Research Projects
Externally Competitive Grants & Projects of Collaborative Research
1. George C.S. LIN (Director)
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Competitive Earmarked Research Grants (GRF) awarded by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, 30 June 2021, Principal Investigator, “China’s emerging geography of low-carbon urbanism: Climate control, local negotiation, and diverse pathways of decarbonization” (HK$978,747), 1 January 2022-31 December 2024.
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Competitive Earmarked Research Grants (GRF) awarded by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, 30 June 2018, Principal Investigator, “China’s urban redevelopment reinvented with public participation: Genuine engagement or symbolic governance?” (HK$632,421), 1 January 2019-31 December 2021.
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Strategic Public Policy Research (SPPR) awarded by the HKSAR-CPU, Co-Investigator, “In Search of New Economic Cooperation Models between Hong Kong and the Big Bay Area.” (HK$2.9 million), 15 April 2018-14 April 2021.
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Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) awarded by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, 4 January 2017, Principal Coordinator, “Advancing China’s urbanization inside out: Urban redevelopments in Chinese cities amidst accelerated urbanization” (HK$2.7 million), 30 June 2017-29 June 2020.
2. Wendy Y. CHEN (Associate Director)
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China-EU Research and Innovation Co-Funding Scheme, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Co-Principal Investigator, “Reforming National Park System in China”, 11/2022-10/2024.
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General Research Fund, Principal Investigator, “Restoring green-blue infrastructure: spatial hedonic analysis of urban river environmental amenities in high-rise residential apartment market”, 01/2022-12/2024.
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China-EU Research and Innovation Co-Funding Scheme, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Co-Principal Investigator, “Urban forests for resilient and healthy cities”, 10/2021-09/2024.
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European Forest Institute Research Fund, Co-Principal Investigator, “Green Book of Biocities”, 09/2020-12/2021.
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General Research Fund, Principal Investigator, “Environmental information transparency and societal preference heterogeneity in restoring urban rivers’ ecosystem services: A comparative study using discrete choice experiments”, 01/2017-12/2020.
3. Han MA (Associate Director)
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National Natural Science Foundation of China, Principal Investigator, “Optimizing the synergy between Remote Sensing Physics Models and Deep Learning for Estimating High-quality Vegetation Variables” (HK$320,000), 1 January 2024-31 December 2026.
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Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation-General Project, Principal Investigator, “Generation of seamless 10m vegetation variable products in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,” (RMB$150,000), 1 January 2024-31 December 2026.
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National Satellite Meteorological Centre, Principal Investigator, “Development of global key terrestrial ecosystem products from Fengyun satellite data” (RMB$500,000), 1 January 2024-31 December 2024.
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National Natural Science Foundation of China, Co-Principal Investigator, “Remote sensing reanalysis theory and method” (RMB$500,000), 1 January 2021-31 December 2025.
4. Shunlin LIANG (Chairman of Advisory Board)
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Global STEM Professorship Scheme awarded by the Hong Kong Government, Supervisor, funding to support four postdoc fellows for three years (HK$6.480,000), 2023-2027.
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Jockey Club Laboratory of Quantitative Remote Sensing awarded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Director, (HK$10,000,000), 2023.
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Start-up Fund, awarded by the University of Hong Kong, (HK$10,000,000), 2022-2027.
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Fund awarded by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, Chinese Academy of Sciences, “Development of the Global High-level Satellite Products” (CNï¿¥4,000,000), 2022-2023.
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Fund awarded by USGS, Principal Investigator, “Quantifying and Characterizing Habitat Changes in Interior Alaska” (US$294,000), July 2018-June 2021.
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National Key R & D Project awarded by Ministry of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Principal Investigator, “Generating global climate data records and monitoring essential climate variables and processes” (CNï¿¥35,000,000), 2016-2021.
5. Shenjing HE (External Member of Executive Committee)
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Seed Fund for Collaborative Research awarded by University Research Committee, The University of Hong Kong, Principal Investigator, “Enhancing housing-related wellbeing for Hong Kong’s low-income residents under diverse housing pathways: A Security + Empowerment → Wellbeing (SEW) Framework” (HKD1,000,000), 06/2023-06/2026.
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SPPR project awarded by Policy Innovation and Coordination Office, HKSAR Government, Principal Investigator, “Promoting HK Residents’ Cross-border Healthcare Utilization and Cross-border Mobility in the Greater Bay Area: Recent Priorities and Long-term Policy Framework” (HKD 3,910,052.90), 05/2022-04/2025.
