Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme

Deadline: 1 December 2009
Open to: Applicants should demonstrate outstanding qualities of academic performance, research ability / potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities
Funding: approximately US$2,600 per month

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme

Background

Established in 2009 by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC), the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme aims at attracting the best and brightest students in the world to pursue their PhD programmes in Hong Kong’s institutions.

Eligibility

Those who are seeking admission as new full time PhD students in UGC-funded institutions of Hong Kong, irrespective of their country of origin and ethnic background, should be eligible to apply. Applicants should demonstrate outstanding qualities of academic performance, research ability / potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.

The Fellowship

The Fellowship provides a monthly stipend of HK$20,000 (approximately US$2,600) and a conference and research related travel allowance of HK$10,000 (approximately US$1,300) per year for the awardees for a maximum period of three years. 135 PhD Fellowships will be awarded for the 2010/11 academic year.

Selection Panels

Shortlisted applications, subject to their areas of studies, will be reviewed by one of the two HKPF Selection Panels with experts in the relevant broad areas — one for science, medicine, engineering and technology and another one for humanities, social science and business studies.

Selection Criteria

While the academic excellence is of prime consideration, the Selection Panels will take into account, but is not limited to, the four yardsticks below for the selection of candidates:

1. Academic excellence;
2. Research ability and potential;
3. Communication, and interpersonal skills; and
4. Leadership abilities.

Application Process

The Scheme will call for applications on 8 September 2009.

Each applicant may choose up to two programmes in one or two institutions for PhD study when applying for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship. Application should be made through the On-line Application System (OAS) which will be available on 8 September 2009. The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship application is also regarded as a formal application for admission to the PhD programme(s) offered by the institution(s) concerned. Applicants are therefore required to fully comply with the admission requirements of their selected institutions and programmes except the application deadline, which should strictly follow the stipulated deadline of the Fellowship scheme. The application deadline of the Scheme is 1 December 2009 (23:59 hrs, Hong Kong time).

Admission requirements of individual institutions are as follows:


City University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong Baptist University

Lingnan University

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The University of Hong Kong

In parallel to the Fellowship application, each application will be processed by the relevant institution(s) as a normal application for PhD admission. Individual institutions may conduct interview with applicants where necessary. Institutions may also admit candidates not selected for the Fellowship Scheme and offer them with postgraduate studentship of the institutions if they are considered to be qualified.