Research Grants Council

The Research Grants Council (RGC) advises the government, through the
UGC, on the needs of tertiary institutions for academic research and the
funding required, and monitors the use of public research grants. It
comprises seven local academics, nine overseas academics and four local
professionals and industrialists.

Grant applications are considered by four specialist panels composed
mainly of local academics, covering physical sciences, engineering,
biology and medicine, humanities, social sciences and business studies.
An independent network of academic referees provides impartial advice.
In 1997-98, the RGC received a record number of 1 368 applications and
disbursed $423 million in grants for academic research.

To stimulate and encourage industrial participation in and support for
applied research at tertiary institutions, the RGC allocated $12 million to
five Co-operative Research Centres, each of which had one or more
industrial/business partners.

During the year, the RGC and the British Council jointly sponsored the
United Kingdom/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme, which has operated
since 1991, aiming at strengthening existing links between local and
British tertiary institutions. The RGC also operated a similar scheme with
the German Academic Exchange Service. The latter scheme ran for a
second year after a very successful trial in 1996.

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