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Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme - Research Activities on Countryside Conservation and Revitalisation awarded by Environmental Protection Department, HKSAR Government, Principal Investigator, “Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Conservation and Revitalisation in Hing Chun Yeuk Seven Villages, Kuk Po and Fung Hang, Hong Kong” (HKD 1,982,040), 09/2021-08/2022.
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Grant No. 17614720 awarded by UGC/GRF, Principal Investigator, “The Rise of Education-featured Gated Communities in Chinese Cities: Formation Mechanism and Implications on Housing Differentiation, The Case of Guangzhou” (HKD 913,701), 01/2021-12/2023.
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University Research Committee awarded by The University of Hong Kong, Principal Investigator, “Multi-dimensional Housing Inequalities under Financialisation in Pandemic-stricken Megacities” (HKD1,500,000), 01/2021-12/2023.
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Major Research Project awarded by National Social Science Foundation of China, Co-Investigator, “Equalization of and Accessibility to Basic Public Services in Developed Regions in China: Theorization and Practices” (RMB 700,000) 04/2020-04/2022.
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Public Policy Research Fund (2019.A6.145.19D) awarded by Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office, The Government of Hong Kong SAR, Co-Investigator, “Effects of Environment-related Experiences on Older Person’s Well-being in Hong Kong’s ‘Double Ageing’ Context: A Person–environment Perspective” (HKD 497,030), 01/2020-12/2020.
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Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme (S2018.A4.009.18S) awarded by the Government of Hong Kong SAR, Co-Investigator, “Moving to and Working in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area Among Hong Kong Residents: Intention, Experience and Settlement Outcomes” (HKD 3,706,000), 03/2019-02/2022.
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Grant awarded by National Science Foundation of China, Principal Investigator, “The mechanism of low-income housing development and its integrative effects in urban China” (HKD 648,000), 01/2019 -12/2022.
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Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) (C7028-16G) awarded by University Grants Committee of Hong Kong, Co-Principal Investigator, “Advancing China's Urbanization Inside Out: Urban Redevelopments in Chinese Cities Amidst Accelerated Urban Transition” (HK$2,709,115), 06/2017-12/2020.
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General Program (Ref: 41671153) awarded by National Science Foundation of China, Principal Investigator, “Uneven Distribution of High-quality Healthcare Resources in Chinese Cities and Its Socio-spatial Implications” (RMB 600,000), 01/2017 -12/2020.
6. Junxi QIAN (Member of Executive Committee)
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General Research Fund awarded by Hong Kong Research Grants Council, Principal Investigator, “Urban development at a contested frontier: state, space and urban aptitude in Lhasa, Tibet” (Project No. 17601021) (HK$ 681,829), 2021-2024.
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General Scheme Fund awarded by National Natural Science Foundation of China, Principal Investigator, “A social and cultural geographical exploration of Anthropocene: human-land interactions, environmental governance and social experiments” (No. 42071171) (CNï¿¥ 550,000), 2021-2024.
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General Scheme Fund awarded by Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Principal investigator, “Innovation spaces and processes from a cultural economic geography perspective: Case study of high-tech firms in Shenzhen” (No. 2021A1515012590) (CNï¿¥100,000), 2021-2023.
7. Ben GERLOFS (Member of Executive Committee)
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General Research Fund awarded by Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, Principal Investigator, “Evolving Geographies of Neighborhood Change in China’s Greater Bay Area: Land Use, Planning, and Aesthetics in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong.” ($983,294HKD), 2023-2025.
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Hui Oi-Chow Memorial Trust Fund, Principal Investigator, “Relevance, Revisited: Promoting Geographical Research Within and Beyond the University” ($70,000HKD), 2023-2025.
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Outstanding Research Output Prize awarded by the Faculty of Social Sciences, HKU, “Monstrous Politics” ($50,000HKD), 2023.
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Research Output Prize awarded by the Department of Geography, HKU, “‘Ammunition, not a Ride’: Humor, Human Geography, and the Fragile Absurdities of Power” ($30,000HKD), 2022.
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Seed Fund for Basic Research awarded by the University of Hong Kong, Principal Investigator, “Neighborhood Change in Hong Kong’s Kennedy Town: An Aesthetic Survey Investigation” ($148,844HKD), 2021-2023.
