JC STEM Early Career Research Fellowship for Translation and Application 2026/27

Job Description

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (“the Trust”) has set up the JC STEM Early Career Research Fellowship for Translation and Application (“the Fellowship”) as a strategic initiative to nurture a pool of promising STEM post-doctoral researchers who aspire to translate scientific research into industry applications. The Fellowship will provide comprehensive support and unique opportunities to help them develop their research and innovation career, expand their professional network and create social impact. The Research Grants Council (“RGC”) of Hong Kong is a Partner Organisation of this Fellowship.

Each Fellowship will last for a maximum of three years comprising the following –

1. A stipend of up to $579,200 per annum for three years, with additional 15% gratuity to be offered upon completion of the Fellowship; 
2. Academic development and exchange allowance: up to $32,000 per annum for three years; 
3. Research project seed funding: up to $389,000; 
4. Proof-of-concept (“PoC”) fund: up to $500,000 (subject to the condition as set out in para 3); and 
5. Capacity building programmes to be offered by the Trust and its partner to enhance its translational capability, commercialisation readiness and exposure to industry and innovation ecosystems.

Applications will be assessed and selected by the Trust according to the following criteria:

1. Applicant’s academic and research track record;
2. Applicant’s aspirations and capabilities in research translation
3. Scientific merit and translational potential of the proposed research; and
4. Support provided by the applicant’s supervisor and university for applicant’s development as a translational research leader.

Required Qualifications

1. Have obtained/ been conferred the first PhD degree or an equivalent qualification in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics disciplines on or after 1 January 2023; or will complete the required qualification on or before 31 December 2026. (If the Nominee’s conferment date is after 31 December 2026, he/she must provide supporting documents that they have fulfilled all graduation requirements and is/ will be awarded a PhD degree by their university); 
2. Be legally permitted to work in Hong Kong; and 
3. Be supported by the nominating University Grants Committee (“UGC”)-funded university at which s/he wishes to hold the Fellowship. 

4. Applicants who wish to apply for other fellowships in Hong Kong in parallel should observe the eligibility requirement of other fellowship schemes. For instance, applicants nominated to this Fellowship will not be considered by the RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme.

Important Notes

Originality & AI Compliance: Submitted application materials must represent original work. Applications substantially generated or developed using Artificial Intelligence (AI) will not be considered. Applicants must declare any use of AI tools, and compliance checks will be conducted prior to nomination.

Application Procedure

Interested applicants are invited to complete the Qualtrics Application Form and upload their CVs, academic qualification proofs, and supporting documents by 21 August 2026 (Friday) at 11:59 PM HKT. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to selection interviews conducted by the University in early September. They will also be required to attend a Commercialisation Workshop and Presentation Feedback Session arranged by the Trust; detailed schedules will be provided in September 2026. Selected nominees will subsequently complete their full applications, including research proposals, in the Trust’s online platform. All nominations should be submitted to the Trust via the online platform by 29 October 2026 (5:00 PM HKT).