Prof. Alfred Cheng and team have won a NSFC-RGC grant on a novel cancer immunotherapeutic approach
The Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (RGC) recently announced the funding results of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)/RGC Joint Research Scheme (JRS) and Collaborative Research Scheme (CRS). The JRS is funding 10 projects at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), while the CRS is funding two. Among the eight University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities, CUHK is the leader in the number of projects funded by the JRS and the total number funded by both schemes.
The NSFC/RGC JRS and CRS support research proposals jointly submitted by mainland and Hong Kong researchers. The JRS aims to promote collaboration between researchers and research teams in Hong Kong and the mainland by complementing the existing strengths of both sides, while the CRS aims to support larger-scale collaborative research across disciplines and universities in the mainland and Hong Kong, with a view to enhancing the research output and impact of both.
CUHK’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Sham Mai-har said, “The NSFC/RGC Schemes serve as catalysts that link researchers and research teams from Hong Kong and mainland China together to unlock new frontiers of knowledge. It brings me great joy to witness that CUHK researchers are engaged in high-calibre collaborative projects with their mainland counterparts. With the steadfast support of the NSFC and RGC, I envisage a future when researchers from both regions complement their individual strengths to orchestrate a symphony of innovation that yields transformative research outcomes.”
The CUHK Principal Investigators of the 10 projects funded by the JRS are Professor Alfred Cheng Sze-lok from the School of Biomedical Sciences, Professor Peter Cheung Pak-hang from the Department of Chemical Pathology, Professor Chow Ka-ming from The Nethersole School of Nursing, Professor Dou Qi from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Professor Hannah Hui Xiaoyan from the School of Biomedical Sciences, Professor Kwong Fuk-yee from the Department of Chemistry, Professor Sun Xiankai from the Department of Electronic Engineering, Professor To Ka-fai from the Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Professor Wang Dan from the School of Biomedical Sciences, and Professor Zhou Renjie from the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Each successful JRS Hong Kong applicant receives a maximum grant of HK$1.25 million.
In addition, two collaborative research projects between Hong Kong and the mainland are being funded by the NSFC/RGC CRS, led by Professor Jiang Liwen from the School of Life Sciences at CUHK and Professor Sham Mai-har from the School of Biomedical Sciences.