The Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) supports multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary projects in order to encourage more research groups to engage in creative and high-quality cross-disciplinary / cross-institutional projects.
There are three types of grants under CRF:
Collaborative Research Project Grant
The Collaborative Research Project Grant aims to encourage research groups in UGC-funded universities to engage in collaborative research across disciplines and across universities, with a view to enhancing the research output of universities in terms of the level of attainment, quantity, dimensions and/or impact. It provides funding for staff, equipment and general expenses related to the supported projects. In assessing proposals, the Research Grants Council (the RGC) puts emphasis on capacity building and the potential of a proposal to develop into an area of research strength.
Project Coordinators (PC) of group research projects can apply for "renewal" funding. A "renewal" proposal should be an extension of the current project led by the same PC and should have its own goal and a new or extended research objective. The "renewal" applications will be assessed alongside other group research proposals.
Collaborative Research Equipment Grant
Young Collaborative Research Grant
The Young Collaborative Research Grant (YCRG) aims to support early-stage academic staff members in gaining first-hand experience in leading and managing collaborative research, so that they will be better prepared in competing for larger collaborative research funding in the next stage of their career. Only group research proposals can apply for YCRG. Equipment proposals should be submitted to Collaborative Research Equipment Grant.
Collaborative Research Project Grant (CRPG) and Collaborative Research Equipment Grant (CREG)
Project Coordinator (PC) of a CRPG or CREG project must be an academic staff member of an UGC-funded university with conditions of employment meeting ALL the following requirements:
A visiting staff member will only be eligible if he/she has a full-time appointment in the university proper covering the whole project period. Staff supported by external research grant6 are NOT eligible.
Young Collaborative Research Grant (YCRG)
The PC and at least half of the number of Co-Principal Investigator(s) (Co-PI(s)) of YCRG must be an academic staff member of an UGC-funded university with conditions of employment meeting ALL the following requirements:
Unlike CRPG and CREG, visiting scholar is not eligible for YCRG8.
Eligible applicants may choose to submit one application as PC under CRF (i.e. CRPG, CREG or YCRG) in each funding cycle. New junior academic staff members meeting the eligibility criteria of YCRG are encouraged to compete in the Grant. The grantees and awardees9 of YCRG cannot compete in YCRG as PC again but those who failed will be allowed to re-submit applications, which can be a new research topic or research topics previously applied but not supported, within the eligible period.
For transitional purposes, academic staff members who are engaged in non-degree programmes which are still funded by the UGC may also apply as the PC. Eligible staff in this category must be wholly funded from the General Funds of the university(ies) concerned. This arrangement would continue until such time when the relevant programmes are no longer funded by the UGC. Exceptional cases (including circumstances not covered by the above rules) will be considered by the RGC on a case-by-case basis.
The assessment criteria are as follows:
Collaborative Research Project Grant and Young Collaborative Research Grant:
Collaborative Research Equipment Grant
The UGC Secretariat will send invitations to UGC-funded universities for applications at the beginning of each calendar year. Applications should be submitted to the UGC Secretariat through the Research Offices (ROs) of the coordinating universities before the deadline.
Applicants will be shortlisted for submission of full proposals in the middle of the year.
Selection interviews will be held by the CRF Selection Panel for shortlisted full proposal teams by year end. The UGC Secretariat will announce the results to the universities by early January of the following year.
To view the call circular, please click here.
To download the application form, please click here.