The RMGS launched in August 2019, with the aim of attracting more diverse funding sources to support research at our universities/ institutions, was successfully completed in October 2024.  In the light of the fruitful outcome of the first round of the Scheme, the Government has decided to launch a new round of RMGS in mid-2025 for a period of four years with a total commitment of $1.5 billion. The Scheme is also designed to promote research collaborations between the higher education sector and industry as well as other sectors in the community.

The new round of RMGS will be open for application from 1 May 2025, covering the eight University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities (including their self-financing arms/ units) and 13 local self-financing degree-awarding institutions listed at Annex below.

Starting from 1 May 2025, donations and research grants/ research contracts from non-governmental/ non-public sectors (regardless whether they are from local or non-local funding sources) secured by the universities/ institutions during the operation period will be eligible for matching.  They should be designated solely for research-related expenditure/ purpose and could be allocated to support research for all academic disciplines.

 

Application Details

Applications should be submitted via email to RMGS@ugc.edu.hk, with a set of duly signed hard copies delivered to:

Assistant Secretary-General (Research) Special Duties 1
University Grants Committee Secretariat
7/F Shui On Centre
6 – 8 Harbour Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong, China

 

Point(s) to Note

Please be advised that there should be no "double matching" or "double subsidies".  Projects having secured various public/ government funds from local/ non-local authorities, and donations/ research grants/ research contracts already matched with public funds under other schemes (e.g. the Eighth Matching Grant Scheme, the first round of RMGS) are not eligible for any matching grants under the new round of RMGS.

Since RMGS aims at facilitating research collaboration between the higher education sector and industry as well as other sectors in the community, the matching grants should be used to support a specific research project/ initiative/ activity, rather than for setting/ topping up any endowment fund by a university/ institution.  A list of broad categories of research-related purposes is provided in the application form.

Universities/ Institutions are required to undertake in the application covering letter that all acts under the new round of RMGS, including but not limited to acceptance of donations, conduct of funded research projects/ initiatives/ activities, expenditure of research matching grants, shall conform to  the legislation (including but not limited to the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), regulations and by-laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

 

Enquiries

For enquiries about the application procedures or other aspects of the new round of RMGS, please feel free to contact the UGC Secretariat via email: RMGS@ugc.edu.hk

 

 

Annex

List of universities/ institutions covered
by the Research Matching Grant Scheme (New Round: 2025 – 2029)

UGC-funded universities (including their self-financing arms/ units)

1. City University of Hong Kong
2. Hong Kong Baptist University
3. Lingnan University
4. The Chinese University of Hong Kong
5. The Education University of Hong Kong
6. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
7. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
8. The University of Hong Kong

Local self-financing degree-awarding institutions

9. Centennial College
10. Gratia Christian College
11. Hong Kong Chu Hai College
12. Hong Kong College of Technology (HKCT) Institute of Higher Education
13. Hong Kong Metropolitan University
14. Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education
15. Hong Kong Shue Yan University
16. Saint Francis University
17. Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong
18. The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
19. Tung Wah College
20. University of Wollongong (UOW) College Hong Kong
21. Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education

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