RGC Allocates $1.18 Billion for Research Grants in 2026/27, Supporting 1,483 Proposals Across Various Disciplines.

Research Grants Council announces funding results of General Research Fund and Early Career Scheme 2026/27

The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:

The Research Grants Council (RGC) today (June 26) announced the funding results of the General Research Fund (GRF) and the Early Career Scheme (ECS) for 2026/27. Altogether, 1 483 proposals were successfully granted a funding of $1.18 billion in total.

In this round of exercise, the RGC received 4 215 GRF and 617 ECS applications from academic staff of the eight universities funded by the University Grants Committee. This represents an overall increase of around 9 per cent as compared with that of the last round.

After rigorous international peer reviews, 1 277 GRF projects were approved with grants amounting to around $1.04 billion. This represents an increase of about 10 per cent in terms of funded projects as compared to the last round. The overall success rate is maintained at about 30 per cent, which is similar to that of last year. The funded proposals cover all disciplines of business studies, biology and medicine, engineering, humanities and social sciences, and physical sciences.

The RGC also funded 206 ECS projects with a total allocation of roughly $140 million. The overall success rate remains at about 33 per cent, matching the previous year, and slightly exceeding that of the GRF to provide enhanced support for early career researchers.

The RGC Subject Panels commended the continued improvement in the overall quality of GRF and ECS research proposals. They were glad to see a wealth of strong and promising submissions, with a steady rise in application numbers that highlighted the vibrancy of Hong Kong's research ecosystem.

The Chairman of the RGC, Professor Timothy W. Tong said, "The RGC remains steadfast in our commitment to supporting high-quality and impactful research in Hong Kong. These outstanding research projects will play a key leading role in Hong Kong's development into an international education hub and its deepening integration into the Greater Bay Area, laying the foundation for future academic and regional innovation.

"The GRF and ECS support basic research of all disciplines in Hong Kong by catalysing discoveries across a vast spectrum of critical fields. These schemes empower eminent scholars and junior faculty with essential resource allocations while actively fostering a research environment that nurtures original innovation."

The RGC also continues to focus on the development of young talent in Hong Kong. Professor Tong said he welcomed the substantial number of proposals from young researchers that are being supported by the ECS this year, underscoring the scheme's pivotal role in empowering next-generation scholars.

The GRF and the ECS are individual research funding schemes under the RGC. The GRF supplements universities' own research support for researchers who have achieved or have the potential to achieve excellence. The ECS aims to nurture junior academics and prepare them for a career in education and research. Based on academic quality and merit, the RGC follows the international practice of a peer-review mechanism to assess research proposals.

The 2026/27 funding results of the GRF and the ECS are available on the RGC website

(GRF: www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/grf/funded_research.html;

ECS: www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/ecs/funded_research.html).

Source: AI-found images

FEHD announces list of first batch of permitted food premises for dog entry

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (June 26) announced that, as of yesterday (June 25), among the successful food premises allocated quotas for allowing dogs to enter according to the ballot result, 833 have completed the procedures and dogs will be allowed to enter their premises starting from July 9. The list has been uploaded to the FEHD's dedicated webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/dog_restaurants/index.html).

A spokesman for the FEHD said, "As some successful food premises withdrew their applications or did not complete the procedures due to various reasons, the FEHD will arrange applicants on the waiting list to fill the vacancies according to the sequential order from the earlier ballot results. The department has gradually notified those waitlisted applicants via SMS, and deployed dedicated officers to visit the food premises concerned in batches to deliver Approval Letters to the operators starting from today. Waitlisted applicants allocated a quota must, on or before July 7, bring along the Approval Letter and the existing original copy of the restaurant licence, to any Licence Issuing Offices listed in the Approval Letter, and pay a fee of $140 to amend the licence to include the permission."

The FEHD, apart from notified applicants the ballot results via SMS earlier after the open ballot, has also deployed dedicated officers to visit successful food premises applicants to deliver Approval Letters, and brief their operators on the statutory requirements, licence conditions and other compliance arrangements, including reminding the applicants again to voluntarily verify whether the location of the food premises permits the entry of dogs.

The spokesman said, the new measure aims to respond to the aspirations of members of the public, create new business opportunities for the catering industry, and promote harmony between people and pets. Apart from hotpot restaurants, barbecue restaurants, and restaurants with an area less than 20 square metres, all restaurants with a full licence may apply for the dog-admission permission.

The FEHD advises that permitted food premises should make adequate preparations for allowing dogs to enter, including planning dining areas, installing facilities, training staff, and contacting insurance companies. In addition, co-operation among customers bringing dogs and other members of the public is also crucial. The FEHD has earlier released the Guidelines on Good Practices and Behaviour, covering points to note for restaurant operators, and both customers bringing dogs and those without dogs. The FEHD encourages different parties to refer to the Guidelines, fulfil their responsibilities, and respect one another, thereby promoting pet inclusivity.

Source: AI-found images