RGC announces funding results of Strategic Topics Grant 2023/24

The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:
 
     The Research Grants Council (RGC) announced today (July 18) that six selected proposals under the Strategic Topics Grant (STG) 2023/24 were awarded a total funding of around $150 million.
 
     The Chairman of the RGC, Professor Wong Yuk-shan, said, "The objective of the STG is to support collaborative and interdisciplinary research at University Grants Committee-funded universities to address Hong Kong's imminent challenges and seize the opportunities offered by the National 14th Five-Year Plan. We are delighted by the overwhelming response from our academia and the total of 29 preliminary proposals received."
 
     Of the 29 preliminary proposals, 13 were shortlisted for submission of full proposals. After a thorough and rigorous assessment process, six of them were selected for funding (see Annex).
 
     Professor Wong added, "I am pleased to see the successful implementation of this new initiative, which was introduced in 2022. The selected proposals cover a wide range of research areas including artificial intelligence in health care, carbon neutrality, integrated circuits, opto-electronics innovation and technology and public health. We look forward to fruitful outcomes of these research projects which, I am confident, will bring about impactful results and benefit Hong Kong."
 
     Professor Wong expressed his gratitude to members and international experts of the assessment committee for their valuable contributions to the assessment process, as well as local researchers for their staunch support to the STG and the work of the RGC.
 
     Details of the awarded projects have been posted on the RGC website (www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/). A call for proposals for the STG 2024/25 will be issued later this month.