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Hui Oi-Chow Memorial Trust Fund, Principal Investigator, “Understanding the Dynamics of Contemporary Urban Change in Hong Kong and Singapore” ($96,149HKD), 2021-2023.
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Research Output Prize awarded by the Department of Geography, HKU, “Seismic Shifts: Re-centering Geology and Politics in the Anthropocene” and “Deadly Serious: Humor and the Politics of Aesthetic Transgression” ($60,000HKD), 2021.
8. Frank van der WOUDEN (Member of Executive Committee)
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Grant awarded by Urban Systems Institute, Principal Investigator, “Knowledge Spill-overs from Recruited Scholars” (USD 28,000), 2023.
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Hui Oi-Chow Trust Fund awarded by the University of Hong Kong, Principal Investigator, “Exploring Gender Inequality in Collaboration on Patents” (USD 8,900), 2023.
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Hui Oi-Chow Trust Fund awarded by the University of Hong Kong, Principal Investigator, “Can Hong Kong be a FinTech capital?” (USD 8,800), 2021.
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Early Career Scheme Grant awarded by University Grants Committee of Hong Kong Government, Principal Investigator, “The impact of geographical distance on learning through collaboration” & “Are Chinese cities getting smarter in terms of knowledge and technology they produce?” (USD 94,788), 2021.
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Seed Funding Basic Research awarded by the University of Hong Kong, Principal Investigator, “The impact of geographical distance on learning through collaboration” & “Are Chinese cities getting smarter in terms of knowledge and technology they produce?” (USD 18,700), 2020.
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Best Publication Prize awarded by Forschungspreis KNZ, CO- Principal Investigator, “Machine Learning Algorithm Identifies Patients at High Risk for Early Complications After Intracranial Tumor Surgery: Registry-Based Cohort Study” (USD 2,000), 2020.
9. Zhenci XU (Member)
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Guangdong Natural Science Fund, Principal Investigator, “Spatio-temporal heterogeneity and synergistic improvement of sustainable development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-MacaoGreaterBay Area” (RMB 100,000), January 2023-December 2025.
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Grant awarded by National Natural Science Foundation of China, Principal Investigator, ‘Synergistic optimization of crop planting distribution space based on the water-energy-food-carbon nexus framework” (RMB 300,000), January2022-December 2024.
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HKU-100 Scholar, Principal Investigator, “Assessing global sustainable development over space and time” (HK$ 3,000,000), July2022-July 2025.
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Hui Oi-Chow Trust Funding, Principal Investigator, “Eucalyptus plantation for China's sustainable forestry management” (HK$ 99,803), January 2021-May 2023.
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Seed Fund for Basic Research for New Staff, Principal Investigator, “Assessing global progress towards United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals over space and time” (HK$ 150,000), June 2021-May2023.
10. Hongsheng ZHANG (Member)
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General Research Fund (GRF) of Hong Kong awarded by Research Grant Council (RGC), Principal Investigator, “Accurate estimation of impervious surfaces in high-rise compact urban areas using high-resolution remote sensing images” (HK$ 923,987), 2023-2025.
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Grant awarded by Chinese Academy of Sciences, Principal Investigator, “Land Cover/Land Use Field Survey in China Using Gaofen Satellite Images” (RMB 4,370,000), 2022-2024.
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Grant awarded by Shenzhen Natural Science Foundation, Principal Investigator, “Improving the accuracy of impervious surface monitoring in urban areas under cloudy conditions using fully polarized synthetic aperture radar” (RMB 400,000), 2021-2024.
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Grant awarded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Principal Investigator, “Improving urban impervious surface extraction using optical and synthetic aperture radar remote sensing data” (RMB 550,000), 2021-2024.
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Early Career Scheme (ECS) of Hong Kong awarded by Research Grant Council (RGC), Principal Investigator “Mangrove species discrimination and zonation analysis using multisource high-resolution remote sensing data” (HK$ 957,726), 2021-2023.
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Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Hong Kong and Macau) awarded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Principal Investigator, “Remote Sensing of Urban Impervious Surface in Tropical and Subtropical Areas” (RMB 1,200,000), 2021-2023.
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General Research Fund (GRF) of Hong Kong awarded by Research Grant Council (RGC), Principal Investigator, “Inter- and intra-annual dynamics of urban impervious surfaces in the Pearl River Delta using deep learning networks from synergized optical and SAR data” (HK$ 845,000), 2018-2020.