Health Bureau Opens Applications for Research Fellowship Scheme to Boost Public Health Skills

Applications invited for Research Fellowship Scheme under Health and Medical Research Fund

The Health Bureau today (October 15) invited interested parties to apply for the Research Fellowship Scheme under the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF). The scheme aims to support researchers or professionals, particularly healthcare professionals, in their early to mid-career to enhance their skills in public health and health services research.

The grant ceiling per award is $1.2 million inclusive of $400,000 for overseas training. Tertiary institutions funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC) and the designated teaching hospitals of the medical schools of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the University of Hong Kong (HKU), i.e. Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) and Queen Mary Hospital (QMH), are invited to nominate applicants for the scheme. Details of the number of nomination and number of awards are summarised in the table below. Each applicant can only submit one application.

Streams

Maximum number of nomination by each tertiary institution/

teaching hospital

Total number of awards for each stream (Note)

Stream A: UGC-funded tertiary institutions

* CUHK and HKU

* Others

10

8

16

Stream B: Designated teaching hospitals of the medical schools of the CUHK and the HKU (i.e. PWH and QMH)

8

4

To tie in with the "Towards 2025: Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Hong Kong" and the "Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019" launched by the Government, higher priority will be accorded to applications that address cancer and the preventable or modifiable risk factors for NCDs, namely unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol. Subject to the quality of the applications, at least four of the 20 awards will be granted to applications that can address the four aforementioned risk factors for NCDs, with one award in each area of the risk factors.

The application should cover:

(1) An overseas training programme (regular programmes for higher academic qualifications, e.g. Master or PhD degrees will not be considered) with attachment to a reputable institution for at least three months cumulatively throughout the fellowship period; and

(2) A small-scale research project relating to the proposed training programme with no more than three research objectives.

The HMRF emphasises the importance of translational potential of research findings, and therefore supports applications on the following research projects:

(1) Clinical research including patient-oriented research, epidemiological and behavioural studies, outcomes research and health services research;

(2) Infectious diseases research with public health implications from bench to bedside and at community level and with translational value; and

(3) Clinical research based on Chinese medicine theory or clinical research on Chinese medicine theory and methodology.

Applications will be subject to peer review. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview. The assessment will take into account the capability of the applicant and his or her performance at the interview, the importance of the training proposal to healthcare development as well as its relevance to the proposed research project. The proposed research project will be evaluated on its scientific merit, local relevance, and translational potential or value to public health or health services.

Completed electronic application forms should be submitted via the electronic Grant Management System (rfs.healthbureau.gov.hk/eGMS/) on or before 6pm on January 6, 2025 (Hong Kong time). The briefing session, which will be held on November 6, is now open for registration. For details, please refer to the website of the Research Fund Secretariat. For enquiries, please send email to rfs@healthbureau.gov.hk.

Note: The total number of awards granted will be subject to the quality and budget requirement of the applications.

Remarks by STL at media session

​Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, at a media session after attending a radio programme today (December 7):

Reporter: How can upcoming railway transit systems integrate new technology and provide(services)for citizens? Given that upcoming railways will not adopt heavy rail systems, what is the advantage? Has the contractor been settled yet? And as the Kai Tak Sports Park will undergo a stress test of 12 000 people tomorrow, how confident is the Bureau towards dispersing people smoothly? Thank you.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics: For the second question about the commissioning of the Kai Tak Sports Park, my Bureau andthe relevant departments will participate actively in thevarious stress tests. In fact, there will be one tomorrow, and that will involve a total number of 12 000 people.We will be participating in it. Apart from us,thevarious public transport operators, including MTR, various buses, and also taxis, will also be involved. We hope that throughthevarious stress tests, we will step up our mobilisation, our preparation, and make ourselves better prepared for different scenarios, such that when theSportsPark is commissioned, we will haveabetter and holistic preparation to cater for different scenarios.It is, after all, a very significant milestone in Hong Kong's tourism development. We will give our best in order to make this a success, and also to give the best service for our locals and also for our visitors.

As far as the railway infrastructure is concerned, surely we are engaging and planning for a number of major projects.I think the infrastructure projects did provide a very good opportunity for Hong Kong's local development as well as further development of our economy. We will work very hard and adopt a double innovation approach. That is, we will adopt innovation in technology as well as an innovative mindset in the policy and procedural framework in order to catch up with the time we have lost as well as to conduct the project expeditiously.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)