Research Mixer: HKBU insiders discuss winning GRF & ECS strategies at discipline-focused round-table seminar
Ahead of the upcoming application cycles for the University Grants Committee (UGC)’s General Research Fund (GRF) and Early Career Scheme (ECS), the HKBU Research Office organised a dedicated Research Mixer on 28 September to provide HKBU researchers with practical guidelines, procedures, review insights, and strategies to formulate competitive proposals.
Building on HKBU’s strong momentum in competitive research schemes—which recently saw a more than 46% increase in awarded GRF and ECS projects—the session brought together participants ranging from early-career professors and research assistant professors to senior postdoctoral fellows and PhD students. Attendees were divided into discipline-based panels with accomplished faculty facilitators in an intimate, highly interactive sharing session.
Professor Christy Cheung, Director of the Research Office and Chair Professor in Information Systems and Digital Innovation Management, (centred), presents mementos to the facilitators. On her right: Professor Han Bo (Faculty of Science and Technology), Professor Cheung King-ho (School of Chinese Medicine), and Professor Bi Yang (Faculty of Science and Technology). On her left: Professor Guo Meiyu (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), Professor Zhang Jian (School of Business), and Professor Zhou Shuo (School of Communication)
Professor Han suggests practical strategies to secure competitive grants. An awardee of the prestigious RGC Research Fellow Scheme for his HK$5.6 million project "Towards Building Trustworthy and Efficient Reasoning Agents with Foundation Models" and recent recipient of GRF support, Professor Han advised early-career colleagues on articulating scalable impact, algorithm robustness, and theoretical depth in their proposals.
Professor Guo, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) and a recent recipient of GRF support for her research on methane emissions and sustainable environmental policy, sparks a lively debate on formulating compelling societal problem statements and methodological rigour.
Drawing on his solid track record with the GRF, Professor Cheung King-ho emphasised that the proposal's introduction carries considerable weight in reviewers' decisions on whether a project is fundable. “Preliminary experiments are equally vital to demonstrate both project feasibility and research capability,” he said.
Offering an insider’s perspective from her experience in successful grant applications, Professor Christy Cheung advised researchers to examine their proposals through the lens of a reviewer, focusing on what leaves a positive lasting impression. "A well-written abstract and the strategic selection of Co-PIs are also important," she said.
The two-hour session offered not only a platform for productive dialogue, but also an opportunity to network, allowing researchers across faculties and schools to meet and explore new ideas. As well as assisting fellow researchers with upcoming scheme applications, the Research Office continues to encourage closer collaboration within the HKBU research community.
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