HKPFS Research Proposal and Personal Statement

HKPFS Research Proposal and Personal Statement

The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme's own application has no essay. The Research Grants Council (RGC) form has four sections: Personal Particulars; Choice of University(ies) and Programme(s) for PhD Study; Authorization and Declaration; and Source of Information. Every word a panel reads goes into the university's PhD application, due 1 December 2026.

That changes where you put your effort. You are not writing an "HKPFS essay". You are writing a research proposal (or statement of research interest) and any statements your chosen university asks for, and you are writing them to that department's format. For 2027/28 there is one new rule that the scheme's guidance states in full: you must disclose any AI use, including language editing.

Every RGC and university page quoted below was checked on 31 October 2026. We verified HKU's document rules; the other seven universities set their own, so open your university's page too.

On this page:

• Two applications, one deadline
• Which choice goes first
• What HKU asks HKPFS applicants to write
• Writing to the four HKPFS criteria
• A research proposal a broad panel can judge
• The AI and language-editing disclosure
• Constructed example
• Questions

Two applications, one deadline: 1 December 2026

The scheme runs as two steps, and both close on the same day (HKPFS How to Apply; Guidance Note 2027/28):

The rules from the Guidance Note that matter most:

• "each applicant should only submit one initial application". If you submit more than one, "all applications submitted by the same applicant for the HKPFS will be disqualified".
• "The initial application form, except for the field requiring the input of applicant's Name in Chinese (if applicable), must be completed in English."
• "only two choices saved in the HKPFSES as at the deadline will be processed."
• Information in the RGC system "will be cross-checked with the information contained in applications submitted to universities".
• "The results will be announced in May 2027", and "the RGC will not provide feedback to individual applicant."

The system "will time out automatically after idling for 30 minutes", and unsaved entries are lost. Fill it in one sitting.

Our view: do step 1 at least a week before 1 December, not on the day. You need the HKPFS Reference Number from step 1 to complete step 2, and the RGC's own page warns that some university deadlines "may immediately follow that of the Initial Application". If your proposal is still a draft on 30 November, the noon deadline will cost you the evening you need for it.

The fellowship pays "an annual stipend of HK$344,400 (approximately US$44,150) and a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$14,400 (approximately US$1,840) per year for a period of up to three years", and "400 PhD Fellowships will be awarded in the 2027/28 academic year" (HKPFS FAQ). The three-year limit matters for the proposal, as the section on timelines below explains.

Which choice goes first

You may choose "up to two programmes in total in one or two universities with priority indicated". If two universities nominate you, "the RGC will only process the nomination tendered by the university for which the relevant applicant has indicated priority."

HKU spells out the consequence on its HKPFS page: "declining the offer from the institution placed in the 1st choice will not lead to the transfer of offer to the institution placed in the 2nd choice." Its advice: "applicants who would like to pursue PhD studies at HKU should state HKU as the first choice".

Our view: rank by the supervisor and project you would accept, not by where you think your odds are better. The ranking is locked at noon on 1 December, and declining your first choice does not move the award to your second. The second choice only matters if the first university does not nominate you.

The countercase: if both choices are in the same university, the university, not you, decides which programme it nominates you for. The FAQ says "the university concerned shall have the discretion".

Before you rank, contact the supervisors. Our guide to contacting a PhD supervisor covers what to send.

What HKU asks HKPFS applicants to write

HKU's research postgraduate supporting documents page is the most detailed university page we found. Four rules matter for writing:

1. Proposal or statement, set by the faculty. "Please upload a research proposal or a statement of research interest in PDF format according to the requirements of the Faculty and programme for which you will apply." HKU defines them: "a statement of research interest should include your reasons for undertaking graduate work at HKU while a research proposal should include the background, the objectives and the methodology or approach you propose to take in studying the subject matter."
2. Two extra documents for HKPFS applicants. HKU "will conduct a plagiarism check on the research proposal (for all applicants), proposed research plan and past research experience and vision statement (for HKPF applicants) submitted." So at HKU, what people call the "HKPFS personal statement" is a past research experience and vision statement, alongside a proposed research plan.
3. Two academic referees, fast. "Persons from non-academic background are not considered as appropriate academic referees." The system invites referees "to complete an online referee's report within 14 days once your application is submitted." Submitting on 1 December gives referees until about 15 December (our arithmetic: 1 + 14). Submit earlier.
4. File limits. "A maximum total file size of 50MB is allowed for each application and each file should not exceed 1.5 MB in size."

