Research Student Attachment Programme – Outgoing

Guidelines  
Leaflet 
Online Application System
Forms for Successful Applicants

RSAP 2024/25 2nd Round

(for attachment commencing on or before 30 April 2026)

Introduction

Research Student Attachment Programme - Outgoing (RSAP-Outgoing) provides PolyU PhD students with an opportunity to pursue research attachment at international institutions to foster collaborative research, and enhance students’ international networking and global vision. Two rounds of applications are invited each year.

Applications must fulfil at least one of the following conditions:

• Attachment to a university outside their home country, and/or
• Attachment to a top research institute or lab outside Hong Kong.

Note: Applications from Chinese students for attachment to universities in Mainland China, Taiwan or Macau will generally not be supported unless the host unit is a national or international top research lab in a specific field. However, an exception applies to applications from PolyU students from the Faculty of Business, the Faculty of Construction and Environment, and the School of Hotel and Tourism Management for attachment to Zhejiang University, which are funded by the Zhejiang University Special Funding Scheme (ZJUSFS) operated within RSAP. 

Period of attachment

• The duration of attachment is from a minimum of three months to a maximum of one year. For the awardees of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, the minimum duration of attachment is 85 days instead of three months.
• The period of attachment will be counted within the normal study period of the student. The completion date of the attachment programme must not exceed the student’s normal period of study.
• Students should take visa processing time into consideration when proposing the commencement date of the attachment.

Eligibility

• Current PhD students with good academic standing are eligible for application.
• The applicant and host supervisor should have common research interests to ensure high-quality supervision.
• Students whose PhD registration is not confirmed may be given a conditional offer to undertake the attachment programme. If they cannot have their PhD registration confirmed before the latest commencement date of the attachment programme, the conditional offer will lapse automatically.
• Awardees of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme are reminded to note the residence requirement set out in the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme, which specifies “If an awardee stays outside Hong Kong for academic/research activity for an aggregate period exceeding 90 consecutive days, or an aggregate of 183 days, the stipend will be suspended immediately unless prior approval by the Research Grants Council (RGC) has been given upon provision of strong justification by the affiliated university”, and obtain prior approval from the RGC where applicable. Students should submit a request separately to gs.matters@polyu.edu.hk at least 2 months prior to the planned departure date.
• Students who previously received financial support from RSAP cannot re-apply.

Financial support

• Successful applicants will be offered a subsistence allowance of HK$250 per day. The maximum allowance is capped at HK$45,000, i.e., the amount for a maximum of 180 days.
  Notwithstanding the foregoing, PolyU students from the Faculty of Business, the Faculty of Construction and Environment, and the School of Hotel and Tourism Management who attach to Zhejiang University are entitled to a monthly allowance of RMB7,500 with a cap of RMB45,000 per trip under the Zhejiang University Special Funding Scheme (ZJUSFS).

• Successful applicants will be offered a flat rate travel allowance of HK$10,000 to cover travel expenses, including a round-trip transportation to/from the host institution and ticket-related taxes, fees and levies [with effect from RSAP 2024/25].
• Any visiting period before the issue date of the offer letter is not eligible for retroactive financial support.

• Successful applicants will continue to receive stipends and pay tuition fees as required by PolyU, if applicable.
• Students are responsible for any tuition and other fees specified by the host university. Students are advised to consult the host supervisor prior to submitting their application. 
• Successful applicants will receive an offer letter from the GS detailing the application result, period of attachment and the approved financial support. Students must commence their attachment within nine months of the date of the notice. Failing that, the approved allowance will be withdrawn automatically.
• Students can concurrently apply for RSAP and the PolyU PhD Scholars International Collaborative Research Fellowship (ICRF) to maximise financial support for the visit.

 Application procedures and timeline

• Applicants should seek the consent of the proposed host supervisor prior to application.
• Application can be made via the online submission system. Required submission documents include:
  • An invitation letter from the host supervisor or host unit, specifying the full name of PhD student, the host supervisor, and the attachment period;
  • The latest assessment results downloaded from eStudent;
  • A brief CV of the applicant with a list of representative publications; and
  • A brief CV of the host supervisor with a list of representative publications. 
• For attachment to research institute or lab, applicants should provide evidence, e.g., webpage, to support that the host institution is top in the respective discipline.
• Timeline:

Enquiries

For enquiries, please contact the Graduate School by email at gs.attachment@polyu.edu.hk.