RESEARCH GRANTS COUNCIL
Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme 2025/26
Guidance Note for Applicants
The Guidance Note should be read by applicants for submission to the Hong Kong
PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS). Please ensure that you read this Guidance Notecarefully before completing and submitting your initial application. The Research
Grants Council (RGC) may stop processing your application if your application
does not meet the requirements set out in this Guidance Note.
SCHEME PROCESS(a)The deadline for the submission of initial application for the HKPFS is1 December 2024 at 12:00 noon Hong Kong time. Late submissions will notbe considered.

(b)Applicants should note that the online application system, Hong Kong PhD
Fellowship Scheme Electronic System (HKPFSES), will time out
automatically after idling for 30 minutes. All unsubmitted entries will be lost
upon system time-out.

(c)Initial application, excluding this Guidance Note, is composed of the following
sections:
A.
B.
C.
D.

(d)

Personal Particulars
Choice of University(ies) and Programme(s) for PhD Study
Authorization and Declaration
Source of Information

In order to ensure consistency and fairness to all applicants, each applicant
should only submit one initial application through the HKPFSES at
https://cerg1.ugc.edu.hk/hkpfs/InitApplication.jsp. In the event that an applicant
is found to have submitted more than one initial application, all applications
submitted by the same applicant for the HKPFS will be disqualified even if theapplicant is nominated by an university to compete for the HKPFS award. Incase multiple initial applications have been made by mistake, applicant isadvised to contact HKPF@ugc.edu.hk immediately for assistance before theinitial application deadline.

1Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme 2025/26 Guidance Note for Applicants(e)

The initial application form, except for the field requiring the input ofapplicant’s Name in Chinese (if applicable), must be completed in English.

(f)Upon submission of the initial application, an HKPFS Reference Number will
be automatically generated and assigned for each applicant. An email
confirmation stating the HKPFS Reference Number and details of the log-in
password will be sent to the email address specified by the applicant.
Applicants are strongly advised to save and / or print out the email
confirmation for future reference. The HKPFS Reference Number [PF24xxxxx] must be quoted by the applicant in all correspondence with the RGC andin all applications to the chosen University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded
universities as indicated in this initial application. An applicant will need to login using the HKPFS Reference Number and log-in password if he/she wishes tochange the choice of universities/department/programmes at a later stage.

(g)

Applicants may make changes to choice(s) of university / department /programme until the closing of initial application deadline. However, only twochoices saved in the HKPFSES as at the deadline will be processed. The RGC
will not accept any subsequent changes / requests of change of applicationfrom applicants after the initial application deadline.

(h)After completing an initial application, applicants should submit a full
application to the chosen university(ies) quoting the HKPFS Reference
Number before the university’s deadline. Different universities may havetheir own submission deadlines, and applicants are reminded to take noteof them carefully. Information on the submission deadlines of the eightparticipating
universities
isavailable
athttps://cerg1.ugc.edu.hk/hkpfs/apply.html. An initial application that is notfollowed up with a full application to university will be considered void andit will not be processed further by the RGC.

(i)

Applicants should ensure completeness, accuracy and consistency in the datasubmitted to the RGC through the HKPFSES and information submitted toindividual university. Any incompleteness, inaccuracy or inconsistency may
lead to an application not being considered under the HKPFS.

(j)

Information provided through the HKPFSES will be cross-checked with theinformation contained in applications submitted to universities for verification
purposes. The cross-checking will be done in such a way where an applicant
chooses to submit full application to more than one university, each university
is privy to the submission it receives and not being aware of other submission(s).

2Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme 2025/26 Guidance Note for Applicants(k)Applicants must comply with the admission and application requirements ofindividual university concerned. Individual university will usually conduct
interviews with applicants as part of the assessment for selection. For
programme information, requirements for PhD admission, application methods
and deadlines, regulations and policy of individual university, please check withindividual university concerned.

(l)Universities will nominate selected candidates to the RGC to compete for theHKPFS award. In the event that an applicant is nominated by twouniversities, the RGC will only process the nomination tendered by theuniversity for which the applicant has indicated priority and subsequent
award of fellowship by the RGC will also be according to the indicatedpriority of the applicant. If an applicant selects two different programmes
within the same university and is nominated, the university shall have thediscretion to decide on which programme it supports the nomination.

(m) Applicants who are not selected for the award of HKPFS may be accepted by auniversity for regular PhD admission and may be offered a postgraduate
studentship or other funding support by the university.
(n)

The email account provided by the applicants in the initial application will beused by the RGC in future correspondence, including award of fellowship, withthe applicants.

(o)Enquiries concerning the HKPFS should be made using the applicants’ e-mailaccount specified in the initial application to HKPF@ugc.edu.hk quoting theHKPFS Reference Number. Questions regarding admission requirements aswell as other university’s information should be directed to the relevant
universities. Information of the eight participating universities is available athttps://cerg1.ugc.edu.hk/hkpfs/institutions.html.

(p)

The RGC does not charge any application fee for HKPFS. However,universities may charge application or other processing fees. Please check withthe universities of your choice for details.

(q)

The RGC will only notify successful applicants the offer of fellowship awards
by email and letter. The results will be announced in May 2025 athttps://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/hkpfs/funded_research.html.
The decision of the RGC is final and the RGC will not provide feedback toindividual applicant.

3

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme 2025/26 Guidance Note for Applicants(r)

The RGC reserves the right to amend the information contained in the GuidanceNote and the related application form at any time at its discretion without priornotice. The RGC has the sole right and discretion on the interpretation of theGuidance Note and other arrangements relating to the application,
implementation and operation of the HKPFS.

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Research Grants Council
August 20244