RGC Senior Research Fellow Scheme 2026/27
Call for Application/Nomination
18 Sep 2025 - 28 Nov 2025
Selection Stage
29 Nov 2025 - Jun 2026
Award Announcement
Jul 2026
Nomination for SRFS 2026/27
All eight UGC-funded universities are eligible to nominate up to six candidates at full Professor rank, in each exercise. Each nomination should include the research proposal of the project to be undertaken by the nominated candidate during the fellowship period.
The candidate must:
- have a legal right to work and reside in Hong Kong during the fellowship period;
- have a full-time[1] academic appointment at a UGC-funded university proper[2] at the time of nomination and during the fellowship period;
- have been serving the supporting UGC-funded university proper[2] on a full-time[1] basis for not less than three years continuously, at the time of nomination;
- be appointed at the rank of full Professor on tenure/ substantiation terms at the supporting UGC-funded university proper[2] at the time of nomination;
- be primarily engaged in and spending at least 80%[3] of time in degree or higher degree work at the supporting UGC-funded university proper[2]; and
- have his/her salary wholly funded by the supporting UGC-funded university proper[2].
By the end of the year of nomination, the candidate should either not have reached the age of 55, or they should have a minimum of 5-year tenure period remaining, prior to the supporting UGC-funded university's official retirement age[4]. Accordingly, the remaining years of service at the supporting UGC-funded university should be sufficient for the awardee to complete the full course of the 60-month fellowship, prior to retirement.
Subject to exceptional consideration on a case-by-case basis, the requirements above may be relaxed for Hong Kong talent working overseas so that they are incentivised to return to Hong Kong and take up the fellowship. In this connection, an overseas candidate nominated by a UGC-funded university would be eligible for consideration if he/ she:
- is a Hong Kong permanent resident with the right of abode in Hong Kong as defined under the Immigration Ordinance[5];
- is a researcher at a university/institute outside Hong Kong at the time of nomination with academic/research profile equivalent to full Professor; and
- has warranted support by a UGC-funded university proper[2] at which he/she will hold the fellowship, with a tenured/substantiated full-time[1] appointment[6] at the rank of full Professor commencing within the following year after the close of nomination.
- not including visiting or honorary appointment
- excluding schools/arms of continuing education and professional training and other analogous outfits
- The percentage concerned may be subject to review and revision as and when required.
- The official retirement age should generally apply to all faculty members. In all cases where the nominee has been offered by the university, at the time of nomination, an extension of retirement/ appointment beyond the official retirement age, this latter retirement date should apply. If, at the time of nomination, such an extension of retirement/ appointment beyond the official retirement age is required and has been offered (in order to complete the full fellowship, if granted), then documentary evidence (which would preferably be a letter confirming a conditional offer of employment extension) should be issued at the Vice-President level or above, on behalf of the university, and should accompany the nomination. If the nominee is subsequently selected for the fellowship award, upon receiving the selection result, the supporting university must submit evidence, in the form of a secured appointment letter for the awardee, covering the extension of employment for the full fellowship award period, prior to any confirmation of acceptance of the award.
- For definition of Hong Kong permanent residents under the Immigration Ordinance, please refer to https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/roa/eligible.html
- The full-time appointment concerned shall be primarily engaged in and spending at least 80%[3] of time in degree or higher degree work at the supporting UGC-funded university proper, with salary wholly funded by the supporting UGC-funded university proper.
Candidates will be assessed based on the following criteria:
- qualifications and research capability;
- proven research track record to date;
- leadership quality and vision in the chosen area of research (including candidate’s track record and future plans in supporting the training and progression of early career researchers)[1];
- merit of the research proposal, including methodology, scope, theoretical framework, etc.;
- feasibility of the proposed research project including planning, management and resources;
- contribution and potential impact of the proposed research project, including knowledge transfer and research impact; and
- the nature of any university support offered.
- Leadership and vision of a candidate, in particular of a senior academic competing for SRFS award, will include the candidate’s mentoring success and past experience in developing Research Postgraduate (RPg) students and junior researchers (including Post-doctoral Fellows, if any), as well as the candidate’s engagement plan to train/ nurture the next generation of research talent/ early career researchers via the proposed research project under the fellowship.
Nominees of all academic disciplines are subject to assessment by either of the two selection panels: (i) Humanities, Social Sciences and Business Studies (H-Panel), and (ii) Sciences, Medicine, Engineering and Technology (S-Panel). Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview by the selection panel concerned during May/June.
Application/Nomination Deadline : 28 Nov 2025
