The Institutional Development Scheme (IDS) Research Infrastructure Grant aims to build up and further enhance the research capacity of local self-financing degree-awarding institutions in their strategic areas.

1. Application should be submitted on an institutional basis to develop a programme of research that informs teaching. The proposed programme should fall in the strategic areas of the institution’s development plan.
2. Local self-financing degree-awarding institutions may make use of the Grant not only to set up new research centres, but also enhance their existing centre(s) of strategic importance to further develop their research capacity. In such cases, the application should –
   (i) introduce new programmes or research work that build upon the capabilities of existing research centre(s) for further enhancement of the institution’s academic rigour and / or enrichment of the institution’s research portfolio; and
   (ii) align the new programmes or research work with the institution’s strategic directions, demonstrating integration and collaboration with existing research centre(s) which lead to enhancement of research capability and more impactful research outcomes.
3. The maximum project duration is three years.
4. Funding¹ covers direct costs involved in building up and / or enhancing of research infrastructure and conducting a series of activities to support research, such as purchase of communal equipment and research materials, organization of seminars, workshops, conferences, and exchange programmes, etc.

1. Starting from the 2026/27 exercise, each Head of Institution (HoI) is allowed to submit two applications under IDS Research Infrastructure Grant in the capacity of Project holder in each exercise, one each for (i) new² / re-submission application³ involving setting up of new research centre(s) and (ii) application for enhancing existing research centre(s) of strategic importance. For the latter case, the existing research centre(s) should have been completed for three years or more prior to the application deadline (i.e. 2 March 2026). Each project team should consist of a Project holder, a Team leader and a reasonable number of Team members.
2. Team leader should be a full-time academic staff being engaged by the same local self-financing degree-awarding institution with at least a one-year renewable contract with the institution at the time of funding award being made; and spending at least 80% of time in locally-accredited local degree or higher degree work⁴ in the institution. Institutions are responsible for interpreting and confirming whether an applicant has fulfilled the eligibility requirements announced in the Call for Proposals.
3. There is no eligibility requirement for Team members. They can be any personnel working in the same or different local self-financing degree-awarding institutions, UGC-funded universities, or other local / overseas institutions or organizations.

The assessment criteria are as follows:

1. merit-based;
2. relevance to the strategic areas of institution;
3. number of academic staff to benefit.

Selection interview will be conducted with the project team of each shortlisted application.

Applications should be made in the prescribed application form and submitted through the applicant’s affiliated institution. All applications should be submitted to the UGC Secretariat by 5:00 pm on 2 March 2026 (Monday).

To view the call circular, please click here.
To view the operation framework, please click here.
To download the application form, please click here.

Workshop on Application for Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Local Self-financing Degree Sector (20 November 2024)