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The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:
The Research Grants Council (RGC) today (January 11) announced the results of the first round of Public Policy Research Funding Scheme.
In the first round, the council received 73 research project applications submitted by institutions funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC). After rigorous peer-review, the council decided to fund 12 projects with a total amount of $7.3 million. Details of these funded projects are posted on the RGC's website at - http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/result/result.htm
Commenting on the scheme, the council chairman, Prof Roland Chin, said the first round of the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme attracted many high quality research proposals. "The Council has applied the same high standard in the selection process which involved vigorous peer-review by international experts in the respective fields," Prof Chin said.
"The 12 projects supported cover a wide spectrum of public policy research areas, such as social mobility, heath care, urban renewal, energy policy and community work. I am confident that this new initiative will promote public policy research interests in the higher education sector, train research students to engage themselves in public policy career, and enhance the public policy research capability of Hong Kong to serve our society."
The scheme will be held twice a year. Another 66 applications received in the second round are now being processed and the results will be announced in June this year.
In January, 2005, the then Chief Executive in his Policy Address stated that "We will continue to reinforce the policy research capability within the Government. We will allocate, for each of the next three years, an additional $20 million to the University Grants Committee, which will in turn task its Research Grants Council with promoting public policy research in higher education institutions." An amount of $20 million has thus been designated to the council annually for three consecutive financial years from 2005 to 2008.
Established in 1991, the council is a semi-autonomous advisory body operating under the aegis of the University Grants Committee. As an agency supporting academic research in higher education institutions, the couoncil is responsible for supporting and fostering research in all disciplines taught in the institutions so that Hong Kong is at the forefront of higher education and knowledge development.
Ends/Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:00
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