The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has obtained outstanding results in the two competitive peer-reviewed research funding schemes under the Research Grants Council (RGC) in the 2021/22 funding exercise.
The University has continued to receive the highest number of awards under the Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) this year. Among the 25 CRF Group Research Projects funded by the RGC, HKU has been funded with seven projects as coordinating institution and participates in 12 other projects led by sister institutions. HKU also participates in 4 other Equipment Grants projects. The total funding received for Group Research Projects amounts to $40.3 million.
In 2021/22, the RGC allocated an additional budget of $100 million to support the Second CRF Coronavirus and Novel Infectious Diseases Research Exercise. HKU has been awarded seven out of 16 projects and received $36 million, representing 36% of the total awarded amount.
HKU secured five out of 12 awarded projects under the Research Impact Fund (RIF) scheme. Launched in 2018/19, the Research Impact Fund (RIF) aims to promote impactful and translational collaborative research projects and encourage academics to articulate the potential of research to deliver benefits for the wider community. The five projects coordinated by HKU are led by members of the Faculties of Engineering (2), Medicine (1) and Social Sciences (2) receiving a total funding of $32.695 million.
HKU Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Max Shen congratulated all successful applicants and their research teams. He said: "The grants are clear demonstration of the research competitiveness of the University's faculties and investigators. Their success in obtaining funding further recognised the University's excellent performance in teaching, learning, and research, and our researchers' outstanding achievements and strengths. I hope HKU members will continue to address important problems in their fields with innovative ideas, so as to elevate the University's research in a wide range of areas to world leading levels."
More details on HKU's funding results can be found at: http://www.rss.hku.hk/funding/funding-results
