Open Call for Funding Applications: Investigator-Initiated and Health Promotion Projects Under HMRF
The Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF), administered by the Health Bureau, is now accepting funding applications for investigator-initiated research projects and health promotion projects starting today, December 18. Eligible applicants include locally based tertiary institutions, hospitals, medical schools, non-governmental organisations, and other relevant centres, units, and services.
The HMRF aims to build research capacity and support health and medical research to inform health policies, improve population health, strengthen the healthcare system, enhance healthcare practices, advance the standard and quality of care, and promote clinical excellence through evidence-based scientific knowledge derived from local research. It also funds health promotion projects that help people adopt healthier lifestyles by enhancing awareness, changing adverse health behaviours, and creating a conducive environment for good health practices.
Key Areas of Support
The HMRF emphasises the translational potential of research findings and supports applications in the following areas:
Clinical Research: Including patient-oriented research, epidemiological and behavioural studies, outcomes research, and health services research.
Infectious Diseases Research: With public health implications from bench to bedside and at the community level, and with translational value.
Chinese Medicine Research: Clinical research based on Chinese medicine theory or methodology.
Accepted Research Areas
Applications in the following areas will be considered:
Public Health, Human Health, and Health Services: Including primary healthcare, non-communicable diseases, and Chinese medicine.
Prevention, Treatment, and Control of Infectious Diseases: With public health implications.
Advanced Medical Research: Applying advanced technologies to translate knowledge into clinical practice and inform health policy.
Health Promotion: Mobilising local resources to promote good health and prevent illness in the community.
Funding Priorities
Higher priority will be given to proposals addressing this year's thematic priorities: infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, primary healthcare, preventive medicine, digital health, advanced technology, clinical trials, and implementation science.
Funding Details
Grant Ceiling: $1.5 million per project with a duration not exceeding three years.
Seed Grants: For larger-scale pilot studies or small-scale research with achievable objectives, with a grant ceiling of $500,000 per project.
Application Guidelines
Only one application per principal applicant is allowed.
The principal applicant must be employed by an administering institution based in Hong Kong throughout the project period.
Applications will undergo a two-tier peer review, considering scientific merit, local relevance, translational potential, sustainability, capacity of administering institutions, track record of applicants, value for money, and research ethics.
Submission and Deadlines
Completed electronic application forms should be submitted via the electronic Grant Management System (eGMS) on or before 6pm on March 31, 2025 (Hong Kong time). Briefing sessions on grant applications will be held in January 2025 and are now open for registration.
For more details, visit the Research Fund Secretariat's website. Enquiries can be made by e-mail to rfs@healthbureau.gov.hk.
Health Bureau Responds to Media Enquiries on Hospital Development Plans and Cluster Delineation
In response to media enquiries on hospital development plans and cluster delineation, a spokesman for the Health Bureau provided the following response on December 10:
The Hospital Authority (HA) plans and develops various public healthcare services on a cluster basis, considering factors such as service demand changes, population growth, demographic changes, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, healthcare technology advancements, healthcare manpower supply, and service arrangements of the clusters. Currently, there are 14 public hospitals and healthcare institutions in the Hong Kong East and Hong Kong West Clusters, with five hospitals treating acute or complex illnesses.
The Health Bureau is working with the HA to review the prioritisation of hospital development projects across the city under the Second Hospital Development Plan (HDP), considering city-wide future planning, population statistics, anticipated population distribution, healthcare services demand, site availability, and cost-effectiveness of renovations or additions.
The HA is also reviewing and planning the service provision of hospital clusters, including the delineation of hospital clusters and the roles of hospitals, to ensure comprehensive and complementary services. In particular, the operation of hospitals in each cluster should be rationalised and supplementary to one another, ensuring that Accident and Emergency departments are within a reasonable distance from their service areas.
Regarding the Hong Kong Island region, future population projections indicate a slight drop in the overall population by 2041, while the proportion of elderly persons aged 65 or above is expected to increase. The Health Bureau and the HA are projecting future local service demand to review and plan hospital development projects under the Second HDP in the region.
Consolidating the services of the entire Hong Kong Island into one cluster is being considered. This option would retain existing hospitals treating acute or complex illnesses, ensuring that citizens do not need to travel to another district for medical consultations or visits. This consolidation would also reduce administrative costs and enhance service coordination and cost-effectiveness.
Upon completion of the review, the Government will announce the details of the Second HDP in due course.