Collaborative Research Fund
The Hong Kong CRF supports large-scale, cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional research and equipment projects among Hong Kong universities to foster collaboration and build research capacity.
Funder: Hong Kong Research Grants Council
Due Dates (Anticipated): February 2027: Preliminary proposal electronic submission deadline to RGC Electronic System (projected) | February 2027: Preliminary proposal hard copy and searchable soft copy submission deadline to UGC Secretariat via university Research Offices by 17:00 HKT (projected)
Funding Amounts: HK$2M–$10M per project (CRPG/CREG); HK$2M–$5M (YCRG); project duration normally up to 3 years; 50% matching funds required for equipment.
Summary: Supports multi-investigator, cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional research and equipment projects among Hong Kong universities to foster collaboration and research capacity.
Key Information: Each applicant may submit only one proposal as Project Coordinator per cycle.
Description
The Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) is a major funding scheme of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council designed to promote high-quality, cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional research collaborations among Hong Kong’s UGC-funded universities. The CRF supports three grant types:
- Collaborative Research Project Grant (CRPG): Funds multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary projects that enhance research output, impact, and capacity across universities and disciplines.
- Collaborative Research Equipment Grant (CREG): Enables acquisition of major research facilities or equipment for shared use, and supports access to existing core facilities.
- Young Collaborative Research Grant (YCRG): Offers early-career academics the opportunity to lead collaborative research projects, building experience for future large-scale funding.
The fund aims to encourage creative collaboration, capacity building, and the development of research strengths in Hong Kong’s academic sector.
