Strategic Topics Grant

Strategic Topics Grant 2025/26
Call for Preliminary Proposals

This is to invite submission of preliminary proposals for the Strategic Topics Grant (STG) 2025/26 and to provide details of the procedures to be followed.

Background

STG is set up to support collaborative research in specific areas which can help Hong Kong overcome imminent challenges and capture emerging opportunities. Applicants are required to submit research proposals relevant to the strategic topics announced by the Research Grants Council (RGC) for each exercise.

Budget

The overall budget for the STG 2025/26 exercise is $150 million. Mandatory matching funds are required from University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities for approved projects on a 90% (RGC) / 10% (university(s)) basis. The net amount of funding requested from RGC (excluding on-costs, matching funding from university and funds obtained from other sources) may range from $10 million to $40 million per project.

Duration of the Project

A STG project could last for up to five years.

Strategic Topics

In line with the objectives of the STG, project teams are expected to pursue interdisciplinary, collaborative goals which would not be possible by working on the project’s individual components. Applications for STG 2025/26 exercise should be made under one of the strategic topics as listed below -

  1. Using Advanced Technology to Address Health Care Challenges
  2. Striving towards Carbon Neutrality before 2050
  3. Establishing Hong Kong as the Leading Integrated Circuits, and Opto-electronics Innovation and Technology Hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area
  4. Managing the Socio-economic Dimensions of Public Health Challenges
  5. Innovative and Environmental-friendly Construction Technologies and Materials

Assessment Criteria

The preliminary STG proposals will be assessed by the STG Assessment Committee based on the following criteria -

  1. the academic merit;
  2. the long-term goal of the proposal and its potential to help Hong Kong overcome imminent challenges and capture emerging opportunities under the strategic topics;
  3. credentials of the project team;
  4. existence of a clear strategy; and
  5. sound structure for an excellent research project.

Application Procedures

Application should be made in the prescribed form for the STG and must be submitted through the applicant’s affiliated university. Relevant application form and guidelines are set out in the Guidance Documents which can be downloaded from RGC website (https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/stg/). The number of applications to be submitted by each university would be capped at 5.

Declaration of Time Commitment

Project Coordinator (PC) will need to provide the numbers of both on-going individual research projects and on-going collaborative research projects being held by him / her in any capacity. If the PC holds more than three on-going individual research projects or more than two on-going collaborative research projects, he / she will need to provide the overall amount of time spent on research in percentage terms and justifications on how he / she would be able to take up this additional research project if funded while maintaining the research quality.

Matters Requiring Attention

Applicants’ attention is cordially drawn to the following -

  1. applicant is not allowed to submit the same proposal under STG and Areas of Excellence Scheme / Theme-based Research Scheme in the same exercise;
  2. applicant is only allowed to submit one application in the capacity of PC under the STG;
  3. the arrangement of “right of reply” will be adopted in the full proposal stage in this exercise; and
  4. as part of the RGC’s initiative in enhancing collaboration with the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), applicant who contemplate applying for funding support from the Innovation and Technology Fund at a later stage may provide a technology transfer plan in the full proposal. The technology transfer plan will be passed to the ITC for reference and will not be assessed.

Code of Conduct and Handling of Information and Personal Data

The RGC is fully committed to the principle of honesty, integrity and fair play in the conduct of its business. All applicants should comply with the RGC Code of Conduct, which is available on the RGC website
(https://www.ugc.edu.hk/doc/eng/rgc/guidelines/code/code_of_conduct.pdf).

The guidelines for the handling of information and personal data contained in the applications are available on the RGC website (https://www.ugc.edu.hk/doc/eng/rgc/form/GRF2.pdf).

Timeline

All applications must be submitted to the UGC Secretariat by 5:00 pm on 9 September 2024. Late application will not be entertained. Universities are required to provide two hard copies and one soft copy of each proposal to the Secretariat. For the soft copy, please save all files in one CD / USB drive with file names and project reference number clearly marked on it.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit full proposals for further consideration in December 2024 / January 2025 and funding decision will be announced in around July 2025.

Enquiries

I should be grateful for your making arrangements to publicise this invitation to your staff. If there are have any enquiries about the application procedures or other aspects of this circular, please call Mr Stanley NG, Assistant Secretary-General (Research) (Tel: 3959 0428 or email: sng@ugc.edu.hk) or Ms Emma LEE, Research Administrator (Tel: 3959 0417 or email: emmalee@ugc.edu.hk).