Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1998

Research News H K $ 7 0 m i l l i o n Resea r ch G r a n t s f o r 25 P r o j ec ts T w e n t y - s ix research grant s t o t a l l i n g HK$69,600,038 f r o m v a r i o us l o c al a n d overseas s p o n s o r s w e r e r e c o r d e d d u r i n g th e p e r i o d A p r i l to Se p t emb e r 1998. Sponsor s Amoun t Awarded (HK$) Numbe r o f Project s AIDS Trust Fund 1.170.500 2 Health Services Research Fund 2,931,105 5 Hong Kong Sports Development Board 266,800 3 industrial Support Fund 61,902,000 9 International Agency fo r the Prevention of Blindness, National Eye Institute 807,660 1 Language Fund 1,207,973 2 Motorola Foundation 156,000(US$20,000) 1 Narcotics Division 498,000 1 The Croucher Foundation 660,000 1 R G C Resea r ch G r a n ts f o r 1998-99 A t o t a l of 122 research p r o p o s a ls s u b m i t t e d b y a c a d em i c a n d researc h staff of t h e U n i v e r s i ty h a v e b e e n a w a r d e d e a r m a r k e d grants t o t a l l i ng HK$74,337,000 f r o m the Research G r a n ts C o u n c il ( RGC ) this year. T h e U n i v e r s i t y also r e c e i v e d a d i r e ct a l l o c a t i on o f $17.9 m i l l i o n to f i n a n ce s m a ll projects. F or 1998-99, t h e g o v e r n m e nt has m a d e a v a i l a b l e $428 m i l l i o n to e i g h t U G C - f u n d e d t e r t i a ry i n s t i t u t i o ns f o r research p u r p o s e s : $75 m i l l i o n f o r d i r e c t a l l o c a t i o n t o t he i n s t i t u t i o n s to f i n a n ce s m a l l projects; $323 m i l l i o n f or selecte d researc h p r o p o s a ls s u b m i t t ed b y a c a d em ic a n d research p e r s o n n e l i n the i n s t i t u t i o n s ; t h e rest has b e e n set aside t o s u p p o r t n e w i n i t i a t i v e s a i m e d at e n c o u r a g i n g g r o u p research a n d s t r e n g t h e n i n g t h e research base of these i n s t i t u t i o n s. T h e 122 C U H K p r o j e c ts s e l e c t ed f o r s u p p o r t f a l l i n t o f o u r s u b j e ct d i s c i p l i n e s : b i o l o g y a n d m e d i c i n e (40) ; e n g i n e e r i n g (31); p h y s i c a l sciences (21); a n d t h e h u m a n i t i e s , s o c i al sciences a n d b u s i n e s s s t u d i e s (30). T h r e e M o r e C U H K Resea r ch P r o j ec t s Ra t e d Ex c e l l e nt T h r ee c o m p l e t ed e a r m a r k ed research g r a n t projects of t h e U n i v e r s i t y w e r e r a t ed 'excellent' b y th e Research G r a n ts C o u n c i l ( RGC) i n t h e m o s t recent e v a l u a t i on exercise. T h e y are: • N o n l i n e ar P a r t i a l D i f f e r e n t i al E q u a t i o ns a n d A p p l i c a t i o ns Researcher: Prof. K a i - s e n g C h o u , D e p a r t m e n t of M a t h e m a t i c s • D e v e l o p m e nt of a n E n z y m e - l i n k e d I mm u n o s o r b e n t A s s ay ( E L I SA) U s i n g a N o v e l M o n o c l i n a l A n t i b o d y A g a i n st 6 - H y d r o x y c o r t i s o l to De t e c t E n z y me I n d u c t i on i n M a n Researcher: Prof. J o hn H . K . Y e u n g, D e p a r t m e nt of P h a r m a c o l o g y • P r o d u c t i v i t y C h a n g e s a n d D e i n d u s t r i a l i z a t i on i n H o n g K o n g — a n E m p i r i c a l A n a l y s is Researchers: Prof. K a i - s un K w o n g a n d Prof. T,B. L i n (deceased), D e p a r t m e nt o f E c o n om i c s To d a t e , a t o t a lo f 22 C U H K r e s e a r ch p r o j e c t s h a v e b e e n r a t e d e x c e l l e n t b y t he R G C H i g h l i g h t s o f S u p p o r t ed P r o j e c t s To generate m o r e interest i n the U n i v e r s i t y 's researc h activities, the Chinese University Bulletin c o n t i n u e s to b r i n g to readers h i g h l i g h ts of research projects s u p p o r t e d b y t h e Research G r a n ts C o u n c il a n d other researc h f u n d s . T h e Bulletin has w o r k e d closely w i t h the p r i n c i p al i n v e s t i g a t o rs of t w o projects to e x p l a in t h e ir research objectives, p r o c e d u r e s , a n d a c h i e v eme n ts i n t e r m s c omp r e h e n s i b le t o th e l a y person . T he t w o r e p o r t s c a n be f o u n d o n pages 30-37.