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Improving the Mechanism to Allocate Research Funding |
(16-06-2011) |
All our institutions have indicated that they aspire to be able
to compete with the best in the world. Competition drives excellence,
and the outstanding research brings innovation that benefits society
and the economy. Research funding is finite, and therefore we need
to improve our funding mechanism.
The UGC will achieve this in the three key areas of funding for
research: research postgraduate places, the research portion of
the Block Grant; and the Research Grants Council (RGC). The Heads
of the eight UGC-funded institutions are in support of enhanced
competition. Since the UGC has addressed the concerns of institutions,
and will review the new funding arrangement before the end of the
2012-15 triennium, institutions agree that a new funding arrangement
is necessary.
Research Postgraduate Places
There is general agreement among institutions that the allocation
of research postgraduate places must be placed on some competitive
basis: currently almost all research postgraduate places are allocated
on an historical basis. The UGC's intention is that within five
years from 2012/13, 50% of all research postgraduate places will
be allocated either through direct competition or by reference to
other competitive schemes.
The UGC considers that the current allocation of the research portion
(around $2.7 billion per year) of the Block Grant does not adequately
capture vitality in the system, nor reflect the true costs of carrying
out research won through the RGC. The UGC sees a need to progressively
award 12.5% (or around $1.35 billion) of the total Block Grant on
a more competitive basis. This will be done by reference to the
success of individual institutions in peer reviewed RGC funding
schemes. In so doing, Hong Kong will become more in line with other
jurisdictions doing excellent research.
Step up support for Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS)
While agreeing enhanced competition is beneficial to the development
of Hong Kong's higher education, institutions have expressed concerns
on their ability to cope with the pace and the magnitude of change.
The UGC has decided to implement the following measures to address
institutions' concerns:
(a) the magnitude involved is only 12.5% of the Block Grant spread
over a period of nine years, and it will be tapered (i.e. smaller
at the beginning). Broadly speaking, the maximum variable funding
an institution's management needs to take account of in the first
year is 1.3%, the second year 2.6% and the third year 3.9%, even
if in the extreme case that the institution does not get any successful
proposals in RGC;
(b) 50% of the research portion of the Block Grant (or 12.5% of
the Block Grant) will continue to be distributed amongst the institutions
with reference to the results of the Research Assessment Exercise;
and
(c) the UGC will review the elements of the scheme, including the
pace of change, before the end of the first triennium (i.e. 2015)
so that appropriate adjustments can be considered in a timely manner.
The UGC has decided to implement the following measures to ensure
that HSS research will have the potential to flourish:
(a) a premium will be introduced to the allocation of the research
portion of the Block Grant for HSS
(b) additional funding of up to $20 million per year will be provided
to the RGC to improve its funding arrangements for HSS academics,
through expansion in the scope and duration of the teaching relief
grants awarded, and through the introduction of a new fellowship
scheme for outstanding investigators in HSS disciplines.
The RGC plans to implement an Early Career Scheme with additional
funding of up to $100 million to ensure that more research funding
will be provided to nurture junior/new academics.
The aim of all these changes is that in the long term, institutions
which undertake excellent research will be rewarded promptly and
provided with adequate indirect/on-costs to undertake excellent
research.
The UGC has decided that a new Research Assessment Exercise will
be necessary to sharpen the measurement of research inputs and outputs
to form the basis to inform the distribution of the Research element
of the Block Grant. The UGC will consult the institutions on this
matter after it has considered the broad framework for the next
Research Assessment Exercise.
With the aforementioned arrangements, we hope to bring the research
development of Hong Kong to a new horizon. In the years to come,
the UGC will continue to work closely with institutions towards
the common goal of achieving research excellence.
The University Grants Committee
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