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The Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) opens for applications today (July 23).
Administered by the Food and Health Bureau (FHB), the HMRF was set up in 2011 by consolidating the Health and Health Services Research Fund (HHSRF) and the Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases (RFCID). In addition, the scope of the HMRF was expanded to cover advanced medical research where Hong Kong enjoys comparative advantages including paediatrics, neuroscience, clinical genetics and clinical trials. To this end, the Administration has injected a sum of $1 billion into the new HMRF.
The HMRF aims to help build research capacity and encourage, facilitate and support health and medical research; formulate health policies, improve population health, strengthen the healthcare system, enhance healthcare practices, advance the standard and quality of care and promote clinical excellence through the generation and application of evidence-based scientific knowledge derived from local research in health and medicine. Under the current round of applications, the HMRF invites research proposals in the following areas:
(a) Public health, human health and health services, Chinese medicine (previously funded by HHSRF);
(b) Prevention, treatment and control of infectious diseases, in particular emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (previously funded by RFCID); and
(c) Advanced medical research in specific areas, including paediatrics, neuroscience, clinical genetics and clinical trials.
Collaborative research with non-local institutions is also welcome.
A spokesman for the FHB said, "The call for investigator-initiated grant applications under the Health and Medical Research Fund underlines the importance attached by the Government to support both basic and applied research in medical and health matters."
Priorities will be accorded to the following research areas under the current round of applications:
(I) Health and health services
(a) Public health theme
* Smoking
* Mental health
* Injury and poisoning
* Alcohol-related harm
* Major non-communicable diseases (NCD)
* Environmental pollution
(b) Health services
* Enhanced primary care
* Chronic disease management and palliative care
* Reducing avoidable hospitalisation
* Enhanced elderly care
* Health systems research
(c) Chinese medicine
(II) Infectious diseases
(a) Respiratory pathogens (including influenza)
(b) Technology platforms for infectious disease
(c) Emerging and zoonotic diseases
(d) Antimicrobial resistance
(III) Advanced medical research
(a) Paediatrics
(b) Neuroscience
(c) Clinical genetics
(d) Clinical trials
Applications will be subject to peer review. The vetting will take into account scientific merit, local relevance, research capacity of the administering institution, track record of applicants, value for money of the proposals and research ethics.
The closing date for applications is November 16, 2012. Details of the thematic priorities, application guidelines and application forms can be obtained from the Research Fund Secretariat, Research Office of the FHB at 18/F, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central, or downloaded from the Research Fund Secretariat's website at www.fhb.gov.hk/grants.¡@Enquiries can be made by fax at 2102 2444 or by e-mail to rfs@fhb.gov.hk .
Ends/Monday, July 23, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:25
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