RGC Research Fellow Scheme/RGC Senior Research Fellow Scheme
Five-year fellowships for top mid-career and senior Hong Kong university researchers, supporting high-impact research and mentoring across all academic disciplines.
Funder: Hong Kong Research Grants Council
Due Dates (Anticipated): September 2026: Call for Nominations opens (projected) | November 2026: Nomination deadline — nominations must reach the UGC Secretariat by 17:00 (projected)
Funding Amounts: RFS: ~HK$5.6M (5 years); SRFS: ~HK$8.5M (5 years); 10 awards each per year; covers teaching relief and research costs.
Summary: Five-year fellowships for outstanding mid-career and senior researchers at UGC-funded Hong Kong universities, supporting research and teaching relief across all disciplines.
Key Information: Forecasted dates—check program page for updates; nominations must be submitted by universities, not individuals.
Description
The RGC Research Fellow Scheme (RFS) and RGC Senior Research Fellow Scheme (SRFS) provide five years of sustained research support and relief from teaching and administrative duties for exceptional academics at UGC-funded universities in Hong Kong. The aim is to enable mid-career (Associate Professor) and senior (full Professor) researchers to focus on high-impact research and the development of local research talent. Each year, up to ten fellowships are awarded in each scheme, spanning all academic disciplines. The fellowships confer the titles "RGC Research Fellow" or "RGC Senior Research Fellow" and provide substantial funding to cover teaching relief, research expenses, staff, equipment, travel, subsistence, and dissemination.
