Two PolyU scholars have been selected as awardees in the inaugural Senior Research Fellow Scheme (SRFS) and Research Fellow Scheme (RFS) (2020/21 exercise) launched by the Research Grants Council (RGC). The two academics, who received the award in recognition of their exceptional research capabilities and the potential impact of their proposed research projects, will receive research funding grants totaling HK$13 million. By hiring relief teachers at the rank of assistant professor, they will be released from their teaching duties, starting from 1 January 2021, to focus on their research projects for a period of 60 months.

 

Professor Wong Wai-yeung

Professor Raymond Wong Wai-yeung

Professor Raymond Wong Wai-yeung, Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles, and Chair Professor of Chemical Technology at the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, has been named an “RGC Senior Research Fellow”. Professor Wong is an internationally renowned scholar for his research on metallopolymers and metallo-organic molecules with energy functions and photofunctional properties. He was also included for six consecutive years (2014–2019) on the list of Highly Cited Researchers published by Thomson Reuters/ Clarivate Analytics.

 

Supported by the SRFS, Professor Wong will be working on a project titled “Metallated Graphyne-Based Materials: Synthesis, Characterization, Properties, Functionalization and Application Studies”. The project will study a family of metallated graphynes (MGYs) and their derivatives using a bottom-up approach, contributing to a relatively under-explored area of bottom-up metallated congeners of graphynes and graphdiynes. The project will lead to a better understanding of MGYs, paving the way for them to be a next-generation 2D nanomaterial, and helping to develop low-cost, environmental-friendly materials for the manufacture of new catalysts, optoelectronic and energy products.

 

Dr Qiao Zhonghua

                   Dr Qiao Zhonghua

Dr Qiao Zhonghua, Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Mathematics, has been named an “RGC Research Fellow”. A distinguished scholar in the field of numerical analysis and scientific computing, Dr Qiao also won the RGC’s Early Career Award 2013/14.

 

The title of Dr Qiao’s project is “L-infinity Stability of Exponential Time Differencing (ETD) Numerical Schemes for Phase Field Models with High-order Dissipations”. Phase field models have become increasingly important and popular in many physical and chemical applications on phase transition of multi-component mixtures. A large number of works are devoted to numerical simulations of phase field equations. Most of the existing works on numerical analysis for models with high-order dissipation usually need an assumption on the L-infinity boundedness of numerical solutions. This project aims to provide a theoretical justification of L-infinity boundedness of numerical solutions of the ETD schemes for phase field models with high-order dissipation.

 

The SRFS and RFS, which are awarded annually, aim to provide support to outstanding academics in UGC-funded universities to facilitate their research efforts and promote research excellence. The SRFS is awarded to 10 academics at full professor rank or above, while the RFS is awarded to 10 academics at associate professor rank. The supporting university will receive a fellowship grant of around HK$7.8 million per SRFS award and HK$5.2 million per RFS award. The schemes aim to build up a pool of local research talent to enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness and foster the development of its higher education sector.