Call for Proposals
Research Grant of Research Centre for Environmental, Social, and Governance Advancement (RCESGA Grant)
Announcement
The Research Centre for Environmental, Social, and Governance Advancement (RCESGA) is inviting applicants across PolyU to submit research proposals focusing on any topics related to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). Proposals should involve inter- and/or multidisciplinary collaboration and international or industrial collaboration. The RCESGA Grant provides excellent opportunities for outstanding scholars to collaborate with PolyU academic staff and international scholars. Applicant will serve as Principal Investigator and must be a full-time academic staff member at the rank of Assistant Professor or above at PolyU.
Funding Ceiling and Duration
The funding amount of each application should range from HK$250,000 to HK$800,000. The duration may range from 12 to 24 months. The starting date of the project should be between 1 July 2026 and 1 December 2026.
Priority Areas
Priority will be given to proposals related to the following ESG areas which align with the strategic directions of RCESGA:
- Artificial Intelligence In Climate Risk Assessment And Financial Stability
- Fintech Innovation In Mobilizing Green And Transition Finance
- AI-Driven Environmental Disclosure And Reporting Systems
- Carbon Markets, Blockchain, And Market Integrity
- Artificial Intelligence In Sustainable Supply Chain
- AI-Enhanced Detection Of Greenwashing And Misconduct
- Green Technology, Innovation, And Sustainable Logistic And Maritime
- Circular Economy For Urban Energy Systems
- Clean Energy Advancement and Market Stability
- AI And DEI
- Fintech Solutions For Inclusive Climate Adaptation Finance
- Data Governance And Privacy In Digital Financial Ecosystems
- AI For Measuring And Enhancing Social Impact
- AI And Workforce Transformation In The Green Economy
- Digital Assets, Crypto Finance, And ESG Risk Governance
- Other Urgent Social Issues (E.G., Income Inequity, Housing, Aging, Gender) For Hong Kong With Policy Implications
- Clean Fuel Competitiveness Under Carbon Policies
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Alignment with the major funding schemes
- Contribution to the Centre’s strategic research direction
- Academic significance of the proposed research topic and quality of proposal
- Practical significance and impact
- International/ industrial collaboration within the research team
- Inter- and/or multidisciplinary collaborations
- Track record of the investigators
Eligibility
Full-time PolyU academic staff at the rank of Assistant Professor or above are eligible to apply for the RCESGA Grant.
Submission Requirements and Application Deadline
Interested individuals may contact Miss Katherine WONG (info.rcesga@polyu.edu.hk) to obtain the application form and proposal template. Those who are non-RCESGA members should apply for RCESGA membership first.
Applicants should follow the submission requirements when preparing their applications. The following documents must be submitted to RCESGA via email (info.rcesga@polyu.edu.hk) on or before 15 May 2026 (Friday):
- RCESGA Research Grant Application Form (to be completed and signed by a full-time PolyU academic staff member as Principal Investigator)
- A project proposal, based on the template, in Word format
- A 1-page CV for each non-PolyU team member (Co-Investigator) in Word format
- Applications must be submitted electronically. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
Deliverables and Dissemination
Successful applicants are required to submit interim and completion reports on the project to RCESGA. They must also publish their project findings in refereed academic journals with RCESGA affiliation. Additionally, they are expected to use the findings from the completed project to apply for major research grants from other sources, with a total amount of more than HK$2 million.
Notification of Results
Successful applicants will be notified of the results by the middle of June 2026.
Enquiries
For more information about PAIR and RCESGA, please visit our websites at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/pair/ and https://www.polyu.edu.hk/rcesga/.For inquiries, please contact Miss Katherine WONG at info.rcesga@polyu.edu.hk.
