Congratulations to Prof. Chi Sun Poon, Distinguished Research Professor of CEE, for securing HK$2,122,054 from the French National Research Agency (ANR) / Research Grants Council (RGC) Joint Research Scheme 2026/27. Under the scheme, Prof. Poon will conduct a research collaboration with Prof. Roland J.M. Pellenq, Director of Research at CNRS, French National Centre for Scientific Research, for 48 months.
Prof. Poon’s research project, titled “Innovative Concrete Materials for Performance, Resilience and Optimization Economics (IMPROVE-Concrete)”, aims to develop high-performance, resilient, and cost-effective concrete materials for harsh environments and long-term durability. Integrating multi-scale modeling, experimental investigation, artificial intelligence, and life-cycle assessment, it systematically optimizes concrete performance, promotes construction waste recycling, and reduces carbon emissions to deliver innovative solutions for sustainable and resilient infrastructure.
The Joint Research Scheme aims to strengthen collaboration between the French and Hong Kong research communities. Both basic and applied research proposals of high academic merits in all areas are invited under the scheme. Notably, Prof. Poon’s project is one of only six funded proposals in the highly competitive 2026/27 exercise.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Prof. Poon and we look forward to the impactful advancements arising from this international collaboration.
For more details about the funding results of the scheme, please visit:
https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/anr/funded_research/anr2627.html
