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The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:
Chairman of the Research Grants Council (RGC), Professor Roland Chin, today (January 9) welcomed the University Grants Committee (UGC)'s decision to make an additional allocation of $100 million to the RGC annually for 2006/07 and 2007/08 to enhance support to academic research in Hong Kong
The RGC budget will increase from the current $505.9 million to $605.9 million representing about 20% raise. Noting that the additional allocation was an interim measure to phase in a larger increase of research funding to the RGC later, Professor Chin said, "The increase in RGC budget was a recognition of the importance of high quality research for a knowledge-based society, the need to train additional research students, and the RGC's objective in differentiating and supporting excellence at the top performance end.
"Central to this is the rigorous peer-review process that draws on an international network of external referees and overseas and local panel members who are experts in their own fields."
Building on the spirit of rewarding performance at the top-end, the RGC has agreed to put all the $100 million to its two competitive schemes, specifically $85 million to Competitive Earmarked Research Grant (CERG) and $15 million to the Central Allocation Scheme, for 2006/07. As a result, the allocations to CERG and Central Allocation schemes will increase from $405 million to $490.8 million (21% increase) and $20 million to $35 million (75% increase) respectively.
Professor Chin said, "The RGC is very pleased to increase the amount of funding for CERG. This is a major and significant research scheme for individual researchers that has consistently produced high quality results and achieved a standard which is internationally competitive."
He also said, "The Central Allocation Scheme has a good track record of motivating collaborative group research of impressive quality. The increase in funding will convey a strong message to the higher education sector that academic researchers need to work together as a team to solve larger problems of higher impact to benefit society."
The RGC has also decided to establish a sub-panel in the next exercise under its Humanities, Social Sciences & Business Studies Panel. The sub-panel will address the special needs of specified disciplines (e.g. Anthropology and Law etc.) which require support to relieve a researcher's teaching duties in order for him/her to carry out field work, personal research or writing.
With the goal of expanding Hong Kong's research talent pool and to provide early exposure of undergraduate students to world class research, the RGC will embark on a new initiative to support active research participation by talented undergraduate students starting from the 2007/08 CERG exercise.
Under this initiative, a researcher can apply in conjunction with his/her CERG application to include the provision of a monthly stipend to an undergraduate student to participate in a CERG project for a maximum period of ten months.
Professor Chin said, "This initiative is in line with one of the objectives of the '334' academic reform to provide all rounded education by introducing diverse outside classroom experience for undergraduate students such as student exchange, internship and research experience."
Established in 1991, the RGC is a semi-autonomous advisory body operating under the aegis of the UGC. As an agency supporting academic research in higher education institutions, the RGC 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.
(Note 1) CERG is a major and the most significant funding scheme of the RGC and about 2,000 applications are received from academics of the eight UGC-funded institutions each year. It takes up about 80% of the RGC budget.
(Note 2) The main purpose of the Central Allocation scheme is to support group research projects and to fund acquisition of major research facilities, library collection or equipment by institutions for collaborative research.
Ends/Monday, January 9, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:01
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