RFS and SRFS are operated on an annual basis to provide sustained research support integrated with relief from teaching and administrative duties for outstanding academics at University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities in Hong Kong. The two fellow schemes facilitate academics to dedicate their career to research and development, 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 internationally-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 
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Nomination
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. RFS candidates are expected to possess adequate tenure experience at the rank of Associate Professor and show sufficient depth of excellence. Universities are encouraged to maximise effective utilisation of the assigned nomination quota to include more promising candidates, in particular more strong female nominations are encouraged so as to better reflect the diversity and excellence of their actual academic populations. Universities are also encouraged to provide mentoring and support for faculty members, in particular female researchers, in conceptual formation and writing of proposal for demonstration of their high quality and/or potential.
Fellowship Award
In the 2027/28 exercise, it is the plan that 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 $5.6 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 $8.5 million per award (a uniform rate is applied for both non-clinical and clinical academics) over a period of 60 months.
Please be advised that the primary aim of RFS and SRFS is to support the further advancement of selected Fellows’ research career by supporting them to dedicate a period predominantly to research and development of young researchers. In making the nominations, universities are advised to take this into consideration and to judiciously manage awarded fellowships so that the primary focus of RFS and SRFS awardees would not be compromised by other duties assigned in their broader career.
Matters Requiring Attention
| Documents of the RFS/ SRFS have been updated to reflect the following recent deliberations of the RGC – | ||
| (a) | Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Nominees are required to disclose, where applicable, the usage of AI including but not limited to the models / systems / tools being / to be used, purpose of usage, how and the extent of such AI usage. It is the responsibility of the universities to confirm that the details provided by the nominees regarding the use of AI are accurate and in compliance with the relevant institutional policies; | |
| (b) | Data Collection and Management: Nominees are required to provide, where applicable, details regarding data collection, management, access and storage, etc. in the conduct of research, including compliance with relevant regulatory provisions. If applicable, nominees should provide the corresponding data collection and management details in the nomination form; | |
| (c) | Conference Expenses: The funding limit, currently capped at $20,000 per year, will be increased to $30,000 per year starting from 2027/28; and | |
| (d) | High-performance Computing Services (HPCS) Expenses: The standard budget cap for HPCS expenses is $100,000. Subject to exceptional research needs and robust justification, nominees may request an enhanced earmarked funding1 of up to an additional $100,000, bringing the maximum total HPCS allocation to $200,000. | |
| 1 The enhanced support only applies to the funding ceiling within the HPCS earmarked item. The enhancement shall not be considered as an increase in the total fellowship grant. | ||
Nomination Submission
A full set of the updated operation guide, nomination form (RFS-SRFS-1) and guidance notes (RFS-SRFS-2), together with a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), are available at https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/rrfs/index.html. 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.
The fellowship is not meant to be merely an extended General Research Fund (GRF) research grant to a project of five years. There is an expectation of pursuing research at a new level and progressing/ developing the subject on a higher stage sustained over a full period of five years. Nominees should also present carefully-considered personal commitment to the fellowship and research project for a full course of five-year period, with regard to the expectation that the amount of time to be spent on the RFS/ SRFS research, if awarded, should not be less than that specified in the nomination form or as agreed by the RGC.
It should also be noted that the UGC and the RGC place great importance to both nurturing young researchers and educating university students. Nominees should therefore be reminded to set out clear mentoring plan in the submissions to include training of postdoc(s) and/or research postgraduate student(s) with appropriate allocation for teaching relief, and that resources for strengthening the capacity of early career researchers should not be compromised by allocating excessive teaching relief.
Each nomination should include the research proposal, with proposed budget, of the project to be undertaken by the nominated candidate during the fellowship period. All nominations must be submitted through the new electronic system. In addition to the electronic submission, one set of text-searchable PDF copies of nominations (including all relevant attachments) must be sent to the UGC Secretariat via email to RFS@ugc.edu.hk
Nominations should reach the UGC Secretariat (through the electronic system as well as text-searchable PDF copies) by 5:00 p.m. on 30 November 2026 (Monday). Late nomination will not be processed.
Selection
Two selection panels, i.e. Humanities, Social Sciences and Business Studies (H-Panel) and Sciences, Medicine, Engineering and Technology (S-Panel), will evaluate the merit of the candidates in the two broad academic streams (disciplines) separately. For inter-disciplinary projects, experts from the other Panel might be involved should the Panel Chair recommend this. Shortlisted finalists for RFS/ SRFS will be invited for in-person interview by the Panel concerned between late May and early June 2027. 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.