Press Release - National Natural Science Foundation of China/Research Grants Council Joint Research Scheme: Funding of Projects for 1999-2000
The Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) announced today (30 November 1999) their joint decisions on the allocation of funds under the NSFC/RGC Joint Research Scheme for the exercise 1999-2000. The joint scheme is aimed at encouraging collaboration between researchers in Hong Kong and the Mainland in the areas of Information Technology, Life Sciences, New Materials Science, Chinese Medicine and Management Science.
A total of about HK$ 15 million was awarded as projects grants to fund 14 projects selected jointly by the NSFC and the RGC for support after a process of detailed evaluation under the Joint Research Scheme. A list of the funded projects is at the Annex. The funded projects cover research into microchip technology, the interaction between waves and the marine environment, the effect of Chinese medical compounds on cells, studies of gene function, application of DNA-based detection and the supply chain structure and information dynamics in management science etc.
The agreement to establish a joint research scheme with an annual funding of about HK$15 million was reached between the NSFC and the RGC in November 1998. The annual contributions of the RGC and the NSFC are HK$10 million and RMB 5 million respectively. The scheme is being run on a pilot basis initially for three years, and supports actual research expenses in addition to travel and subsistence costs.
In the first exercise this year, a total of 229 initial proposals were received. After two rounds of short-listing and evaluation, the NSFC and the RGC agreed to support 14 projects. To finalize the selection of projects, an RGC delegation travelled to Beijing and attended a joint selection committee meeting with the NSFC on 12 November 1999.
Professor Kenneth Young, Chairman of the RGC, said "I am very pleased to see that this Scheme, the first such collaborative scheme between the RGC and a Mainland partner, has got off to a fine start. I am grateful for the co-operation from the NSFC in developing this Scheme which provides a good channel for Hong Kong and Mainland researchers to come together and work on research areas of common interest. This is very much in line with the efforts of the SAR to strengthen ties with the Mainland."
The NSFC and the RGC have also agreed on the application procedures in respect of the coming exercise in 2000-2001. The call circular for the exercise was issued by both sides today, and all initial proposals must be submitted to the RGC on or before 15 January 2000.
UGC Secretariat
30 November 1999
Annex
Proposals Supported by
Germany/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme 1998/99
| Project No. | Project Title | Hong Kong Partner | Mainland Partner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subject Area: Chinese Medicine | ||||
| 1. | NSFC/HKU 39 | Effects of Chinese medicinal compounds and their mechanisms of action on intracellular signalling, and on endothelial and cardiovascular function | Dr Yaw Loong Siow | Prof Da Yuan Zhu |
| Subject Area: Information Technology | ||||
| 2 | NSFC/HKUST 27 | Technologies for system-on-a-chip on SOI substrate including logic circuits, memories, and RF communication front end | Prof Ping Keung Ko | Prof Y Y Wang |
| Subject Area: Life Sciences | ||||
| 3 | NSFC/CityU 14 | Designing Receptive DNA Interfaces on 2-Dimensional Supported Monolayers for Biosensor and DNA Sequencing Applications | Dr Michael Mengsu Yang | Prof Sen-fang Sui |
| 4 | NSFC/HKU 17 | Development of a new method of modifying the mouse genome | Dr Jian Dong Huang | Prof De Pei Liu |
| 5 | NSFC/HKU 20 | Regulation of neurogenesis and blood formation by the two Xenopus GATA-1 genes: the molecular mechanism and structure-function studies | Prof Hsiang Fu Kung | Dr Kai Tai Yao |
| Subject Area: Marine and Environmental Science | ||||
| 6 | NSFC/HKU 8 | Interaction between waves and the marine environment | Prof Allen Tse-yung Chwang | Prof Da Hong Qiu |
| 7 | NSFC/HKU 26 | Sediment-water-pollutant interactions in estuarine and coastal waters _ with particular reference to Bohai Bay and Deep Bay | Prof Joseph Hun Wei Lee | Prof Zhao Yin Wang |
| 8 | NSFC/HKUST 36 | Study for a regional numerical air-quality prediction system | Dr Alexis K H Lau | Prof Yu Qin |
| Subject Area: Management Science | ||||
| 9 | NSFC/CUHK 10 | Supply Chain Structure and Information Dynamics | Prof Houmin Yan | Prof Jian Chen |
| 10 | NSFC/CityU 8 | Decision Support for Management of Research and Development Projects in Hong Kong and Mainland China | Dr Jian Ma | Prof Huacheng Xue |
| 11 | NSFC/HKBU 15 | Chinese Small Firm Marketing: Model and Theory Building | Dr Wai Sum Siu | Mr Zhi Chao Liu |
| Subject Area: New Materials Science | ||||
| 12 | NSFC/CityU 27 | The Study of ZnO for the Use of Polycrystalline Optoelectronic Devices | Dr Daniel H C Ong | Prof G T Du |
| 13 | NSFC/HKUST 35 | Visible-blind ultra-violet liquid crystal light valve | Dr Iam Keong Sou | Prof Duanlin Que |
| 14 | NSFC/HKUST 43 | Functional low-dimensional materials: Design, synthesis, assembly and applications | Prof Chris C K Chang | Prof Zhong Fan Liu |