been reported to the RGC -
| European Union – Hong Kong Research Cooperation Co-funding Mechanism (2024/25) |
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| The French National Research Agency / RGC Joint Research Scheme (JRS) 2024/25 |
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| National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) / RGC JRS 2024/25 |
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| NSFC / RGC Collaborative Research Scheme 2024/25 |
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| HLCA (HK) 2024 |
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| Funding Schemes for the Self-financing Degree sector (2024/25) |
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| RGC Postgraduate Students Conference / Seminar Grants (2023/24) |
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