Health and Medical Research Fund 2024 –
Open Call for Investigator-initiated Projects

Nature

• To encourage, facilitate and support health and medical research to inform health policies, improve population health, strengthen the healthcare system, enhance healthcare practices, advance standard and quality of care, and promote clinical excellence.
• To support evidence-based health promotion projects in the community.

Priority Areas

• Applications addressing the Thematic Priorities will be given higher priority for funding. The priorities areas include–

(a) Infectious Diseases;
(b) Non-communicable Diseases;
(c) Primary Healthcare;
(d) Preventive Medicine;
(e) Digital Health and Advanced Technology; and
(f)  Clinical Trials and Implementation Science.

Eligibility

• Principal Applicants (PAs) shall be employed by an administering institution (AI) which is based in Hong Kong at the time of application and throughout the project period.
• Application with single applicant is not allowed. The project team must consist of a PA and at least one Co-Applicant (Co-A).

Funding Ceiling per Project

• Normal grant ceiling: HK$1.5M
• Threshold of seed grant: HK$0.5M

Project Duration

Not exceeding 3 years

Remarks

• Please read carefully the following documents BEFORE preparing the application:
  i.   HMRF Guidance Notes - Grant Application for Investigator-initiated Projects;
  ii.  HMRF Explanatory Notes - Grant Application for Investigator-initiated Projects;
  

  iii. Management of Track Records of Applicants;
  iv. eGMS - Training Manual for Principal Applicants (operating guides for new PAs)

• As the HMRF emphasises the importance of the translational potential of research findings, applicants are required to provide a clear explanation in simple language on how the research findings will benefit patients and/or the healthcare system in Section 6 of application form. Advanced medical research shall focus on clinical studies.  Basic/pre-clinical research studies are not supported under this Area of Project
  
  
• Applications which do not use the standard proposal template (Section 10) and include the required information listed in the proposal template will be treated as incomplete.  These applications will not be processed and may result in administrative withdrawal.
  
  
• Please visit the Research Fund Secretariat’s (RFS) website for more details.

Session:

Briefing Session 1

Briefing Session 2

Format:

Hybrid (online and on-site)

Hybrid (online and on-site)

Date:

9 Jan 2025 (Thu)

15 Jan 2025 (Wed)

Time:

14:30 – 16:40

14:30 – 16:35

Venue:

Conference Room, 9/F,
Rumsey Street Multi-storey Carpark Building,
2 Rumsey Street, Sheung Wan

Conference Room, 9/F,
Rumsey Street Multi-storey Carpark Building,
2 Rumsey Street, Sheung Wan

Registration Deadline:

7 Jan 2025 (Tue)

10 Jan 2025 (Fri)