Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) announced Friday the launch
of a special scheme to support research on SARS.
A
total of 12 million Hong Kong dollars (US$1.5 million) has been
allocated out of the Central Allocation Vote of the University
Grants Committee (UGC) for the RGC to fund urgent academic research
work which can help Hong Kong in the fight against the SARS
epidemic.
Out of the sum, 10 million HK dollars (US$1.2 million) will be
allocated as special project grants to support research work
dedicated to the investigation of immediate issues directly related
to SARS.
In
addition, an emergency grant of 1 million HK dollars (US$128,205)
has been allocated to each of the two medical faculties at The
Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong to
support and strengthen their further efforts in combating the SARS
disease.
Speaking at a press briefing to launch the scheme, Kenneth Young,
Chairman of the RGC said: "SARS has been affecting many parts of
the world and is the biggest crisis facing Hong Kong at the
moment."
"The battle against the disease is an area in which academic
research should and can uniquely make a contribution. I hope this
special scheme will go some way to encourage and support urgent
research on this particular front," he said.
Established in 1991, the RGC is a non-statutory advisory body of
'academic peers' operating under the aegis of the UGC.
(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2003)
