CONSTRUCTION ENVIRONMENT - The Hong Kong Polytechnic ...

CONSTRUCTION ENVIRONMENT - The Hong Kong Polytechnic ... CONSTRUCTION ENVIRONMENT - The Hong Kong Polytechnic ...

03.02.2014 Views

For the whole Faculty, we received 32 GRF/ECS/PPR grants totalling HK$19.9 million, which represents increases of 45.5% and 15.7% respectively over the grants received by us from the same schemes last year. Even if we exclude the 3 PPR grants, we received 29 GRF/ECS grants totalling HK$18.4 million this year, which represents increases of 31.8% and 6.9% respectively over the GRF grants received by us last year. This is an excellent achievement given the increased importance of these competitive grants to our future development and the highly competitive environment we are now in. 45.5%( ) 15.7%( ) 31.8% 6.9% Amount of RGC Competitive Funding Per Eligible Staff Member (Total Grant Awarded/No. of Eligible Staff) Amount of RGC Competitive Funding Per Staff Member $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50,000 $0 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 Year BRE BSE CEE LSGI FCE Average Figure 1: Comparison of Amount of RGC Competitive Funding per Eligible Staff Member between Departments In terms of the amount won per academic staff member (only eligible staff members are counted), the rankings of our four departments are: BSE, CEE, LSGI and BRE. BSE is particularly successful this year, with its number of grants, total amount of funding as well as amount of funding per staff member being substantially above those of the other three departments. This year, the funding results of the PPR Scheme are also very encouraging. BRE has been awarded three grants, which represent 50% of the six grants awarded to PolyU. Comparisons of departmental performance over the past 10 years using 2 indicators, namely the average amount per staff member and number of grants per year are shown in Figures 1 and 2 respectively. In general, we see a trend of convergence of performance of the four departments in recent years in terms of average amount per staff member. More specifically, the average amounts per staff member for the four departments over the past three rounds are respectively HK$126,917(BRE), HK$149,366(BSE), HK$164,360(CEE) and HK$154,816(LSGI). ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) 1 The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) was known as the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering (CSE) prior to 1 September 2012. 1 2012 9 1 8

9 No. of Grants per Year No. of Grants 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 BRE BSE CEE LSGI FCE Total 0 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 Year Figure 2: Comparison of Number of Grants per Year between Departments Within the broad field of construction and environment, we still lead all other local universities by a big margin in the GRF/ECS exercises. In the Civil Engineering, Surveying, Building and Construction (CESBC) disciplines of the Engineering Panel, PolyU has ranked number 1 over the past 18 rounds in terms of both the number of GRF/ECS projects supported and the total grant value won, receiving constantly around or over 40% of all GRF/ECS grants allocated in these disciplines. Of the 29 GRF/ ECS grants awarded to the Faculty this year, 4 were awarded outside the CESBC disciplines. As a result, the Faculty won 25 grants (or 37%) totalling HK$15,674K out of the 67 GRF/ECS grants awarded by RGC in the CESBC disciplines in the present (i.e. 2012/2013) round; by contrast, the Faculty won 19 grants (or 41%) totalling HK$15,075K out of the 46 GRF grants awarded in the CESBC disciplines in the 2011/12 round. Although the number of GRF/ECS grants and the total amount of funding awarded to the Faculty has increased this year by 32% and 4% respectively, it is important to note that our share of grants in the CESBC disciplines has fallen below 40% this year for the first time since 2004/2005. The large increase in the number of grants reflects mainly the adjusted position of RGCs Engineering Panel to support more projects but at lower levels of funding compared to the last few years. The distribution of the amount of GRF/ECS funding in the 2012/13 round among different universities is shown in Figure 3. Although our grant share in the CESBC disciplines depends to some extent on how applicants align their applications with disciplines and on the development of new academic units in these disciplines at sister institutions, it is desirable that we work hard to ensure a minimum share of 40% of GRF/ECS funding in the CESBC disciplines in the future. GRF/ECS (CESBC) GRF/ECS 2012/13 GRF/ECS 37% 2011/12 GRF ( ) 41% GRF/ECS 32% 4% 2004/2005 2012/13 GRF/ECS GRF/ECS Ref: http://www.ugc.edu.hk/big5/doc/rgc/result/grf/inst_12proj_ c.pdf Share of Total Grant Awarded (%) 2012/13 UST (26.5) HKU (16) City U (17.6) PolyU (38.2) CUHK (1.6) CityU CUHK PolyU UST HKU Figure 3: Distribution of GRF/ECS Funding in the CESBC disciplines among institutions in the 2012/13 round. 2012/13 (

