Vice-Chancellor's Report 1990-93

Research Research is regarded as central to the health of the University. A l l staff are expected to conduct relevant research to improve their teaching and their ability to inspire students. With the availability o f more research funds for distribution on a competitive basis through the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee (UPGC), our staff are rising to the challenge. We have strengthened our research administrative organization. We have encouraged the formation of research institutes to promote integrative and multidisciplinary research. Increased Financial Support Support for research a few years ago was still largely dependent on allocations from the UPGC Block Grant to departments and units. Now it relies increasingly on funds designated for research: direct allocations f r om the government's Research Grants Council (RGC), competitive earmarked grants from the RGC, and research grants made available by private donors and foundations. Such grants showed a steady increase over the last three years, and university staffmembers have been particularly successful in competing for RGC earmarked grants for research: Year RGC Direct Grants (HK$million) RGC Earmarked Grants (HK$million) Private Research Grants (HK$million) 1990-91 3.945 10.741 (for 24 projects) 33.91 1991-92 7 22.239 (for 44 projects) 35.55 1992-93 9.1 19.264 (for 44 projects) 37.30 Recently the University has also decided to inject additional funds from the Block Grant to promote long-term strategic research programmes. The first injection w i ll be made in 1993-94. Research output, in the form of publications in the main, has also shown a corresponding increase. A total of 1,879 publications have been recorded in the year 1991-92 alone, averaging 2.93 publications for each teaching staff member. Details can be found in the Staff Publications List 1990-92 recently published. Research Administration Strengthened To formulate long-term research policies for the University as a whole and to provide supervision for the deployment of research resources, the University's Research Committee was restructured with seven subject panels in 1991. The committee is supported by the Research Admi n i s t r a t i on Of f i ce, wh i ch coordinates applications for research grants, maintains databases on research projects and related publications, administers R & D contracts, and makes regular reports on the progress of research activities in the University. New Research Institutes and Centres Accompanying such developments was the establishment of new research institutes and centres on the campus. Their work w i ll complement the large volume of research conducted in the departments; they are also instrumental in promoting interdisciplinary research within the University and enhancing academic collaboration with institutions abroad. A Hong Kong Cancer Institute was established in 1990 to promote activities related 17