One unit has its own rule. For the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, PhD applicants send "The abstract of Master's thesis AND a sample research paper of 15 pages or less, written in English." HKU's main round for 2027/28 runs "1 September 2026 – 1 December 2026 (HKT 23:59, GMT+8)" (application period).

Writing to the four HKPFS criteria

The RGC publishes its criteria in one sentence: "While candidates' academic excellence is the primary consideration, the Selection Panels will take into account factors such as research ability and potential, communication and interpersonal skills as well as leadership abilities." Shortlisted applications go to one of two panels, "one for Sciences, Medicine, Engineering and Technology and another one for Humanities, Social Sciences and Business Studies."

If a university shortlists you, the HKPFS PhD interview guide turns the same four criteria into questions to rehearse.

Map each criterion to the document that proves it:

Our view: keep leadership out of the proposal. A proposal that spends a paragraph on your student society reads as padding to the scientist on the panel. Put leadership in the vision statement, in two or three sentences with one concrete result.

The countercase: if your research itself involved leading people (running a field team, coordinating a multi-lab dataset), that belongs in the proposal's feasibility section, because it shows you can deliver the plan.

The RGC does not publish weights for the four criteria beyond "primary consideration" for academic excellence. Anything more precise is unknown.

A research proposal a broad panel can judge

The panels cover broad areas, so assume the reader is a scientist or scholar from a neighbouring field. Our recommended structure, built on HKU's definition of a proposal and the RGC's three-year support period:

1. The question, in one sentence, in the first paragraph.
2. Why it matters now, with two or three named prior studies and what they leave open.
3. The method you can run at this university, naming the lab, dataset, archive or field site you will use.
4. The supervisor fit, in one or two sentences: what this group does that makes the project possible.
5. What exists at the end of year 3: chapters, papers or a dataset. The fellowship is "for a period up to three years"; HKU says it will "provide the same support in the fourth year" for HKPFS awardees in a four-year programme.
6. Data and ethics, if the work uses people or personal data.

That last point is new ground for many applicants. The 2027/28 Guidance Note includes a "Data Collection and Management" section, addressed to nominees, that asks them to "explain what data will be collected, from whom or what sources, and for what purposes", and noting that research using "personal or medical data must comply with relevant ethical standards, applicable laws and regulations". If your project collects data in Hong Kong, name the consent route and the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance in one line.

For a full worked example at UK length, see our 1,500-word PhD research proposal example. For the difference between a proposal and a statement, see research statement vs SOP vs research proposal.

The AI and language-editing disclosure

Paragraph (s) of the 2027/28 Guidance Note says:

"All applicants are required to disclose details of AI usage, including but not limited to the models / systems / tools being / to be used, purpose of usage, how and the extent of such AI usage, to the relevant institution. For the avoidance of doubt, use of AI for all purposes should be disclosed, including but not limited to generating research ideas and refining research questions; literature review and information retrieval; language editing assistance; citation management; and data analysis."

It continues: "Applicants are reminded to review, verify and validate AI generated content. Applicants assume full responsibility for the scholarly and scientific integrity, accuracy, originality and intellectual content of all AI-generated content in the proposal and research work if funded. In the event of a non-disclosure, or when an applicant makes an incomplete / inaccurate disclosure about the use of AI models / systems / tools with regard to an application, the RGC reserves the right to take appropriate actions." The same paragraph says applicants must "ensure that the submitted application complies with the relevant institutional policies of his / her university."

HKU's supporting documents page carries the same list, ending: "the University reserves the right to take appropriate actions."

What this means in practice:

• The rule covers language editing. An AI-based grammar or feedback tool counts.
• The disclosure goes to the university, with your application.
• The rule asks for the tool, the purpose, and how much you used it.

Our recommendation: keep a one-line log while you write: tool, date, what you used it for, and which document. Then disclose it in the field or format your university gives. If your university gives no field, ask its graduate school how to disclose.

