A research proposal by Professor Kenneth Leung, Associate Dean (Outreach and Internationalisation) of the College of Science (CSCI) and the Director of State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Health, Chair Professor of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry from the Department of Chemistry, has been funded by the Research Impact Fund (RIF) 2025/26 under the Research Grants Council (RGC).

Professor Leung’s RIF proposal, titled “The UN-endorsed Global Estuaries Monitoring (GEM) Programme: Occurrence and environmental risks of contaminants of emerging concern in the world’s estuaries”, has been funded with HK$10.29 million, of which HK$7.2 million is from RGC and the rest from university matching. This proposal is about the second phase of the UN-endorsed GEM Programme as the first Phase of GEM will be completed by the first quarter of 2026.

The Research Impact Fund aims to encourage local academics to consider and articulate the potential of research to deliver benefits to the wider community, and to encourage more impactful and translational research projects. The fund also targets to encourage a greater volume of collaborative research beyond academia. The RGC funds 70% of the selected project cost, while the university/partner(s) will match the remaining 30%. Every successful application can receive a funding amount of up to HK$10 million from the RGC.