Calendar 2016–17

The University 7 Part 1 About a 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 (RGC) remains the major sponsor of research. In the 2015–16 grant application exercise, CUHK staff secured some HK$199 million in RGC competitive grant funding. The University’s high quality of research is also reflected in the many papers published in international and local refereed journals. CUHK staff have also been active in seeking funding from several other important sources, including 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. Much of the University’s internal funding for research is allocated by the Research Committee. The committee is supported by eight subject panels, each consisting of up to 23 experienced researchers. In addition to allocation of research funding, it is also responsible for evaluating and recommending project proposals for external grant applications. It is supported by the Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services (ORKTS), formed in 2014 by the merger of the Research Administration Office and the Knowledge Transfer Office, which oversees, develops and administers the University’s policies in these two areas. Knowledge Transfer CUHK places great value on its interaction with society, and has broadened its range of knowledge transfer (KT) activities. ORKTS strives to promote interactions and partnerships between the University and industrial enterprises through conferences, contracts and licensing agreements, funding schemes, and entrepreneurship capacity building, with the aim of promoting knowledge transfer and creating economic and social impacts. Licensing income from technology transfer and the number of licences granted has increased significantly over the years. Collaboration agreements were concluded with prominent commercial firms both in mainland China and elsewhere in the world. The Knowledge Transfer Project Fund has supported a total of almost 150 projects since 2009, many of which were interdisciplinary efforts which promised various social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits. CUHK encourages students and researchers to contribute to society with the knowledge gained through their research. Launching startups is a direct and visible way of applying academic knowledge and skills for the benefit of the community. ORKTS has collaborated with other units to foster an entrepreneurial environment on CUHK’s campus conducive to innovation and creativity.