Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ13: Funding research projects on controlling infections diseases

Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Man-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (January 14):

Question :

In July last year, approval was given by this Council to the Administration for it to use $500 million to fund research projects conducted in Hong Kong or the Mainland on controlling infectious diseases. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the justifications for capping the amount of funding at $800,000 per research project, and the measures to support research institutions in carrying out large-scale research projects with a cost above the cap; 

(b) whether expenses on upgrading laboratory or research facilities fall within the scope of funding;

(c) of the number of funding applications received so far and, among them, the respective numbers of applications submitted by individual local institutions, multiple local institutions and joint applications by local and Mainland institutions; the research institution(s) involved in each application;

(d) of the number of applications vetted, the respective amounts of funding applied for and approved for each of the research projects which are related to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or other emerging infectious diseases, and the commencement dates of work of the funded projects;

(e) whether the relevant authorities and the Grant Review Committee coordinate the sharing of research results by the funded research institutions, with a view to enhancing the cost-effectiveness and progress of their researches;

(f) of the ownership of the intellectual property rights of the research results of the funded projects; and

(g) whether the Administration has treated research projects conducted locally and in the Mainland with the same standards with regard to the assessment criteria, the scope of research that may be financed and the amount applicable, monitoring of research progress and the ownership of the intellectual property rights of the research results of such projects?

Reply:

Madam President:

Following the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak in Hong Kong in 2003, the Finance Committee approved $500 million to fund research into controlling infectious diseases. Of this sum, $50 million was provided to support research projects on infectious diseases in the Mainland through the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology. The remaining $450 million is administered through the Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases (RFCID), established under the purview of the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau. 

The purpose of the RFCID is to encourage, facilitate and support research on the prevention, treatment and control of infectious diseases, in particular emerging infectious diseases such as SARS. The operation of RFCID is guided by the policy statement laid down by the Research Council, which was established to determine the research agenda, ensure that system and procedures are in place for funding control, and on-going monitoring and evaluation of approved research projects, promote research in infectious diseases and make the final decision on funding. The RFCID has further developed guidance notes for potential applicants. Both the policy statement and guidance notes are available from the RFCID webpage <http://www.hwfb.gov.hk/grants>.

The Research Council has defined the scope of the RFCID to cover four broad areas, as follows:-

* Aetiology, surveillance, epidemiology and public health 
* Basic research
* Clinical and health services research
* Enhancement of research infrastructure

Researchers from the public, private and academic sectors of Hong Kong are eligible to apply to the Fund. The RFCID also places an emphasis on collaborative research with Mainland China and overseas institutions.

Broadly, the RFCID supports two categories of research projects:-

(i) investigator-initiated projects, i.e. those that encourage the development of innovations from individual researchers. Investigator-initiated projects are invited through twice-yearly public calls for grant applications. The first round opened on September 29, 2003 and closed on November 29, 2003. The second round opened on November 29, 2003 and will close on February 14, 2004.

(ii) commissioned projects, i.e. those that address specific research needs, fill gaps in scientific knowledge and respond to public health needs and threats identified by the HWFB. The commissioned projects are by special invitation only. Since the creation of RFCID, commissioned projects have been solicited from the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Hospital Authority in collaboration with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. 

My reply to the individual parts of the question is as follows:-

a) Investigator-initiated research

For investigator-initiated projects the normal ceiling is set at $800,000 based on the following factors:-

* the prior experience in managing the Health Services Research Fund, where the Major Grant has a ceiling of $800,000, and 
* the average grant awarded by the Research Grants Council of the University Grants Committee of a similar amount. 

However, there is a provision in the policy statement of the RFCID for higher grants to be awarded as long as it can be justified. 

Commissioned research

There is no maximum stated ceiling for research projects in this category. 

b) The upgrading of laboratories does fall within the scope of RFCID, in the category of enhancement of research infrastructure. In fact, the projects proposed in the commissioned project category have included a proposal to upgrade laboratory facilities to biosafety level 3 (B-L3) and capability to allow use of animal models in infection studies. 

c) Investigator-initiated research

A total of 114 applications to the RFCID were received in the first public call. The breakdown is as follows:

Type of applying institution(s) Number of applications
received
Single local institution 73
Multiple local collaborators 21
Local institution + Mainland China 
Collaborator 11
Local institution + overseas 
Collaborator 6
Local institution + Mainland China 
collaborator + overseas collaborator: 3
Total 114

The applying institutions include higher education institutions, hospitals, medical schools, and private organisations. 

Commissioned research

A portfolio of research projects in this category have been received from the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong covering, among other things, the epidemiology of emerging or potentially emerging infections, microbiology, (including SARS, influenza, multi-drug resistant bacteria), upgrading of laboratory facilities, nosocomial infection, evaluation of new SARS treatments, long-term sequelae of SARS, etc. 

d) Investigator-initiated research

The 114 investigator-initiated applications received in the first public call requested a total of $72 million. Sixty-six of the applications are related to SARS or other new communicable diseases. All applications are currently undergoing the peer review process involving local and overseas experts. Peer review is a process of independent review to safeguard the quality and standard of the application and approval process. Final decision can only be made after peer review.

Investigator-initiated projects must commence within four to six months of the date of approval. 

Commissioned research

Two university-based commissioned projects, spread over five years and comprising at least 10 separate research projects, request a total of $55 million. The portfolios of research have been assessed and will be considered for funding approval by the Research Council in the second half of January 2004.

Commissioned projects are expected to commence shortly after the contract between the Administering Institution and the Government is signed. 

e) All funded projects are required to produce a dissemination report that will be reviewed by the Grant Review Board in order to make the results available to a wider audience. Copies will be distributed to local researchers, clinicians, health care workers and managers of the health service. In addition, the dissemination report will be posted on the RFCID website.

Furthermore, it is expected that the research results will be disseminated to an international audience by the applicants themselves in the form of papers submitted to scientific journals and presentations at scientific conferences and symposia.

f) As described in the Guidance Notes to applicants, all rights of the project shall jointly belong to the Government and the Administering Institution. This does not, however, preclude in any way normal academic and professional use of research data and documents.

g) There is no difference in the treatment of local and Mainland China institutions with regard to the scope of projects funded under the RFCID scheme, the amounts applicable, the vetting of applications, the monitoring of research progress and the ownership of intellectual property rights and research results.

Ends/Wednesday, January 14, 2004
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