Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1996

Research Newsboard Six More CU Research Projects Rated Excellent The Research Grants Council (RGC) completed in June its 1995-96 assessment of research projects l a u n c h ed by l o c al tertiary institutions and financed by RGC earmarked grants. Reports of 80 completed projects were submitted to RGC panel members and reviewers for assessment earlier this year. Fifteen projects were rated as 'excellent', among w h i ch six are u n d e r t a k e n b y CUHK researchers. Including the six projects rated as excellent in the RGC's first assessment exercise in 1992, CUHK has produced 12 excellent research projects, which represent over 40 per cent of the cumulative total from all local tertiary institutions. The Projects newly rated as excellent are: Project Title Principal Investigator(s) • Investigation on novel fibre and integrated devices fo r optical fibre communication systems Prof. P.S. Chung* Dr. Edwin Y.B. Pun* Prof. Wong Sai-peng • Morophogenesis and pattern formation in the mammalian embryo Dr. Patrick P.L. Tam* Prof. Ng Tzi-bun • Dielectric resonator: a new component for microwave circuits and antennas Dr. K.M. Luk* • Political culture and political participation of the Hong Kong Chinese Prof. S.K. Lau Prof. Kuan Hsin-chi • Effect of calcium supplementation on the calcium absorption and bone mineral content of children who have habitually low calcium intake Prof. Sophie S.F. Leung Prof. Jack C.Y. Cheng Prof. John R.L. Masarei* Prof. S.J. Oppenheimer* • Ab initio molecular orbital studies on the geometric and electronic structures, energetics, and reaction potential surfaces of novel molecular species Prof. Li Wai-kee Prof. So Suk-ping Wo longer a CUHK employee HK$80 m i l i o n from the RGC f o r 1996-97 O ne hundred and eight research proposals submitted by academic and research staff of the University have succeeded in obtaining earmarked grants totalling HK$64,903,000 from the RGC this year. Last year's figures we re 112 projects and HK$53,344,000. The University has also received a direct grant of $15.6 million to finance small projects. The 108 CUHK projects fall i n t o 10 d i f f e r e nt areas : computing science, information t e c h n o l o g y and a p p l i ed mathematics (17); electrical and electronic e n g i n e e r i ng (6); mechanical, p r o d u c t i on an d i n d u s t r i a l e n g i n e e r i n g (1); physical sciences (16) ; pure mathematics (4); b i o l o g i c a l sciences (13) ; me d i c i n e , dentistry an d h e a l th (28); administrative, business and social studies (12) ; arts and languages (8); an d l aw, architecture, town planning and other p r o f e s s i o n al and vocational subjects (3). H i gh l i gh ts o f Four Research Projects To generate more interest in the University's research activities, the Chinese University Bulletin continues to bring to readers highlights o f research projects supported by RGC earmarked grants. The Bulletin has worked closely with the principal investigators of four projects to explain their research objectives, procedures, andachievementsin ter lay person. The four reports can be found on pages 17 to 31. Chinese University Bulletin Autumn . Winter 1996 16