Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Local Self-financing Degree Sector

Tenth Call for Proposals

Background

The research funding for the local self-financing degree sector is competitive in nature and aims at developing the research capacity of the institutions and the faculty members.


Competitive Research Funding Schemes

Three funding schemes, namely Faculty Development Scheme (FDS), Inter-Institutional Development Scheme (IIDS) and Institutional Development Scheme (IDS), were launched in 2013 to provide funding for research activities performed in the local self-financing degree sector. Starting from the 2019/20 exercise (Sixth Round), the IDS is branched out into two grants, namely the “Research Infrastructure Grant” and the “Collaborative Research Grant”. Ambits of these schemes are elaborated below:

    (i) The Faculty Development Scheme (FDS) aims to develop the research capability of individual academics so that they can transfer their research experiences and new knowledge into teaching and learning.

    (ii) The Inter-Institutional Development Scheme (IIDS) is to enhance academics’ research capability and to keep them abreast of new developments and challenging research topics in relevant fields through the organization of workshops or short courses on an institutional or joint-institutional basis.

    (iii) The Institutional Development Scheme (IDS) aims to build up the research capacity of the local self-financing degree-awarding institutions in their strategic areas (i.e. Research Infrastructure Grant) and encourage collaborative research within / among institutions (i.e. Collaborative Research Grant).

Collaboration, either within the local self-financing degree sector or between the local self-financing degree sector and the University Grants Committee (UGC) sector, is strongly encouraged. Collaboration may be in the form of research projects or sharing of research facilities supported by the three funding schemes.

To provide research training opportunity to undergraduate students, applicants are encouraged to involve undergraduate students in their research projects and apply for the related allowance in the applications.

Operation framework of the three funding schemes can be downloaded here.


Eligibility

Full-time academic staff1 engaged by the below listed institutions2 are eligible for submission of applications to the Tenth Round exercise:

  • Caritas Institute of Higher Education
  • Centennial College
  • Chu Hai College of Higher Education
  • Gratia Christian College
  • HKCT Institute of Higher Education
  • Hong Kong Metropolitan University
  • Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education
  • Hong Kong Shue Yan University
  • School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University
  • School of Professional Education and Executive Development, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Technological and Higher Education Institute (THEi) of Hong Kong
  • The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
  • Tung Wah College
  • UOW College of Hong Kong
  • Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education

1 Please refer to the application forms and guidance notes for the staff eligibility.
2 Institutions are listed in alphabetical order.


Application Procedures

Application should be made in the prescribed form for the corresponding funding scheme and must be submitted through the applicant’s affiliated institution. The related application forms and guidelines can be downloaded from the RGC website:

FDS https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/fds/how_to_apply.html
IIDS https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/iids/how_to_apply.html
IDS Research Infrastructure Grant https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/ids_rig/how_to_apply.html
IDS Collaborative Research Grant https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/ids_crg/how_to_apply.html


Update of Proposals

Applicants will be requested to provide a brief update setting out any essential changes to the applications, i.e. the eligibility of the applicants, addition / removal of project team members, alternative funding obtained, declaration of related proposals, investigator(s)’s CV, grant records, etc. by 23 June 2023, if any. Such updates should be confined to the essential parts of the original proposals, and applicants should not use the opportunity to hand in a substantially changed proposal.


Deadline for Application

All applications must be submitted to the UGC Secretariat by 5:00 pm on 1 March 2023 (Wednesday).


Enquiries

For enquiries regarding the three funding schemes and the application procedures, please approach the Research Coordinators of respective institutions in the first instance. Contact details are as follows:

Dr Winnie CHAN
Caritas Institute of Higher Education
2 Chui Ling Lane, Tseung Kwan O,
New Territories, Hong Kong

Tel: 3702 4361

Ms Teresa TSAI
Centennial College
3 Wah Lam Path, Pokfulam, Hong Kong

Tel: 3762 6216

Ms Pekoe NG
Chu Hai College of Higher Education
80 Castle Peak Road, Castle Peak Bay,
Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong

Tel: 2972 7427

Ms Elisa AU
Gratia Christian College
5 Wai Chi Street, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon,
Hong Kong

Tel: 2319 6910

Prof CHUI Yat-hung
HKCT Institute of Higher Education
2 On Shing Street, Ma On Shan,
Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong

Tel: 2265 6970

Ms Candy LEUNG
Hong Kong Metropolitan University
30 Good Shepherd Street, Ho Man Tin,
Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tel: 2768 6251

Prof Thomas WONG
Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education
325-329 Lai Chi Kok Road, Sham Shui Po,
Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tel: 3996 1069

Miss Helen FUNG
Hong Kong Shue Yan University
10 Wai Tsui Crescent, Braemar Hill Road,
North Point, Hong Kong

Tel: 2804 8438

Dr Sam LAU
School of Continuing Education
Hong Kong Baptist University
320 Junction Road,
Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tel: 3411 3027

Ms Gigi IP
School of Professional Education and Executive Development (SPEED)
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tel: 3746 0772

Dr Tracy KWAN
Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong
133 Shing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong

Tel: 3890 8090

Miss Ritz HO
The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Hang Shin Link, Siu Lek Yuen, Shatin,
Hong Kong

Tel: 3963 5127

Dr David WONG
Tung Wah College
31 Wylie Road, Homantin, Kowloon,
Hong Kong

Tel: 3190 6722

Prof Geoffrey BLOWERS
UOW College Hong Kong
Le Billionnaire, 46 Sa Po Road,
Kowloon City, Hong Kong

Tel: 2707 3282

Dr Elaine LAU
Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education
2 Tin Wan Hill Road, Tin Wan
Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Tel: 3977 9864

Staff members of the UGC Secretariat for enquiries:

Miss Karen LEE

Senior Research Administrator (4)
Tel: 2844 9956 Email: klee@ugc.edu.hk

Miss Angela LIU

Research Administrator (4)
Tel: 2844 9976 Email: aliu@ugc.edu.hk

Miss Natalie NG

Research Administrator (4)1
Tel: 3959 0414 Email: nng@ugc.edu.hk

UGC Secretariat
November 2022