The Health Bureau today (October 15) invited interested parties to apply for the Research Fellowship Scheme under the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF). The scheme aims to support researchers or professionals, particularly healthcare professionals, in their early to mid-career to enhance their skills in public health and health services research.  

     The grant ceiling per award is $1.2 million inclusive of $400,000 for overseas training. Tertiary institutions funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC) and the designated teaching hospitals of the medical schools of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the University of Hong Kong (HKU), i.e. Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) and Queen Mary Hospital (QMH), are invited to nominate applicants for the scheme. Details of the number of nomination and number of awards are summarised in the table below. Each applicant can only submit one application. 
 

     To tie in with the "Towards 2025: Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Hong Kong" and the "Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019" launched by the Government, higher priority will be accorded to applications that address cancer and the preventable or modifiable risk factors for NCDs, namely unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol. Subject to the quality of the applications, at least four of the 20 awards will be granted to applications that can address the four aforementioned risk factors for NCDs, with one award in each area of the risk factors.

     The application should cover:

(1) An overseas training programme (regular programmes for higher academic qualifications, e.g. Master or PhD degrees will not be considered) with attachment to a reputable institution for at least three months cumulatively throughout the fellowship period; and

(2) A small-scale research project relating to the proposed training programme with no more than three research objectives.  

     The HMRF emphasises the importance of translational potential of research findings, and therefore supports applications on the following research projects:

(1) Clinical research including patient-oriented research, epidemiological and behavioural studies, outcomes research and health services research;   

(2) Infectious diseases research with public health implications from bench to bedside and at community level and with translational value; and 

(3) Clinical research based on Chinese medicine theory or clinical research on Chinese medicine theory and methodology.

     Applications will be subject to peer review. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview. The assessment will take into account the capability of the applicant and his or her performance at the interview, the importance of the training proposal to healthcare development as well as its relevance to the proposed research project. The proposed research project will be evaluated on its scientific merit, local relevance, and translational potential or value to public health or health services.  

     Completed electronic application forms should be submitted via the electronic Grant Management System (rfs.healthbureau.gov.hk/eGMS/) on or before 6pm on January 6, 2025 (Hong Kong time). The briefing session, which will be held on November 6, is now open for registration. For details, please refer to the website of the Research Fund Secretariat. For enquiries, please send email to rfs@healthbureau.gov.hk.
 
Note: The total number of awards granted will be subject to the quality and budget requirement of the applications.

     In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Official Languages Division of the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) organised a series of activities under the theme of "Glorious China", among which the Love for China Chinese essay competition had its award presentation ceremony today (October 15). The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, presented the awards to all winners. The awardees' department heads or their representatives were also present to congratulate the awardees and share the joy.

     The competition received an enthusiastic response with nearly 300 entries. Participants included officers from various grades in 51 departments as well as retired civil servants.

     Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs Yeung said that the entries, all centred on the idea of Love for China but adopting a wide variety of styles, subject matters and narrative perspectives, expressed feelings for the country and told good stories about China. Although the topics and perspectives of the entries varied, they all expressed a rich sense of national pride and patriotism. She was particularly heartened to see that many of the entries mentioned the responsibility that civil servants have towards the country.

     She thanked all participants for putting their genuine feelings into words, thereby presenting a meaningful gift to the motherland on its 75th birthday.

     The Chinese essay competition aimed to encourage government staff to express their love for the country and promote Chinese culture in written words, while serving as an opportunity to enhance their interest in Chinese writing. The competition took place between July and August. A judging panel comprising Mrs Yeung, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education, Professor Ricky Tse, and Senior Lecturer of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Dr Hung Yeuk-chun selected 10 winning entries from the submissions. A collection of the selected entries has been uploaded to the CSB website (Chinese only).

     The activities under the "Glorious China" themed series were organised to deepen government staff's understanding of the country and strengthen their sense of national identity. In addition to the Chinese essay competition, the series included a recently concluded Putonghua quiz and an ongoing quiz on Chinese history and culture.

        

     â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 15) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture of Hungary about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Csongrád-Csanád County in Hungary, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong has currently established a protocol with Hungary for the import of poultry meat but not for poultry eggs. According to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 40 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Hungary in the first six months of this year. 

     "The CFS has contacted the Hungarian authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

     The Government Property Agency (GPA) today (October 15) awarded three property management services contracts upon completion of an open tender exercise. The contracts will commence on December 1, 2024, and last for four years.

     The three contracts will cover government office buildings and quarters managed by the GPA on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories respectively. The total contract sum is around $1,172 million.

     The list of contractors awarded the contracts is available on the GPA website: www.gpaproperty.gov.hk/en/tender-quotation-notices/award-of-contracts/management-of-government-properties.html.

     The Transport Department (TD) today (October 15) announced that the auction of traditional vehicle registration marks will be held on November 2 (Saturday) in Meeting Room S221, L2, Old Wing, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.

     "A total of 350 vehicle registration marks will be put up for public auction. The list of marks has been uploaded to the department's website, www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/index.html," a department spokesman said.

     Applicants who have paid a deposit of $1,000 to reserve a mark for auction should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price of $1,000). Otherwise, the mark concerned may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.

     People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following important points:

(1) Successful bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after the successful bidding:
(i) the identity document of the successful bidder;
(ii) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
(iv) a crossed cheque made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" or "The Government of the HKSAR". (For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed.) Successful bidders can also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS). Payment by post-dated cheques, cash or other methods will not be accepted.

(2) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the memorandum will not be permitted.

(3) A vehicle registration mark can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.

(4) Special registration marks are non-transferable. Where the ownership of a motor vehicle with a special registration mark is transferred, the allocation of the special registration mark shall be cancelled.

(5) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the registration mark to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the registration mark within 12 months, allocation of the mark will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.

     For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of Traditional Vehicle Registration Marks, which can be downloaded from the department's website, www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/tvrm_auction/index.html.