Indicative Budget for 2025/26
Funding Schemes Indicative Distribution
($ million)
Individual Research Schemes
General Research Fund 979.0
Early Career Scheme 141.0
Collaborative Research Schemes
Areas of Excellence Scheme 160.0
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 368.8 [1]
Research Grants Council (RGC) Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme／RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme 51.3
RGC Research Fellow Scheme/RGC Senior Research Fellow Scheme 136.9
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) European Union (EU)-Hong Kong (HK) Research and Innovation Cooperation Co-funding Mechanism

 9.0

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

 8.5

e) Germany/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme

 1.2

f) PROCORE - France/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme

 1.0

g) Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards (Hong Kong)

3.9
Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Local Self-financing Degree Sector[2]

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 N/A[3]
Tuition Waiver for Local Research Postgraduate Students 90.0
[1]
Subject to annual adjustment in accordance with Composite Consumer Price Index.
[2]
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.
[3]
Commencing to operate from 1 August 2019, the first round of Research Matching Grant Scheme was successfully completed on 22 July 2024 with the $3-billion provision of matching grant fully distributed. A new round of RMGS, with a total commitment of $1.5 billion, will operate from mid-2025.