CUHK
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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is committed to nurturing young research talent, promoting international research collaboration, and consolidating Hong Kong’s leading position as an international hub for post-secondary education. For the 2026/27 academic year, 18 CUHK scholars have been awarded funding under the Hong Kong Research Grants Council’s (RGC) Overseas Research Fellowship Scheme (ORFS) and Junior Research Fellow Scheme (JRFS), highlighting the University’s outstanding achievements in scientific research innovation and talent cultivation.

Professor Sham Mai-har, CUHK Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), said: “CUHK has always been dedicated to driving innovative research and nurturing research talent. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the 18 CUHK scholars for receiving recognition from the RGC schemes. Their success not only testifies to the University’s exceptional strength in academic research but also highlights the commitment of CUHK scholars to tackling major global challenges such as climate change and precision medicine. The University will continue to provide the ideal environment for our scholars, supporting them in exploring uncharted territories and translating cutting-edge research findings into practical solutions for the benefit of society.” 

Six CUHK scholars awarded ORFS funding

The ORFS is a new funding initiative launched by the RGC this year, operating on a pilot basis for three academic years. It aims to promote internationalisation of UGC-funded universities, encourage scholars to visit overseas institutions for immersive international collaborative experiences, helping them broaden their global perspective and deepen their understanding of research trends beyond Hong Kong, and boost the visibility of Hong Kong universities as a whole.

The scheme provides 40 fellowships to mid-career scholars for each academic year, serving as a further incentive for them to learn, develop or enhance the knowledge and skills that will improve their scholarly or research competence. Selected fellows will receive support to work on research projects or undergo research-related professional development at overseas institutional laboratories, research units or clinical set-ups.

The six CUHK professors selected are Professor Dai Yun (Department of Curriculum and Instruction), Professor Hui Ho-lam (School of Life Sciences), Professor Li Hua-bai (Department of Physics), Professor Billy Ng (School of Pharmacy), Professor Yang Yang (School of Hotel and Tourism Management) and Professor Yang Yijian (Department of Sports Science and Physical Education).

12 CUHK early-career scholars awarded JRFS funding

This year, 12 awardees had been nominated for the JRFS by CUHK (see attached table). Among them, Dr Chen Zhaoliang from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences is focusing on the project “Antarctic Dissolved Organic Matter: Pioneering a Molecular Fingerprint Database to Decipher Multi-Interface Transport and Transformation”. Dr Chen recently participated in China’s 41st and 42nd Antarctic scientific expedition, collecting nearly a thousand environmental samples and data about them, including marine, glacial melt and terrestrial materials, from multiple Antarctic research stations and along the coast of the Antarctic Ocean. Using this data, he is establishing the world’s first Antarctic dissolved organic matter  molecular fingerprint environmental sample database, to conduct in-depth research on the mechanisms of the Antarctic organic carbon cycle. Dr Chen said: “Dissolved organic matter has a profound impact on the global carbon cycle. In polar environments, factors such as solar radiation, temperature variations and ice melt all affect the levels of local dissolved organic matter. Our team will conduct in-depth studies on these variations, hoping to further understand the biogeochemical impacts of climate change on polar regions.”

In addition, Dr Wang Xin from the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering is conducting the research project “Development of Miniature Wireless Robots for Targeted Active Embolization in Blood Vessels”. He noted that miniature, wirelessly driven soft robots are promising tools for precision medicine. However, due to limitations of soft material structures, his research will focus on enhancing the power output of these robots and exploring the biomedical applications of high-powered miniature soft robots. Research findings were recently published in the internationally renowned journals Nature Materials and Nature Communications. Dr Wang expressed his hope that this research will advance the development of robotic hands and automated control strategies, driving the clinical application and automated diagnostic and treatment applications of miniature soft robots, ultimately reducing medical costs and benefiting patients.

The RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme (JRFS, formerly known as the RGC Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme) provides promising local and non-local postdoctoral researchers at UGC-funded universities with support at a pivotal time in their very early careers, as well as supporting their transition to Assistant Professor or Research Assistant Professor positions at UGC-funded universities during the fellowship period. It aims to nurture and expand a pool of research talents, with a view to propelling research and development in Hong Kong and fostering a research culture.