RFS and SRFS are operated on an annual basis to provide sustained research support integrated with relief from teaching and administrative duties for outstanding mid-career and senior academics respectively at University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities in Hong Kong. RFS and SRFS facilitate academics to dedicate their career to research and development (R&D), as well as to give them the time and resources to nurture and train the next generation of local research talent for Hong Kong, through the delivery of a programme of world-leading research.

The target group of RFS and SRFS are stellar researchers at Associate Professor rank and full Professor rank respectively. For eligibility of RFS/ SRFS candidates, please refer to the details as set out in the Operation Guide for the RGC Research Fellow Scheme and RGC Senior Research Fellow Scheme .

Quota and Fellowship

In the 2024/25 exercise, RFS and SRFS will each provide research funding support to ten awardees for a period of 60 months for teaching and administrative duty relief. The funding covers salary costs for relief teachers and support for the related research project including resources for staff, equipment, travel, subsistence and dissemination costs, but the award does not cover “on costs”. Supporting universities are required to make their own provision for “on-costs”.

Each RFS awardee will be conferred the title "RGC Research Fellow (研資局研究學者)", and the supporting university will receive a fellowship grant at around $5.3 million per award (a uniform rate is applied for both non-clinical and clinical academics) over a period of 60 months.

Each SRFS awardee will be conferred the title "RGC Senior Research Fellow (研資局高級研究學者)", and the supporting university will receive a fellowship grant at around $8.0 million per award (a uniform rate is applied for both non-clinical and clinical academics) over a period of 60 months.

Universities may wish to reflect upon the diversity of your RFS/ SRFS nominations and encourage more female faculty members to be nominated and to compete for the Fellowship awards. Whilst the selection of RFS/ SRFS awardees is merit-based and gender is not an assessment criterion, the RFS/ SRFS Chairs and selection panels would be encouraged to see better representation of females amongst nominees. The research community at large will also appreciate a greater proportion of outstanding female researchers receiving these prestigious awards, in future cohorts.

Revised Nomination Documents

Following the endorsement of RGC, the nomination documents of the RFS/ SRFS have been refined for adoption in this exercise with a view to further facilitating nominees to present information about their academic trajectory, mentoring success, current research group, plan to nurture young researchers, as well as concrete justifications to substantiate their research proposal, and their request for estimated project funding/ resources in appropriate proportion, including but not limited to “general expenses” and “costs for employment of relief teacher(s)”.

The apportionment of “teaching relief” in the project budget should be reasonable and well justified. It should also be noted that UGC and RGC place great importance on the nurturing of young researchers and educating university students, and this should not be compromised in any way.

A full set of the operation guide, nomination form (RFS-SRFS-1) and guidance notes (RFS-SRFS-2) are attached for your ready reference. These documents, together with a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), are also available at https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/rrfs/ for your easy access. Nominees and supporting universities are advised to read the nomination details as set out in the operation guide and the guidance notes carefully before completing the nomination form.

Submission of Nominations

Each UGC-funded university may nominate up to six candidates (at Associate Professor rank) for RFS and six candidates (at full Professor rank) for SRFS. Each nomination should include the research proposal, with proposed budget, of the project to be undertaken by the nominated candidate during the fellowship period.

Nominations should be submitted via email to RFS@ugc.edu.hk, with two sets of hard copies (including the original version) and one set of soft copy (saved in one DVD/ USB memory stick) 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

Nominations should reach the UGC Secretariat by 5:00 p.m. on 30 November 2023 (Thursday). Late nomination will not be processed.

Assessment of Nominations

Nominees of RFS and SRFS of all academic disciplines are subject to assessment by either one of the two selection panels: (i) Humanities, Social Sciences and Business Studies (H-Panel); and (ii) Sciences, Medicine, Engineering and Technology (S-Panel). Shortlisted finalists for RFS/ SRFS will be invited for in-person interview by the selection panel concerned between late May and early June 2024. Nominees should take note of the interview schedule as remote arrangements for interviews normally will not be considered.

Enquiries

For enquiries about the nomination procedures or other aspects of the RFS/SRFS, please feel free to contact the UGC Secretariat via email: RFS@ugc.edu.hk.