PolyU PhD Scholars International Collaborative Research Fellowship (ICRF)

PolyU PhD Scholars ICRF 2023/24 2nd Round

[applicable for research visit commencing on or before 30 April 2025]

Introduction

PolyU PhD Scholars is a prestigious fellowship that offers a competitive grant to support outstanding PhD students to conduct international collaborative research at top-notch global universities for six months to one year. It aims to enable PhD students to travel abroad and collaborate closely with world-class scholars to tackle pressing problems and train themselves to become future leaders. Successful applicant will be designated as a PolyU PhD Scholar during their research visit.

Period of research visit

The research visit must last a minimum of six months to a maximum of one year.
The period of the research visit will be counted within the normal study period of the student. The completion date of the visit must not exceed the normal study period.
Students should take visa processing time into consideration when proposing the commencement date.

Eligibility

Current PhD students with outstanding academic and/or research performance are eligible to apply for the fellowship.
Students can only receive the fellowship once within the normal study period.
Students whose PhD registration is not confirmed may be given a conditional offer to undertake the research visit. If they cannot have their PhD registration confirmed before the latest commencement date of the visit, the conditional offer will lapse.
Awardees of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme are reminded to obtain prior approval from the RGC regarding residence requirement as set out in the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme: “If an awardee stays outside Hong Kong for academic/research activity for an aggregate period exceeding 90 consecutive days, or an aggregate of 183 days, the stipend will be suspended immediately unless prior approval by the Research Grants Council (RGC) has been given upon provision of strong justification by the affiliated university”.

Selection

All applications undergo a rigorous panel selection process and are assessed based on the following criteria:

The international standing of the host university and the collaborator;
The academic and/or research achievements of the applicant; and
The quality of the research plan.

Financial support

A fixed amount of HK$55,000 will be awarded to successful applicants.
Students can concurrently apply for this fellowship and the Research Student Attachment Programme (RSAP) to maximise financial support for the visit.
Successful applicants will continue to receive stipends and pay tuition fees as required by PolyU, if applicable.
Students are responsible for any tuition and other fees specified by the host university. Students are advised to consult the host supervisor prior to submitting their application.
Successful applicants must commence the research visit within nine months of the date of the GS offer letter. Failing that, the approved grant will be withdrawn.

Application procedures and timeline

Applicants should seek the consent of the proposed host supervisor prior to application. Applicants and the host supervisor should have common research interests for supervision purposes.
Application can be made via online submission system. Required submission documents include:

An invitation letter from the host supervisor or host unit, specifying the research visit period;
A brief CV of the host supervisor;
An up-to-date CV of the applicant, highlighting evidence of outstanding academic and/or research achievements; and
A well-written research plan.

Applicants who wish to concurrently apply for ICRF and RSAP are required to submit one single application only and indicate "Application Type" in the system.

Timeline:

Date	Event
2 Apr 2024	Call for applications
31 May 2024	Application deadline
7 Jun 2024	Supervisor endorsement deadline
14 Jun 2024	D/SRC assessment deadline
24 Jul 2024	GS application selection
31 Jul 2024	GS notification of results

Disbursement

The grant should be disbursed after the completion of the research visit, upon submission of a post-event report and boarding passes.

In the event that the research visit is cancelled or the actual duration falls short of the minimum requirement of six months, the fellowship may be revoked.

Enquiries

For enquiries, please contact the Graduate School by email at gs.attachment@polyu.edu.hk.

FAQs

The ICRF is a prestigious fellowship be awarded to a limited number of students, recognizing their outstanding achievements and commitment to high-quality collaborative research.

The selection is based on the merits of the applications and funding availability.

There is no specific list of eligible host universities. This fellowship is aimed at top-notch global universities which are widely recognised for research accomplishments and international reputation. The host university is not the single selection factor.

The list of host universities of previous successful applications is for reference only.

Interested students can concurrently apply for the ICRF and RSAP to maximise financial support for a research visit. If both applications are approved, students may be eligible for a fellowship of $55,000 from the ICRF and an allowance of up to $55,000 from the RSAP. This combined support can amount to a maximum of $110,000 for the duration of the visit. The respective regulations of ICRF and RSAP must be followed.

ICRF is granted for full-time research at the host unit. Students who have a genuine need to attend a conference during the visit, which is supported by both their home and host supervisors, must obtain prior approval from the Graduate School (GS) by email. If approved, the period away does not count towards the minimum duration requirement of the visit. In the event that the actual duration falls short of the minimum requirement of six months, the fellowship may be revoked.