Research Talent Hub for Incubatees and I&T Tenants of the HKSTPC and the Cyberport (RTH-SPC)

Research Talent Hub for Incubatees and I&T Tenants of the HKSTPC and the Cyberport (RTH-SPC) is a funding program launched in July 2020 with the following comprehensive details:

Objectives:
- To nurture and attract more technology talent.
- To encourage careers in innovation and scientific research.
- To support incubatees and innovation & technology (I&T) tenants of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC) and the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited (Cyberport) in recruiting research talents for R&D work.
- It merges the previous Researcher Programme and Postdoctoral Hub for these tenants.

Target Beneficiaries:
- Applicant companies must be incubatees or I&T tenants of HKSTPC or Cyberport.
- Research talents must be Hong Kong permanent residents or legally permitted to work in Hong Kong.
- Research talents must hold a bachelor (including top-up), master, or doctoral degree in STEM disciplines from recognized local or non-local institutions.

Key Features:
- Each applicant company can engage up to 4 research talents simultaneously.
- Maximum engagement period per research talent is generally 36 months.
- Monthly salary allowance caps: HK$20,000 for bachelor’s, HK$23,000 for master’s, and HK$35,000 for doctoral degree holders.
- Additional monthly living allowance of HK$10,000 for doctoral degree research talents.
- Research talents must work full-time on R&D for the funded project.
- The allowance covers only the salary, excluding fringe benefits or overheads.
- Funding is reimbursed after progress report acceptance, typically on a half-yearly basis.

Application Process:
- Applications are accepted year-round.
- Submission is through the Innovation and Technology Commission Funding Administrative System (ITCFAS).
- Applicants should read the RTH-SPC Application Guide before applying.
- Selection of research talents must be open, fair, and free from conflicts of interest.

This program specifically supports technology talent recruitment for incubatees and I&T tenants within HKSTPC and Cyberport to boost innovation and R&D capacity in Hong Kong.