Funder: Hong Kong Research Grants Council
Due Dates (Anticipated): September 2027 (Preliminary proposal deadline)
Funding Amounts: HK$10 million–HK$40 million per project for up to five years; mandatory 90% RGC / 10% university funding split
Summary: Supports collaborative research on Hong Kong’s ageing society, including health, smart technology, and the silver economy.
Key Information: Applicants must be eligible for the RGC General Research Fund; each university may submit up to five applications.
Description
The Strategic Topics Grant (STG), administered by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC), supports collaborative research addressing important issues for Hong Kong. Its top-down selection of research topics reflects Hong Kong’s development needs and government policy priorities. The announced research domain is “Demographic Change – Ageing Society,” encompassing health and longevity, smart technology, and the silver society, economy and finance.
The programme welcomes useful and impactful research across STEM and non-STEM disciplines, with interdisciplinary and collaborative goals encouraged. Relevant fields include humanities, healthcare, Chinese medicine, technological adaptation, and advanced material development. Projects should pursue long-term goals with a clear pathway to impact in Hong Kong, including downstream research with wider societal benefits. Collaboration with external stakeholders, particularly those in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), is an assessment priority.