9<br />

No. of Grants per Year<br />

No. of Grants<br />

45<br />

40<br />

35<br />

30<br />

25<br />

20<br />

15<br />

10<br />

5<br />

BRE<br />

BSE<br />

CEE<br />

LSGI<br />

FCE Total<br />

0<br />

03/04<br />

04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13<br />

Year<br />

Figure 2: Comparison of Number of Grants per Year between Departments<br />

<br />

Within the broad field of construction and environment, we still<br />

lead all other local universities by a big margin in the GRF/ECS<br />

exercises. In the Civil Engineering, Surveying, Building and<br />

Construction (CESBC) disciplines of the Engineering Panel,<br />

PolyU has ranked number 1 over the past 18 rounds in terms of<br />

both the number of GRF/ECS projects supported and the total<br />

grant value won, receiving constantly around or over 40% of all<br />

GRF/ECS grants allocated in these disciplines. Of the 29 GRF/<br />

ECS grants awarded to the Faculty this year, 4 were awarded<br />

outside the CESBC disciplines. As a result, the Faculty won 25<br />

grants (or 37%) totalling HK$15,674K out of the 67 GRF/ECS<br />

grants awarded by RGC in the CESBC disciplines in the present<br />

(i.e. 2012/2013) round; by contrast, the Faculty won 19 grants (or<br />

41%) totalling HK$15,075K out of the 46 GRF grants awarded<br />

in the CESBC disciplines in the 2011/12 round. Although the<br />

number of GRF/ECS grants and the total amount of funding<br />

awarded to the Faculty has increased this year by 32% and 4%<br />

respectively, it is important to note that our share of grants in<br />

the CESBC disciplines has fallen below 40% this year for the<br />

first time since 2004/2005. <strong>The</strong> large increase in the number<br />

of grants reflects mainly the adjusted position of RGCs<br />

Engineering Panel to support more projects but at lower levels<br />

of funding compared to the last few years. <strong>The</strong> distribution of<br />

the amount of GRF/ECS funding in the 2012/13 round among<br />

different universities is shown in Figure 3. Although our grant<br />

share in the CESBC disciplines depends to some extent on<br />

how applicants align their applications with disciplines and on<br />

the development of new academic units in these disciplines at<br />

sister institutions, it is desirable that we work hard to ensure<br />

a minimum share of 40% of GRF/ECS funding in the CESBC<br />

disciplines in the future.<br />

GRF/ECS<br />

(CESBC) <br />

GRF/ECS <br />

<br />

2012/13 <br />

GRF/ECS <br />

<br />

37%<br />

2011/12 GRF <br />

( ) 41%<br />

GRF/ECS 32% 4%<br />

2004/2005 <br />

<br />

<br />

2012/13 GRF/ECS <br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

GRF/ECS <br />

Ref: http://www.ugc.edu.hk/big5/doc/rgc/result/grf/inst_12proj_<br />

c.pdf<br />

Share of Total Grant Awarded (%) 2012/13<br />

UST (26.5)<br />

HKU (16)<br />

City U (17.6)<br />

PolyU (38.2)<br />

CUHK (1.6)<br />

CityU<br />

CUHK<br />

PolyU<br />

UST<br />

HKU<br />

Figure 3: Distribution of GRF/ECS Funding in the CESBC disciplines among<br />

institutions in the 2012/13 round.<br />

2012/13 (

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