The Croucher Foundation and CAS jointly announced on February 24 a new research funding scheme for Joint Laboratories that are established between various research institutes on the mainland of China and universities in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR).

These Joint Laboratories were established over the past few years to enable leading scientists from both China's mainland and Hong Kong to collaborate on strategic scientific topics. In anticipation of this CAS-Croucher joint funding scheme, CAS has, through its Office for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Affairs, undertaken a quality assessment exercise of the standards of the existing laboratories. A list has been drawn up to declare the ten laboratories eligible to submit applications for research funding under this scheme.

The applications for the first exercise will be close by 6 April 2004. Leading scientists in relevant areas in the international scientific community will then be invited to provide confidential review of the applications received. Grant decisions will be made by a panel comprising scientific representatives from both the Foundation and CAS. The outcome of the first round of applications is expected to be known by early July 2004.

Grants under this funding arrangement are expected to be offered in annual competitive exercises, pending year-to-year reviews by Croucher Trustees of the quality of the applications and current demand and supply of funding in the joint laboratories. One important feature of this funding scheme is that the joint recipients of a grant are expected to make cash contributions from their side amounting to 20 percent equivalent of any grant offered.

The relevant joint laboratories have been notified about the guidelines for making applications - and these can also be found on the Croucher website. The Foundation however clarifies that assessment of the scientific performance of the joint laboratories, as well as the protocol for setting up new joint laboratories, is a matter that falls under the CAS's jurisdiction, through its Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Affairs Office.