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FAQs
General What preparations will be made to cope with the increased number of applications expected? The Secretariat will be expanded to cope with the expected increase in applications; in addition, more members to the various boards and panels under the HMRF will be engaged in a proactive manner. The technical arm (expert advisory panels) will be established for each of the major research areas under the HMRF. 2. The timing of the open call/ deadline may clash with other local funding opportunities, e.g. RGC. ?How can this be avoided? When deciding the funding cycle, several considerations should be borne in mind, including the internal deadline required by the administering institutions for processing bulk applications, avoidance of local and overseas public holidays to facilitate application writing, peer review, and the availability of members for GRB and RC meetings, and consideration of previous opinions of GRB/RC members on the desirability of concentrating all grant application activities to a specific time of year. Having regard to the experience of HHSRF and RFCID, the existing funding cycle is the most convenient one to the stakeholders of HMRF. 3. What is the operational timeframe of the HMRF? In general, the HMRF calls for applications in July. The closing date is mid-November. Peer review is conducted in December-February. The Grant Review Board meets in March to make funding recommendations which are deliberated and endorsed by the Research Council in May. The funding decision will be available in June. Potentially fundable grants will have 4 weeks to address the GRB/referee comments. A final funding recommendation is made in August and contractual agreements are issued shortly thereafter. 4. Who decides the result of funding? The Research Council makes a decision on funding the proposed research projects based on recommendations received by the Grant Review Board. 5. Will administrative costs / overhead fees be allowed? In general, unspecified / blanket administrative overheads/fees are not supported. Administrative costs that can be specifically attributed to a particular project will be considered. This is in line with current practice with other funds administered by the FHB. 6. RGC seems to support basic research while ITF supports more downstream applications. Where does the HMRF fit? HMRF has many differences from RGC and ITF. For example, HMRF is open to all researchers in public, private and academic sectors. HMRF focuses on supporting research that may be translated to clinical practice / policy formulation and therefore should be attractive to clinicians. 7. Do applicants need to identify which research area they are applying to (i.e. health and health services research, infectious diseases, advanced medical research)? The research area to which applicants are applying should be identified. The application form indicates this requirement. 8. Will the research area applied for make a difference to the success rate? No. All applications will have an equal chance of funding. Scientific merit is the key criterion for success. There is no quota on the number of applications that will be supported under any research area. 9. The usual duration of proposed projects is 24 months. Is it possible to extend the project duration? There are 2 parts to this question: 10. Can funding from HMRF be used to hire research students? No. Research students are usually supported by other government funding sources. The grant holder can only use HMRF funds to employ research assistants to facilitate the project. 11. What is the previous success rate of the HHSRF and RFCID? The overall success rate depends on the quality of research proposals received each year. Thus, the figure varies every year. The average success rate is about 30% based on past years' experience. 12. Clinical staff in public hospitals are heavily occupied by clinical work. It is difficult for them to engage in research work. We encourage clinical staff with sound and innovative idea which may contribute to a quality research project to bid for HMRF. They may team up to share their effort and expertise, and seek necessary assistance from universities to facilitate their research work. 13. What is the penalty for misconduct under the HMRF? The Research Council does not tolerate scientific misconduct, which will lead to disqualification of application. In the event of research misconduct found during the course of ongoing projects, the RC will withdraw funding support immediately and AI/PA must refund the grant to the Government. In particular, plagiarism is not tolerated during the preparation of the grant application. 14. Please advise on details of the fellowship scheme? Detailed arrangement of the fellowship scheme will be announced early next year (2013). 15. Can I inform the Secretariat that I have submitted a similar proposal to another fund after submission of an application to the HMRF? Applicants are required to state clearly in their application to HMRF that they have or intend to submit a similar proposal to another fund. Non-disclosure or under-disclosure of similar proposals may lead to administrative or legal action. The funding result of the parallel submission should be relayed to the HMRF Secretariat as soon as it is available. Double funding of the the same or similar proposal is not allowed. Can I apply under the capacity of private individual without an Administering Institution? No. Funding will be allocated to the Administering Institution if the application is approved. The Administering Institution is jointly responsible for the conduct of any proposed research with the principal applicant. 2. I am inexperienced in applying for research grants. Any advice? The Grant Review Board will consider the experience and qualifications of the principal applicant when assessing a grant application. You are advised to seek the participation of experienced co-investigators to provide a better chance of success for the proposed project. 3. Will new researchers be disadvantaged in the process? While the track record of the project team is taken into account during the assessment process, the scientific merit of the proposal is the major consideration. We encourage new blood in the local research community to submit grant applications as capacity building is also the objective of the HMRF. 4. I'm not a clinician. Could I set up a multi-disciplinary project team to apply for the HMRF grant? The Principal Applicant of a HMRF project is not restricted to a clinician. However, if the proposal is a non-clinical study, it should bring direct impact on medical and health agenda. The project team should also consist of clinical experts as collaborators for relevant studies as necessary. 