Areas of Excellence Scheme
The Areas of Excellence Scheme by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council supports collaborative, world-class research projects in Hong Kong universities across all scientific disciplines.
Funder: Hong Kong Research Grants Council
Due Dates: September 11, 2026: Preliminary proposal submission deadline (submit to the UGC Secretariat through the Research Office of the coordinating university by 5:00 pm)
Funding Amounts: Up to HK$75 million direct project cost per project; maximum project duration 5 years.
Summary: Supports UGC-funded Hong Kong universities to develop world-class research strengths through focused, high-impact projects.
Description
The Areas of Excellence (AoE) Scheme, administered by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC), enables UGC-funded universities in Hong Kong to build upon their established research strengths and elevate them into internationally recognized areas of excellence. The scheme aims to support both basic and applied research of high academic merit, encouraging the formation of strong, collaborative research teams and the development of clear, strategic research agendas. Inter-institutional and inter-disciplinary collaborations are highly encouraged, and the scheme is open to projects across all disciplines, especially those outside the Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) themes.
Projects funded under the AoE Scheme should demonstrate the potential to achieve world-leading status, address broad and inter-related research issues, and contribute to the long-term social and economic development of Hong Kong. Both standard and "Exploratory Option" (for high-risk, high-reward research) funding routes are available.
