The duration of fellowship period for PDFS will be reviewed as and when required.

The duration of fellowship period for PDFS will be reviewed as and when required.

The number of awards/places will be reviewed as and when required.

Selection is competitive in nature. If the quota reserved for local candidates is filled up, merit-based selection will again apply for the remaining places.

There is no pre-set allocation quota between the two broad academic categories. The principle of merit-based selection should apply.

There is no restriction in terms of age, while the nominee should have obtained/been conferred a PhD degree or an equivalent qualification not more than three years before the year of nomination (e.g. for nomination exercise to close by October 2023, the nominee must have obtained/been conferred a PhD degree or an equivalent qualification on or after 1 January 2020).

There is no restriction in this regard.

The restriction only applies to local public funding with examples enumerated in the operation guide. Universities are welcome to top up PDFS with overseas funding, private funding or donation.

For PDFS candidates receiving UGC block grant as employment subsidy to conduct the same project, remuneration from this subsidy should cease if they decide to receive the fellowship/employment under the PDFS on the same project (i.e. no overlapping/double funding). Nevertheless, there is no such restriction if the other employment subsidy they are receiving is on research projects/activities other than that under PDFS.

The nominee is not required to be an existing employee of the supporting university at the time of nomination but he/she needs to be employed by the supporting university when the fellowship is awarded.

There is no restriction on previous/current employment of the candidates.

Awardees of Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme fulfilling the nomination requirements under PDFS are eligible to be nominated for PDFS.

PDFS awardees can be considered for RFS/SRFS in future exercise(s) subject to fulfilling the requirements as set out for RFS/SRFS. RFS awardees can be considered for SRFS in future exercise(s) subject to fulfilling the requirements as set out for SRFS. An awardee can only benefit from one of the three schemes at any one time. Awardees accepting a fellowship shall not compete again for the same fellowship in future exercises.

Panel membership for PDFS will follow the existing selection panels formed under the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, i.e. Humanities, Social Sciences and Business Studies Selection Panel (H-Panel) and Sciences, Medicine, Engineering and Technology Selection Panel (S-Panel). Panel members will be added as necessary.

The amount of the fellowship stipend will be adjusted after every 12 months during the fellowship period with reference to the annual rate of Composite Consumer Price Index (CCPI) and related factors, and will be reviewed as and when required in future exercises.

Universities may top up the fellowship stipend using non-public funding including but not limited to overseas funding, private funding, and/or donation. To avoid "double funding", if a PDFS candidate is receiving UGC block grant as employment subsidy to conduct the same project, remuneration from this subsidy should cease if he/she decides to receive the fellowship/employment under the PDFS on the same project.

Universities are welcome to supplement the fellowship with other fringe benefits on par with ordinary employment of a PdF, on top of the stipend, including MPF, pay adjustment, etc. The amount of the fellowship stipend will be adjusted after every 12 months during the fellowship period with reference to the annual rate of Composite Consumer Price Index (CCPI) and related factors, and will be reviewed as and when required in future exercises.

It is up to the university to decide bearing in mind that the 3-year employment as PdF sponsored under PDFS should commence within the year of result announcement (to start earliest on 1 May and latest by 31 December).

Under the principle of institutional autonomy, details of the research project(s)/study(ies) are subject to the agreement between the PDFS awardee and the supporting university.

Under the principle of institutional autonomy, any undertaking for continual service upon completion of the PDFS fellowship should be subject to mutual agreement between the awardee and the supporting university.

PDFS awardees will be required to submit annual progress reports on all on-going research project(s)/activity(ies) through the university concerned to the UGC Secretariat for monitoring. Upon completion of the 36-month fellowship period, awardees should submit a completion report through the university concerned to the UGC Secretariat.

In accordance with RGC's existing Disbursement, Accounting and Monitoring Arrangements for Funding Schemes Administered by the RGC, a statement of accounts should be submitted separately.

Outside practice or other research engagements with industries are not restricted during the fellowship period, provided that they are in compliance with the related internal guidelines of the supporting university.