5. Will consideration of small scale / start-up research be less favoured? The yardstick of assessing proposals is the same for all applications large or small. Scientific merit is always the primary concern. 6. Under the new advanced medical research theme, would it support a study that aims to, say, identify genetic risk factors of a neurological disease, or its outcome to treatment? Advanced medical research involves the development and use of new techniques, technologies and treatment paradigms to improve human health. As for a study that aims to identify genetic risk factors of a neurological disease, or its outcome to treatment would fall under the remit of the HMRF, you may further refer to the currently adopted thematic priorities of neuroscience and clinical genetics. Please refer to the Guidance Notes - Research Grant Application for relevant definitions on neuroscience and clinical genetics. 7. Will research involving animal studies be supported under the new advanced medical research theme? Research involving animal studies will not be excluded provided that the proposed studies generate outcomes that bring direct impact on human health. 8. Is there quota on applications to be made/ to be awarded per cycle? No. 9. Can applicants based overseas submit proposals? No. The applicant must be employed by/based in a Hong Kong institution on the closing date for applications. 10. Can visiting scholars submit applications? Visiting scholars are eligible to apply for funding as principal applicants provided that: a) they are in their post at the closing date for applications, and b) they intend to remain in their post for the proposed duration of the project. 11. If the project has been supported by other funding before, can I apply for HMRF funding to support further studies arising from the outcome of the earlier project? Proposals building on earlier research will not be rejected if they contain new ideas, designs and objectives, with high potential for generating public or clinical impact or cost savings. 12. Can I submit more than one application to the same application round? Yes. 13. Can I submit a proposal to HMRF that is already under consideration by another fund? Applications already submitted to another funding agency may be submitted for consideration by the HMRF in parallel provided that full disclosure of the parallel submission is made in the HMRF application. The funding decision of the other fund should be relayed to the HMRF Secretariat immediately it is available. Double funding of projects is strictly prohibited. In principle, the first offer of funding should be accepted. 14. If a clinical trial project has been partially sponsored by industry, can I still apply for the HMRF to support the aspect which is not covered by the existing funding? Project supported by HMRF should be standalone work with well defined deliverables. 15. Can I submit a proposal to HMRF that was rejected by another fund? Applications rejected on scientific grounds by another funding agency are not eligible for submission to the HMRF unless they have been extensively revised. 16. Can I resubmit a proposal from the former HHSRF/RFCID or other funding scheme? Grant applications not supported in earlier open calls of the HHSRF/RFCID may be resubmitted provided that the proposal has been significantly improved with reference to the feedback of the GRB and referees. 17. Can I submit applications written in Chinese? As we make extensive use of overseas experts to provide thorough peer review it is not possible to consider proposals written in Chinese at this time. Should ethics approval be include dwith the application? Ethics approval is a necessary component of the application. A copy of the ethics approval should be included with the application if it is available. If it is not available by the closing date the principal applicant should include a letter stating that ethics approval is in progress. Funding will not be released to successful applications unless a valid ethics approval is in place. While the primary responsibility for seeking relevant approval rests with the principal applicant, the ethics committee determines whether or not ethical approval is required. The principal applicant must present a proof of exemption issued by the ethics committee or other proper authority if ethical approval is not required. 2. I have sent my application for ethical approval. But the result is still pending by the closing date. Will my application be processed? We understand that it may take some time to obtain an approval from an ethics committee. Please indicate this concern in a covering letter or letter of exemption (where applicable) and provide proof showing that a request for ethical approval has been sought from an appropriate committee. In most cases, we will process your application for peer review pending the result from the ethics committee. Ethical approval is mandatory for every grant application. No funding will be allocated to any application without an ethical approval or letter of exemption (where applicable) from a recognised ethics committee. 3. What is meant by a "recognised" ethics committee? A recognised ethics committee includes those established under the purview of academic institutions, public and private hospitals, Department of Health, and Hospital Authority. 4. Is ethical approval required for grant applications not involving direct contact with study participants? The ethics committee determines whether or not ethical approval is required for your intended proposal. If it is not required, a proof of exemption issued by the ethics committee should be presented. Who decides the result of funding? The Research Council makes a decision on funding the proposed research projects based on recommendations received by the Grant Review Board. 2. Will the GRB have different panels to assess the different applications? Yes. Applications will be reviewed by referees with appropriate expertise in a stringent two-tier peer review process. 3. How can I be assured that the external referees are qualified to review my proposal? In the two-tier peer review process, the reports provided by external referees (1st tier of the peer review process) are further deliberated by the Grant Review Board (GRB, 2nd tier of the peer review process). External referees are selected from our extensive database (currently ~5000 experts) for their specific expertise in the area under study. GRB members have a broader range of expertise. The funding recommendation is based on extensive discussion and consensus building considering the external referees' reports, specific GRB members' reports, scientific merit, local applicability, value for money, research ethics, etc. Applicants are encouraged to nominate referees whom they consider appropriately qualified to comment on their proposals, although the final decision in referee allocation rests with the Research Fund Secretariat. 