Research Grants Council Allocates Around $478 Million for 12 Supported Research Projects Under AoE and TRS Schemes 2026/27

Research Grants Council announces funding results of Areas of Excellence Scheme and Theme-based Research Scheme 2026/27

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

The Research Grants Council (RGC) announced today (July 29) the funding results of the Areas of Excellence (AoE) Scheme 2026/27 (14th Round) and the Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) 2026/27 (16th Round), with a record-breaking total of 12 supported projects. Altogether, they received a total funding amount of around $478 million.

Four projects under the AoE Scheme received funding from the RGC totalling $158 million, representing an increase of nearly 10 per cent compared to that of last year. Following a rigorous peer-review process based on academic and scientific merits, the RGC will support three outstanding five-year projects in medical imaging technology, smart manufacturing, and neutron scattering, as well as a one-year exploratory project on sustainable wildlife trade to yield preliminary results.

Concurrently, the RGC allocated $320 million to fund eight TRS projects of strategic importance to Hong Kong's long-term development, comprising seven five-year research proposals and a one-year exploratory project. These initiatives cover the fields of healthcare, green technology and AI. The lists of the awarded projects are set out in Annexes I and II.

The Chairman of the RGC, Professor Timothy W. Tong, said, "While maintaining an overall stable budget, the RGC has successfully extended its support for more basic research projects that are conducive to Hong Kong's long-term development this year. These projects are not merely academic pursuits, but also serve as the engines to drive Hong Kong's future economic transformation, addressing critical societal needs in such sectors as medical imaging technology, sustainable energy, disaster prevention, and business risk management.

"This year's successful proposals fully demonstrate the RGC's proactive approach to aligning with national development strategies, particularly its strong emphasis on AI, smart manufacturing, and advanced materials. These initiatives also contribute to Hong Kong's strategy of driving new industrialisation and fostering tech-driven economic development. With over one-third of this year's selected proposals involving AI applications, it is clear that our researchers have a remarkable ability to transform cutting-edge academic research into practical industry solutions.

"By fostering a dynamic basic research ecosystem in Hong Kong and leveraging the unique strengths of our universities to drive transformative, world-class research, the RGC remains dedicated to consolidating Hong Kong's leading position in global higher education and technological innovation," said Professor Tong.

To ensure that the city's scholarly researches remain closely aligned with national priorities and government policies, the RGC has also introduced "Low Altitude, Aerospace, and Space Technologies" as a new grand challenge topic under the TRS starting from the 2027/28 (17th Round) funding exercise which commenced in mid-July 2026.

Professor Tong expressed his profound gratitude to the panel experts for their valuable contributions throughout the assessment process, as well as local researchers for their continued support for the AoE Scheme, the TRS, and the RGC's work.

Details of the approved projects for the 2026/27 exercise are available on the RGC website (AoE Scheme: www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/aoe/funded_research/aoe14.html and TRS: www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/trs/funded_research/trs16.html) for reference. A call for proposals for the AoE Scheme and the TRS 2027/28 has been issued on July 24.

The Research Grants Council (RGC) announced today (July 29) the funding results of the Areas of Excellence Scheme 2026/27 (14th Round) and the Theme-based Research Scheme 2026/27 (16th Round). Photo shows the Chairman of the RGC, Professor Timothy W. Tong (front row, seventh right); the Secretary-General of the University Grants Committee, Professor James Tang (front row, seventh left); and representatives of the funded project teams. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Research Grants Council (RGC) announced today (July 29) the funding results of the Areas of Excellence Scheme 2026/27 (14th Round) and the Theme-based Research Scheme 2026/27 (16th Round). Photo shows the Chairman of the RGC, Professor Timothy W. Tong, delivering the opening remarks at the press conference. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Fishermen Claims Appeal Board set up to process cases affected by marine works projects in north-eastern waters of Hong Kong

The Government today (November 1) announced the establishment of the Fishermen Claims Appeal Board (FCAB) to process ex-gratia allowance (EGA) appeal cases from owners of fishing vessels not exceeding 15 metres in length affected by marine works projects in the north-eastern waters of Hong Kong.

The FCAB is a non-statutory body set up on an ad hoc basis and comprises one non-official Chairperson and four non-official members. Mr Yeung Ming-tai has been appointed as Chairperson of the FCAB and the members are Mr Au Pak-ching, Dr Chung Shan-shan, Mr Ling Man-sum and Mr Tam Kin-lok. These appointments take immediate effect and their term will last until the completion of work on all appeals.

The Government has established a mechanism to grant EGA to eligible owners of fishing vessels affected by marine works projects. An interdepartmental working group (IWG) within the Government has been set up to handle EGA applications from owners of fishing vessels arising from a total of 25 marine works projects in the north-eastern waters of Hong Kong. The IWG received a total of 861 applications during the registration period. EGA applicants aggrieved by the IWG’s decision regarding the EGA amount approved or their eligibility may lodge an appeal to the FCAB. Three EGA applicants filed appeals against the IWG’s decision, with one appeal against the amount approved and two appeals against their eligibility. These appeals will be heard by the FCAB.

The terms of reference of the FCAB are:

• to hear and consider the appeals against the decisions of the IWG relating to the appellants' eligibility for EGA and/or the amount of EGA granted under the Government's policy on granting EGA to owners of fishing vessels affected by marine works projects; and
• having examined any new or additional information/evidence provided by the appellants (or their representatives) or the relevant departments, the relevance of and the weight to be given to such information/evidence, to consider whether to uphold the IWG’s decisions on the appellants' cases or to revise the decisions, and to determine the amount of EGA payable to the appellants, as appropriate.

Source: AI-found images