PolyU has secured total funding of approximately HK$50.92 million for nine research projects under the RGC’s Research Impact Fund and the Collaborative Research Fund.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to pursuing world-leading research and innovation, and driving impactful application and interdisciplinary collaboration for societal benefits. In the Research Grants Council (RGC)’s 2025/26 funding exercise, PolyU has secured funding for nine research projects under the Research Impact Fund and the Collaborative Research Fund. The projects span a wide range of fields, including health and biomedical sciences, engineering technology, Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT), Web3, and environmental sustainability, with total funding awarded of approximately HK$50.92 million.
Prof. Christopher CHAO, Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, congratulated the research teams and remarked, “We sincerely thank the RGC for its support and recognition of PolyU’s interdisciplinary research efforts. As an innovative world-class university, PolyU is dedicated to pursuing excellence in scientific research and remains steadfast in its commitment. The University will continue to drive impactful research, striving for excellence in education, research and knowledge transfer, and contributing to Hong Kong, the Nation and the world.”
PolyU has received approximately HK$13.2 million in funding for two research projects under the Research Impact Fund. The projects aim to provide valuable insights into cancer immunotherapy, and enhance the safety and efficiency of railway systems respectively. Brief descriptions of the funded projects are as follow:
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Project Title |
Project Coordinator |
Project Details |
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Spatial and High-throughput Immunopeptidomics Enabled by Integrated Microfluidics and Proteogenomics (MAP) |
Prof. ZHAO Qian, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology |
By integrating proteomics, genomics and microfluidics, the project will enable ultra‑sensitive profiling of tumour peptides from minimal samples, thereby reducing tissue use and allowing parallel personalised analysis. The proposed technology will be applied to spatial immunopeptidomics for mapping immune peptides and cell niches, as well as high‑throughput immunopeptide profiling of glioblastoma to uncover tumour neoantigens. These outcomes will deepen understanding of tumour‑immune interactions and identify new targets for advancing cancer immunotherapy. |
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Towards Life-Cycle Intelligent Predictive Maintenance for Railway Tracks: Advancing with Deep Learning Algorithms and Digital Twin Technology |
Prof. DONG You, Associate Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering |
This project will advance intelligent railway maintenance through the development of a collaborative health-monitoring and robotic system that integrates ultrasonic guided waves, vision systems, VLA(vision–language–action)models, and artificial intelligence (AI),together withthe creation of a performance‑oriented life‑cycle management framework. A dynamic digital twin will combine real‑time data with AI models to enable predictive maintenance, reduce disruptions and extend service life, thereby delivering transformative impacts for modern rail systems and transportation globally. |
PolyU has also received approximately HK$37.72 million in funding for seven research projects under the Collaborative Research Fund. Of these, three projects were awarded a Collaborative Research Project Grant, two received a Collaborative Research Equipment Grant and two were supported by the Young Collaborative Research Grant. Brief descriptions of the funded projects are as follow:
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Project Title |
Project Coordinator |
Project Details |
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Collaborative Research Project Grant |
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AIoT-powered Multi-modality Underwater SOS System |
Prof. ZHENG Yuanqing Associate Professor of the Department of Computing (Collaborating universities: CityUHK, HKUST) |
The project will develop an innovative communication channel enabling swimmers to send SOS signals via waterproof smartwatches. By integrating multi-modal sensor data, such as motion and biosensors, along with hydrophones and cameras, this system strengthens situational awareness, improves detection rates and localisation accuracy, and empowers lifeguards to respond swiftly to potential drowning incidents. |
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Privacy Infrastructure Design for Web3 |
Prof. XIAO Bin Professor of the Department of Computing (Collaborating universities: CUHK, HKUST) |
The project will pioneer user‑centric blockchain systems for secure data sharing and analytics. Fundamentally redefining data sovereignty in decentralised networks, it empowers users to retain full control while enabling reliable verification without exposing sensitive information. The research aims to rebuild digital trust, making privacy invisible yet unbreakable, and ensuring fraud prevention and effective regulatory enforcement. |
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Endothelins in mechanoaging and osteoarthritis: biomarker discovery and drug development |
Prof. WEN Chunyi (Collaborating universities: CUHK, HKU) |
The project aims to deepen understanding of osteoarthritis (OA) molecular endotypes and theratypes to advance novel disease‑modifying drug discovery. With the team’s recent breakthrough in identifying endothelin as one of the most upregulated genes in injured murine cartilage, this project explores endothelins as novel biomarkers of joint mechanoaging and investigates endothelin receptor targeting as a promising senotherapeutic strategy for OA. |
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Collaborative Research Equipment Grant |
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Advanced Single-Particle Mass Spectrometerto Uncover Hidden Aerosol Complexity Impacting Health and Climate |
Prof. JIN Ling Assistant Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Health Technology and Informatics (Collaborating universities: CityUHK, HKBU, CUHK, HKUST) |
This project aims to develop a single‑particle mass spectrometry platform to precisely reveal the mixing state of aerosols at single‑particle resolution. It will generate new insights into how hazardous aerosol components influence health, toxicity, and climate impacts, addressing critical gaps left by conventional techniques and supporting more accurate predictions for policymaking. |
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A trimodal PET/SPECT/CT animal imaging system for molecular imaging and radiopharmaceutical research |
Prof. YOO Jung Sun Associate Professor of the Department of Health Technology and Informatics (Collaborating universities: CityUHK, HKU) |
This project aims to establish Hong Kong’s first nuclear molecular imaging facility by acquiring a trimodal PET/SPECT/CT animal imager. It will accelerate new drug development through real‑time monitoring of biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics, while serving as an indispensable tool to study in vivo whole‑body cellular and biochemical dynamics in impactful biomedical research. |
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Young Collaborative Research Grant |
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Smart Environment Engineering via Beyond Diagonal Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface for Future Wireless Networks |
Prof. ZHANG Shuowen Assistant Professor of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Collaborating universities: CityUHK, CUHK) |
This project aims to advance BD‑RIS technology for the future wireless networks. It will characterize data rate limits, devise efficient channel state information acquisition schemes, and develop novel wireless sensing strategies, paving the way for large‑scale deployment of BD‑RIS in future networks. This will deliver enhanced wireless service at low cost and help narrow the “digital divide”. |
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Digital Solutions to Manage the Risks of Electric Vehicle Batteries and A Deep Learning Based Index Insurance Contract Design |
Prof. WANG Qin (Collaborating universities: HKUST, HKU) |
This project aims to develop innovative digital solutions for assessing electric vehicle (EV) battery health without disassembly and to design deep learning‑based index insurance contracts. It will create AI‑powered diagnostic platforms, risk evaluation models, and insurance tools that enhance battery management, optimise EV operations, and support sustainable, risk‑averse adoption of EV technologies. |
The RGC Research Impact Fund aims to encourage local universities to undertake more impactful and translational research projects and a greater volume of collaborative research beyond academic, while the Collaborative Research Fund aims to support multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary projects in order to encourage more research groups to engage in creative and high-quality cross-disciplinary / cross-institutional projects. For further details, please refer to the lists of funded projects under the Research Impact Fund and the Collaborative Research Fund published by the RGC.