4. When and how will I know if my application is approved? Principal applicants will be notified of the result of their applications by mail approximately 6 months from the closing date of application. 5. Is there any channel to appeal the funding decision? The decision of the Research Council is final. The Research Council does not consider appeals on scientific grounds or differences of opinion. Appeals based on procedural error only will be considered. All appeals should be supported and put forward by the Administering Institution to the Research Fund Secretariat for processing. How are the thematic priorities of the HMRF determined? The Research Council determines the thematic priorities for each research area in consultation with stakeholders of the health and medical sector (e.g. CHP, DH, HA, Colleges of the HKMA). 2. Will the themes change frequently? The thematic priorities are reviewed and updated at regular intervals. They will be announced concurrently with the open call for applications, and will be publicised on the Research Fund Secretariat website. 3. Will research outside the thematic priorities be less advantaged? The thematic priorities are used to stimulate submission of research proposals in areas considered to be of local importance – they are not used to discriminate against other fields of research. Scientific merit of the proposal is always the primary concern. 4. How is funding apportioned across the different research areas/themes? There is no pre-defined funding allocation or quota for any of the research areas (health and health services research, infectious diseases, advanced medical research). Allocation and Release of Funding What will happen if I cannot start the project as committed in the application form? Approved projects are expected to commence within a specific time period or the grant will lapse. Principal applicants should seek prior approval from the Grant Review Board Executive to delay the start date. 2. Can I request the approved grant to be allocated to my personal bank account? No. The approved amount will only be allocated or reimbursed to the Administering Institution which should have a proper audit trail in place. Will there be any change to the monitoring process? The monitoring process of the HMRF will be largely similar to that of the previous funding schemes, i.e. annual interim report, final report and dissemination report, ad hoc queries raised by the Secretariat throughout the project. 2. What will happen if the Interim Report is overdue? An interim report shall be submitted in writing within 2 months of the first anniversary of the commencement date. If the interim report is overdue, your account will be frozen and claims for reimbursement will be put on hold. The Research Council reserves the rights to terminate the grant due to unresolved overdue reports. 3. Under what circumstances do I need to seek approval from the Research Council? ‧ any change of substance in the objectives of the project; 4. Do I need to report to the Research Council any dissemination of research findings/new findings? Yes. The Research Council maintains a database of research output that will be taken into account when considering future applications submitted by the principal applicants. Completed Projects and Dissemination of Research Findings I encounter difficulties in completing the project. What shall I do? Please approach the Research Fund Secretariat as soon as you encounter difficulties. We will refer your concerns to appropriate experts for their opinion and look for alternatives to reduce the risk of incomplete projects. 2. Can I submit final reports later than the due date? Principal applicants should submit final reports on or before the due date. Late submission of reports will adversely affect the track record of applicants. Final reports are the evidence of research output that will be taken into account when considering future grant applications. 3. How are the outcomes of completed projects measured? Apart from the final report, dissemination report and other activities on reporting project deliverables to stakeholders and/or general public, principal applicants of funded projects are required to complete an impact evaluation form two years after completion of projects. The evaluation assesses and quantifies various aspects such as knowledge generation, career advancement, engagement with the public, financial benefits such as royalties generated by the research, and ultimately impacts on health policy, health service delivery and improvement in public health. 4. Will the Research Council inform the principal applicants before the publication of dissemination reports? Yes. The Research Fund Secretariat will seek the principal applicants' approval before publication. 5. What is my involvement in publishing/distributing dissemination reports? To close the research cycle, principal applicants are requested to assist in publishing dissemination reports by submitting a draft with the final report. Dissemination reports will be distributed to the wider community.
Eligibility
Ethics Approval
Grant Review Process
Funding Priority
Allocation and Release of Funding
Monitoring On-going Projects
Completed Projects and Dissemination of Research Finding
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1) Can I submit applications for projects that last longer than 24 months?
2) If I experience delay in my ongoing project, can I request to extend the project duration beyond 24 months?
1) Applications for projects proposed to last longer than 24 months will be considered. The need for the longer duration should be clearly explained and justified.
2) For ongoing projects experiencing delay, the applicants should submit a written request for an extension to the Secretariat in a timely manner describing clearly the cause of the delay, the proposed remedial actions, and the revised timeline. No additional funding will be granted for extended projects.
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‧ any change of the principal applicant and the administering institution;
‧ any change of the maximum expenditure figure for each element of the grant given in the Application Form;
‧ any change in the duration of the grant
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