Indicative Budget for 2026/27
Funding Schemes Indicative Distribution
($ million)
Individual Research Schemes
General Research Fund 1,049.9
Early Career Scheme 141.0
Collaborative Research Schemes
Areas of Excellence Scheme 280.0[1]
Collaborative Research Fund 250.0
Research Impact Fund 75.0
Theme-based Research Scheme 320.0
Strategic Topics Grant 130.0
Fellowships
Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme 10.0
Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme 412.6[2]
Research Grants Council (RGC) Junior Research Fellow Scheme 51.6
RGC Research Fellow Scheme/RGC Senior Research Fellow Scheme 141.0
Joint Research Schemes

a) National Natural Science Foundation of China／RGC Joint Research Scheme

 60.0

b) National Natural Science Foundation of China／RGC Collaborative Research Scheme

 36.0

c) National Natural Science Foundation of China／RGC Young Research Scheme

 8.0

d) European Union (EU)-Hong Kong (HK) Research Cooperation Co-funding Mechanism

 9.0

e) The French National Research Agency／RGC Joint Research Scheme

 14

f) Germany/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme

 1.2

g) PROCORE - France/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme

 1.0

h) A*STAR/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme

15.4
Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Local Self-financing Degree Sector[3]

a) Faculty Development Scheme

 65.0

b) Inter-institutional Development Scheme

 5.0

c) Institutional Development Scheme

 20.0
Others
RGC Postgraduate Students Conference／Seminar Grants 0.8
Research Matching Grant Scheme 400.0[4]
Tuition Waiver for Local Research Postgraduate Students 90.0
[1]
Around $122 million is earmarked for supporting ongoing AoE projects, and around $157 million will be set aside to support new AoE projects to be selected in the 2026/27 exercise.
[2]
Subject to annual adjustment in accordance with Composite Consumer Price Index.
[3]
In the event that the amount of funding required to support meritorious proposals from Self-financing institutions exceeds the total of $90 million, additional funding of up to $10 million may be provided.
[4]
Commencing to operate from May 2025, the new round of Research Matching Grant Scheme has accepted application. For each financial year within the 4-year period of the new round of the scheme, an upper limit has been applied to the total amount of matching grants to be disbursed; i.e. $300 million for the first financial year (2025-26), and $400 million for each of the subsequent 3 financial years (2026-27 to 2028-29).