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Following is a question by the Hon David Li and a written reply by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, in the Legislative Council today (March 12):
Question:
Recently, it has been reported that the Government has allocated $60 million to the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme since 2005, and will spend an additional amount of $80 million over the next four years to boost public policy research. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the objective criteria used by the authorities in awarding a grant for a research project under the above Scheme;
(b) whether there is an approved list of eligible researchers or think-tanks for the Scheme; if so, of the procedures for being placed on that list;
(c) whether there is any control on subcontracting work in respect of the projects funded by the Scheme; if so, of the nature of such control; and
(d) of the names of the researchers and think-tanks that had completed projects funded by the Scheme, together with the number of projects completed by each of them and the total amount of funds allocated to them?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The Public Policy Research Funding (PPRF) Scheme was launched by the Government in 2005 with a view to promoting public policy research in higher education institutions. The Scheme is administered by the Research Grants Council (RGC) under the University Grants Committee (UGC). The following criteria are used in awarding a grant under the PPRF Scheme:
i. academic quality;
ii. relevance to the public policy development of Hong Kong;
iii. institutional commitment;
iv. contribution to academic/professional development in public policy;
v. potential for social, cultural or economic application; and
vi. availability of, and potential for, non-RGC funding.
(b) Only academics in UGC-funded higher education institutions (currently City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Lingnan University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The University of Hong Kong) are eligible to apply for funding under the PPRF Scheme.
(c) The disbursement guidelines of the RGC require that research grants awarded by it should primarily be used in undertaking research work in Hong Kong, and any outsourcing amounting to the sub-contracting of research work is strictly prohibited. Nevertheless, it would be legitimate for Principal Investigators (PIs) to use the grant for data collection outside Hong Kong if this is a necessary and justified part of the research, and the RGC would consider such requests on a case-by-case basis, having regard to the merits and justifications provided by the PIs concerned.
(d) Since the commencement of the first batch of PPRF projects on April 1, 2006, a total of 61 projects involving a sum of $33.6 million have been approved. The majority of these projects last for two years or more (i.e. 43 or 70%). As at February 29, 2008, two projects under the PPRF Scheme have been completed and submitted their completion reports. Details are as follows:
Principal
Project Title Investigator Fund awarded
------------- ------------ ------------
Horizontal equity Dr Gabriel M Leung $387,000
in health care (The University of
utilization in Hong Kong)
Hong Kong
Innovative planning Dr Li Ling Hin $206,000
tools for (The University
urban renewal of Hong Kong)
in Hong Kong
Total: $593,000
20 and 23 projects are expected to complete and submit their completion reports within the rest of 2008 and by 2009 respectively.
Ends/Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:26
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