The Royal Society offers two International Exchanges Schemes to provide funding support for visits to stimulate collaborations between scientists in the UK/US and overseas, including Hong Kong:

• Kan Tong Po Visiting Fellowships Programme
• International Exchanges Scheme

Kan Tong Po Visiting Fellowships Programme

Deadline: 4 June 2026

(For one-off visit from the UK/US institutions to CUHK or vice versa)

The Kan Tong Po Visiting Fellowships Programme aims to contribute at the highest level of scientific research and education at a group of universities in Hong Kong, including CUHK. It provides funding support for a one-off visit from (a) either UK/US to Hong Kong; or (b) Hong Kong to either UK/US.

Funding Support

• Award Amount: Max. £3,000
• Visit Duration: Up to three months
• Scope of Support: Club class or economy class advance purchase excursion (APEX) international airfare and accommodation/subsistence

International Exchanges Scheme

Deadline: 4 June 2026

(For visits between UK institutions and CUHK)

The International Exchanges Scheme offers funding support for a one-off visit or bilateral visits between scientists in the UK and overseas to stimulate new collaborations.

Funding Support

• Award Amount:
  • Max. £3,000 for a one-off visit of up to three months
  • Max. £6,000 for multiple bilateral visits to be completed within one year (including a maximum of £1,500 for eligible research expenses)
  • Max. £12,000 for multiple bilateral visits to be completed within two years (including a maximum of £3,000 for eligible research expenses)
• Scope of Support: Travel, subsistence and research expenses

Eligibility

1. The lead applicant and CUHK co-applicant must have a PhD or equivalent research experience.
2. Both applicants must hold a fixed or permanent contract at an eligible organisation for the duration of the project
3. Retired scientists who are still active in science must submit their application through an eligible UK institute.

Disciplines Covered

The research must be on a subject within natural sciences, including but not limited to: biological research, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics. For a full list of eligible subject groups, please refer to the website here.

Application

Applications must be initiated by lead applicant based in the UK/US and be submitted online by 4 June 2026 15:00 (UK Time)  through the Royal Society’s Grants and Awards management system.

Applicants are advised to send a copy of their application to the Office of Academic Links (c/o Mr. Tom Lai; tomlai@cuhk.edu.hk) for record.

For enquiries, please contact The Royal Society by email: international.exchanges@royalsociety.org.

Last updated in April 2026