Calendar 2014–15

The University 7 Part 1 State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, established in 2010, advances inter-disciplinary basic research. In July 2013, the State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology with the aim to promote research in digestive diseases. About one quarter of the government’s annual allocation to the University in the form of block grants goes directly or indirectly to research. The University also relies heavily on different external funding sources to support research activities. The Research Grants Council remains the major sponsor of research. In the 2013–14 exercise, CUHK staff secured some HK$138.5 million in the form of competitive grants. The high quality of research is also reflected in the many papers published in international and local refereed journals. Other major sources of funding are the Health and Medical Research Fund, the Health Care and Promotion Fund, the Innovation and Technology Fund, the Quality Education Fund, and various private donations. The University’s Research Committee is one of the main bodies responsible for allocating internal funding for research. It is supported by eight subject panels, each consisting of up to 23 experienced researchers. In addition to allocation of research funding, it is also charged with the responsibility of evaluating and recommending project proposals for external grant applications. It is supported by the Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services, a newly merged office of former Research Administration Office and Knowledge Transfer Office, which is responsible for research and knowledge transfer administration as well as for implementation of policies for the enhancement of the University’s research portfolio. Knowledge Transfer Research, teaching, and knowledge transfer are the three missions of the University. To align the administrative processes between research and knowledge transfer, the Research Administration Office and the Knowledge Transfer Office were merged on 1 March 2014 to form the Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services (ORKTS). The new structure sets out to create a more effective environment that integrates the many processes between knowledge creation and knowledge transfer, such as fostering a research culture, securing funding, and making research impact noticeable. The ORKTS will continue to promote interactions and partnership opportunities with industrial enterprises through marketing programmes, contracting, and licensing agreements, with the goals of promoting innovation and knowledge transfer and creating both economic and social impact. Funding support from the University Grants Committee has made it possible to continuously support funding schemes under the Knowledge Transfer Project Fund (KPF), the Patent Application Fund (PAF), the Technology and