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The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:
The Research Grants Council (RGC) announced today (Friday) its decisions on the allocation of $428 million in research grants for 1998-99, and reported on the RGC's other principal activities over the past 12 months.
Chairman of the RGC, Professor Ping K Ko, explained that $323 million was awarded as project grants in response to applications from academic staff of the UGC-funded institution in the annual competitive earmarked research grant.
This year, the RGC received 1,418 applications, about four per cent more than last year, seeking $1,340 million. Based on the recommendations of its four subject panels, the RGC decided to fund fully or partially 555 projects. A further 30 proposals were pending further consideration. Last year, 585 projects were funded.
"All proposals underwent a rigorous peer-review process. They were examined by subject panels, comprising in all some 80 members, assisted by external reviewers from all over the world," Prof Ko said.
Earlier this year, the Council issued more than 8,000 invitations for external reviews and about 5,300 reviewers (over 60 per cent) had responded.
"It is a very transparent process. All the reviewers' comments will be fed back to the applicants," Prof Ko added.
Despite the RGC's conscious decision to raise the quality threshold, the RGC was pleased to note a continual improvement in the quality of research proposals.
"This year, 215 proposals, representing about 15 per cent of the total number of applications, would definitely be of the highest internationally competitive standard," Prof Ko said.
In addition, a further 334 proposals were rated as of sufficient quality to merit at least partial funding, but the Council was unable to support them because of lack of funds. Prof Ko therefore urged the Government to increase the funding to support high quality research.
Prof Ko said that apart from awarding competitive project grants, the RGC also allocated $75 million for 1998-99 as direct allocations to the UGC-funded institutions to enable them to support smaller projects of up to $200,000 each. The balance of the RGC's funding, amounting to $20 million or so, will be used to support major research equipment bids and a new initiative introduced last year that encourages collaborative research among the UGC-funded institutions.
Prof Ko added that that the RGC made great efforts to monitor the progress and outcomes of the projects it funded. The RGC has supported 2,374 project projects since 1991, and about 25 per cent of them have been completed.
The grant holder has to submit an annual progress report and a final report on project completion. The reports are subject to peer-review, and comments received are fed back to the researchers for reference and action. A final ranking is given to completed project: "Excellent", "Satisfactory" or "Unsatisfactory". The relevant RGC subject panel is required to endorse the final ratings.
At their June 1998 meetings, the subject panels were pleased to endorse the rating of 11 completed projects as "Excellent". Only one was rated "Unsatisfactory". The RGC will take these records into account when the researchers concerned next apply for RGC grants.
Looking back over the past 12 months, Prof Ko said: "It has been a very busy, but fruitful year." Last year, the RGC experimented with a group research scheme, funded from the RGC Central Allocation, to encourage inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional research activities. Twenty-three central allocation bids, half of them for group research projects, were received and subsequently 11 projects were supported at a total cost of $28 million.
The institutions have again been invited to submit central allocation bids for 1998-99 and the RGC will conduct a selection in October/November 1998.
Prof Ko announced that the RGC now has a third Joint Research Scheme. A pilot scheme was launched a month ago in partnership with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the French Consulate in Hong Kong.
Previous such collaborations were the UK/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme operated in partnership with the British Council since 1991, and the Germany/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme operated in partnership with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) since 1996.
"Both the UK/Hong Kong and Germany/Hong Kong Joint Research Schemes have been very successful."
"After a recent review of the Germany/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme, the RGC and the DAAD have jointly agreed to continue the scheme on an annual basis," Prof Ko said.
"The RGC attaches great importance to encouraging international collaboration and the institutions and their staff members have found the exchange opportunities with overseas researchers and institutions both stimulating and valuable."
"The Council will be pleased to consider arranging additional joint research schemes with other overseas research funding bodies when the opportunities arise," Prof Ko added.
Prof Ko recalled that in March 1998 RGC members had visited six of the co-operative research centres which had been established under the Council's Co-operative Research Centres Scheme. This scheme, which aims at promoting technology transfer between university and industry, began as a pilot in 1992 and the trial was extended with additional funding following increased interest both from the universities and from industry.
"Having visited these centres earlier this year, members felt that the concept of cultivating industrial interest in university research seems to be viable in Hong Kong," Prof Ko said.
The UGC has set aside $20 million to support the continuation of the Co-operative Research Centres Scheme in 1998-2001 and all institutions have been invited to submit bids for 1998-99.
In view of changes in the external environment and the UGC-funded institutions, Prof Ko said that in December 1997 the RGC had initiated an internal review of the RGC to appraise its work since its establishment in 1991 and consider its future directions. The review will continue through 1998.
He added that the review had also taken into account the Government's Consultation Document on the Review of the Education-related Executive and Advisory Bodies, in response to which the RGC has forwarded its comments to the Government in the form of a statement attached to the UGC's reply.
Established in 1991, the RGC is a semi-autonomous advisory body within the organizational structure of the University Grants Committee (UGC).
End/Friday, July 3, 1998
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