Constructed example: an annotated proposal summary

Constructed example, written by us, not a real applicant statement. Context (invented): Ravi Menon has an MSc in Environmental Engineering and is applying for a PhD in civil engineering with HKPFS. His department asks for a proposal; this is its opening summary (164 words).

Working title: Predicting sewer overflow from rainfall nowcasts in dense coastal catchments.

Question. Can short-range rainfall nowcasts, combined with sensor data from a sewer network, predict combined-sewer overflow events early enough for operators to act?

Why now. The models I tested in my MSc thesis predicted overflow from rain-gauge data after rain had started. Nowcasts could give a warning window before the rain arrives, but in my literature search I found no study that tests them against overflow records in a dense urban catchment.

Method. I will train and test a model on historical rainfall and network sensor records, subject to data access from the operator, and compare it against a gauge-only baseline.

Fit. Professor A. Lam's group builds urban drainage models and holds an existing data-sharing agreement; I would extend that work rather than start a new one.

By year 3. A validated model, two journal papers and an open evaluation dataset.

Data. No personal data. Operator data used under its licence terms.

How it maps to the criteria:

• Research ability: the question is one sentence and testable. The method names a baseline, so a reader can see what "better" means.
• Feasibility: "subject to data access" is honest. It shows the applicant knows the risk.
• Communication: a reader from another field can follow every line.
• Three-year scope: the outputs fit the fellowship period.
• Data: it answers the Guidance Note's data question in one line.

Note what is missing: no leadership claims, no praise of Hong Kong, no claim that the work is unprecedented. "I found no study" is scoped to his own literature search.

Questions about HKPFS documents

Do I need a publication for HKPFS?

The RGC does not list publications as a requirement. Its criteria say "academic excellence is the primary consideration". HKU lists a "list of publications" under optional "Other documents". If you have one, include it there.

Do I need my referees' details for the RGC application?

No. The FAQ says it is "not necessary for applicants to provide information on academic referees in HKPFS electronic system at the initial application stage. However, such information is required by respective university during full application."

Your referees work to the university's clock, not the RGC's: see HKPFS referee reports for HKU's 14-day window and CUHK's three reports.

Do I need IELTS or TOEFL?

Yes, if your degree was not taught in English. The FAQ says applicants "from non-English speaking universities, unless they provide proof that English is the language of instruction for all courses, they are required to attach score results of TOEFL or IELTS". HKU accepts TOEFL or IELTS "taken in one single attempt within 2 years". If your degree was in English, our guide to TOEFL waivers for English-medium degrees explains how the proof works in US applications.

What happens if I am not selected?

The Guidance Note says applicants not selected "may be accepted by a university for regular PhD admission and may be offered a postgraduate studentship or other funding support by the university." Applying to Japan as well? The MEXT research plan is a two-page form with a different structure.

Get a free review of your research proposal

Get a free Quick Review of your research proposal against GradPilot's PhD research proposal rubric. It is built for UK, Irish and Australian proposals and is the closest match for an HKPFS proposal. It reads for a quotable research question, a gap built from named prior work, methods that answer each question, scope you can finish in time, and where the project belongs. If your university asks for a combined proposal and statement, the PhD research proposal plus statement of purpose rubric also reads supervisor fit. More guides are on the PhD essays hub and the PhD statement of purpose review page.

Sources

Retrieved 31 October 2026, except where noted.

• Research Grants Council, Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme 2027/28 Guidance Note for Applicants (dated August 2026): deadline, four sections, one application, English, two choices, cross-checking, results May 2027, no feedback, AI disclosure paragraph (s), data management paragraph (t).
• Research Grants Council, HKPFS How to Apply (2027/28): two steps, up to two programmes, eight university deadlines of 1 December 2026, 11:59pm.
• Research Grants Council, HKPFS Frequently Asked Questions (2027/28): stipend, 400 fellowships, criteria, panels, referees, English tests, priority rule.
• The University of Hong Kong Graduate School, Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (2027/28 admission): two-step process, first-choice rule, fourth-year support.
• HKU Graduate School, Supporting Documents (no year stated): proposal or statement, AI disclosure, two academic referees within 14 days, plagiarism check, HKIHSS writing samples, file limits, English tests.
• HKU Graduate School, Application Period (2027/28 admission): main round 1 September to 1 December 2026.