The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has demonstrated outstanding research leadership in the 2025/26 Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) and Research Impact Fund (RIF) under the University Grants Committee (UGC)'s Research Grants Council (RGC). The University secured funding for 13 projects under the CRF and RIF, with grants totaling more than HKD77 million. The achievement places HKUST first among all UGC-funded universities in both the number of funded projects and total funding received. This accomplishment highlights HKUST's strength in pioneering interdisciplinary and cross-institutional research, as well as its exceptional capacity for knowledge transfer in translating cutting-edge research outcomes into real-world impact that enhances societal well-being.
The funded projects target frontier areas critical to future development, including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum materials science, microelectronics, and automation systems. These initiatives are designed to address pressing challenges and opportunities, such as bolstering urban resilience against climate disasters, accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy, enhancing the accuracy of financial analytics, advancing applications of precision medicine, and fostering the growth of a low-altitude industry ecosystem.
Prof. Tim CHENG Kwang-Ting, HKUST Vice-President for Research and Development congratulated the research teams and highlighted the significance of this recognition, "HKUST is honored by the RGC's strong endorsement of our interdisciplinary research vision," said Prof Cheng. "Guided by our principle of 'Innovation for the People, Research for Use,' we are committed to transforming pioneering research into innovative solutions that deliver tangible value and benefits to society. The projects funded this year hold immense potential to advance key sectors such as energy, disaster resilience, healthcare, and finance. HKUST will continue to foster deep collaboration with government, industry, academia, and the investment community to drive the development of new quality productive forces and contribute to the technological advancement of Hong Kong, the nation, and the world."
The awarded research projects are:
| Project Title | Project Coordinator |
Collaborative Research Project Grant |
|
| Sustainable AI Datacenter with Immersion Cooling and Generalized Carbon Estimation | Prof. WANG Dan, Professor of the Division of Environment and Sustainability [Collaborating university: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)] |
| Building Trustworthy Large Language Model (LLM)-Integrated Applications: A Full-Stack Lifecycle Approach | Prof. WANG Shuai, Associate Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering [Collaborating universities: Lingnan University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)] |
| Unraveling Fluid-Solid Interactions and Soft Propeller Mechanics Through Quantitative Optical Imaging | Prof. Sherry CHEN, Associate Professor of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (Collaborating universities: CUHK, PolyU) |
| Designing Functionalised Bio-carbons to Propel a Biorenewable Hydrogen Economy | Prof. Dan TSANG Chiu-Wa, Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering [Collaborating university: City University of Hong Kong (CityU)] |
| Molecular Mechanisms of Replisome Coupling | Prof. ZHAI Yuanliang, Associate Professor of the Division of Life Science [Collaborating university: The University of Hong Kong (HKU)] |
| Coordinated Autonomy and Smart Infrastructure for Low Altitude Economy System | Prof. ZHANG Fumin, Chair Professor of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (Collaborating university: PolyU) |
| Federated LPWANs for Scalable IoT | Prof. LI Mo, Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (Collaborating universities: CityU, PolyU) |
Collaborative Research Equipment Grant |
|
| Development of an Automated UAV Vertiport for Low Altitude Economy Research at HKUST | Prof. MENG Zili, Assistant Professor of the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering (Collaborating universities: CityU, PolyU, HKU) |
| A Biaxial Centrifuge Shaker for Enhancing Research on Seismic and Climate Resilience of Infrastructure | Prof. WANG Gang, Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Collaborating universities: PolyU, HKU) |
Young Collaborative Research Grant |
|
| Extreme-mission Microelectronic Passive Transducers | Prof. YANG Yansong, Assistant Professor of the Department of Electronic & Computer Engineering (Collaborating university: HKU) |
| Control of Chirality and Spin in Halide Perovskites: from Fundamental Study to Quantum Sensing and Optoelectronics | Prof. LU Haipeng, Assistant Professor of the Department of Chemistry (Collaborating university: CUHK) |
| DeepSparseCT: An Ultra-Sparse X-Ray-Driven Foundation Model for Intraoperative 3D CT Reconstruction | Prof. LI Xiaomeng, Assistant Professor of the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering (Collaborating university: CUHK) |
Research Impact Fund |
|
| ZKDI: A Zero-Knowledge Proof-based Data Intelligence System for Financial and Web3 Data Analytics | Prof. WANG Shuai, Associate Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering |
The CRF supports multi-investigator, interdisciplinary research projects. It encourages teams to undertake innovative, high-quality collaborations across disciplines and institutions, with funding decisions based on academic merit and potential contribution to Hong Kong.
The RIF is designed to encourage local academics to consider and articulate the potential of research to deliver benefits to the wider community; and to encourage more impactful and translational research projects; and to encourage a greater volume of collaborative research beyond academia (e.g. with government departments, the business sector, the industry and research institutes).
