HKUST Annual Report 2017-18

16 Research Development ADVANCING DISCOVERY HKUST continued to make strenuous efforts to secure grants from funding bodies, locally and from outside Hong Kong, in 2017-18 to sustain its state-of-the-art research amid fierce competition. During the year, the University received approval for over 840 proposals, resulting in combined funding of more than $474.3 million. The main source of support was Hong Kong’s Research Grants Council (RGC), which awarded $191.6 million for 222 new projects to HKUST researchers in 2017-18. A Theme-based Research Scheme project to deliver rechargeable electron-fuels for stationary power supplies and electric vehicles attracted $50 million (including matching). Four group research and two major equipment proposals received a total of $36.7 million from the Collaborative Research Fund. The group grants will support studies into immune cells, neurohistology, quantum physics, and aggregation-induced emission systems. The equipment funding will enable the University to acquire a modular drum centrifuge and advanced 3D robot to form a world-leading centrifuge cluster in hazard prevention, offshore resource engineering, and environmental protection; and make atomic-scale characterizations for two- dimensional materials available. In non-RGC funding, the University submitted 109 research proposals to the Hong Kong government’s Innovation and Technology Fund and received $115.5 million for 36 new projects. Two HKUST-MIT Research Alliance Consortium projects secured just over $10 million each to develop autonomous robotic manipulation and integrated networked control for internet-of-things devices respectively. Two projects under the similar HKUST Berkeley Research Collaboration received funding: control of exoskeletons using multi-modal human machine interfaces; and an automated robotic glass inspection system to check for smartphone display defects. Stephen Kam-chuen Cheong Professor of Science and Chair Professor of Chemistry TANG Benzhong received the State Natural Science Award (First Class) 2017, China’s highest award for natural science researchers and only the second Hong Kong academic to receive the honor since the start of the city’s participation in the awards in 1989. He was honored for his outstanding work on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and the discovery’s contribution to medicine, applied science and life science. Two of the University’s young faculty members received Croucher Innovation Awards, each worth $5 million for research. Prof. Tuan Anh NGUYEN (Life Science) will seek to investigate miRNA production and virus amplification. Prof. PAN Ding (Physics and Chemistry) will investigate carbon in the deep Earth. WIDER MAINLAND OPPORTUNITIES In May 2018, the Chinese government announced the opening up of applications from higher education institutions and research institutions in Hong Kong for funding from the Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Finance. To better prepare faculty members to bid for state funding, the Research Office undertook an internal review on procedures and eligibility of applicants. The central government move is expected to foster more research opportunities and collaboration between HKUST faculty and Mainland peers and institutions. HKUST researchers continued to uncover knowledge and transfer breakthroughs into practical applications