The
Croucher Foundation is a private endowment set up in 1979
and
permanently domiciled in Hong Kong, with the objective of promoting
excellence in natural science, technology and medicine in Hong Kong.
One of the Foundation’s regular funding initiatives is to
provide financial support for promising young people in Hong Kong to
pursue scientific research at postdoctoral and doctoral levels.
The
awards offered by the Croucher Foundation Limited ("the
Foundation") are intended to enable applicants who are permanent
residents of Hong Kong to devote themselves to a period of full-time
study or research in natural science, medicine or technology in approved
academic institutions outside Hong Kong.
SCHOLARSHIPS
are intended for those engaged in full-time study leading to a PhD
degree. Applicants must
have obtained First Class Honours in their first degree. Otherwise they
will be expected to be able to receive substantively an MPhil degree by
September 2010 to become eligible (MPhil transfer to doctoral
candidature is not considered as equivalent). Students in their final year of
first degree
may also apply, but any offer of award will be conditional on their
obtaining First Class Honours upon their graduation by July 2010.
A Croucher Scholarship normally comprises an annual maintenance
allowance, assistance towards air passage, plus
tuition fees up to and including the third year of the relevant PhD
studies programme - this does not therefore necessarily mean that all
recipients will get three years of support, e.g. a candidate starting
the Scholarship from the second year of his/her PhD study will get only
two years of support, starting from the third year of PhD will get one
year, etc.
The
length of the award will be explicitly stated in the grant letter when
the offer is made. If the
award is for more than one year, the candidate will in the first
instance be “on probation” for one year, and the award for the
remaining period is entirely at the Foundation’s discretion subject to
confirmation upon evidence of satisfactory progress in the first year.
As
an ex gratia benefit but not as part of the scholastic award, married
Scholars will be offered a spouse allowance and airfare for the spouse,
but only if he or she is dependant and accompanying the holder
throughout the period of the award.
In addition, a child allowance will be provided but only if the
child is residing with the candidate during the entire period of the
award. Successful
applicants on any form of paid leave during the tenure of the award are
not entitled to any maintenance or family allowances.
To become eligible for this benefit, recipients are requested to
sign a Declaration, and legally bound to report to the Foundation in the
event of change of circumstances which have a bearing on the terms of
the award. The Foundation
reserves the right to request return of the allowance awarded, and in
serious instances may take other appropriate action against a recipient
who fails to comply with the terms of the declaration.
A
one-off grant for books and clothing will be given during the first year
of tenure.
An
allowance of up to the equivalent of HK$2,800 for thesis expenses will
be made to final year PhD students on application against receipts
presented within twelve months of the expiry date of the Scholarship.
Assistance
towards airfare to return to Hong Kong not claimed within a period of
twelve months from the expiry date of the Scholarship award shall be
automatically forfeited. Scholars who terminate their awards before the
expiry date are not entitled to such assistance
Scholars
must be full-time
students.
All applicants must
disclose offers of financial support received, or likely to be received
from other sources. Applicants and scholarship holders must keep
the Foundation informed of the progress of applications for support from
other sources. Croucher Scholarships are on occasion, and at the
discretion of the Foundation as an exception, allowed to be held
concurrently with other awards.
Once a Croucher
Scholarship has been offered to an applicant, the Foundation reserves
the right to ask the successful applicant to withdraw applications for
support from certain other sources. If the student still chooses
to proceed with such applications despite the Foundation's request, it
will be deemed that he/she opts to give up the Foundation's offer which
will accordingly be withdrawn.
The Foundation occasionally gives approval for
Croucher scholars to be remunerated for a limited amount of teaching or
research responsibilities but such Scholars must seek approval in
advance from the Foundation which may in its absolute discretion modify
the terms of the Scholarship.
Scholars
who finish their studies/research prior to the expiry date of the awards
must report to the Foundation, and they are liable to return on a
pro-rata basis any excess stipend and other allowances to the Foundation
within one month upon the completion of studies/research.
Scholars
who have to terminate their studies for whatever reason must first seek
approval from
the Foundation at least three months in advance, and return the whole or
part of the award at an amount at the discretion of the Foundation.
Failure
to do so will have legal consequences.
All awards will be
subject to:
- a
satisfactory medical examination by a medical practitioner, and
- the
candidate's acceptance by the institution in which he/she proposes
to work.
Every application
must comprise:
- three completed copies of the Croucher Foundation Application Forms;
- three copies of a
document, fewer than 6 pages in length, including:
- a
proposal describing the research to be undertaken which should
include the names of potential supervisors and their research
groups, (or, in the case of applicants wishing to study in the
USA, the names of the potential PhD programmes);
- a
description of the candidate's research experience, and a list of
publications;
- three copies each of reprints of the applicant's 3 most significant publications
(if applicable);
- one
original and two copies of the applicant's transcript of his/her university record;
- a copy
each of the applicant's certificates (HKCEE and above);
- two
PDF files on a disc, one for (a) and (b), and the other for
supporting documents (c) to (e) only;
- letters
of references from two referees in confidence in sealed envelopes;
and
- one
set of relevant
documentation to provide proof of identity in respect of the
applicant's status as a permanent resident of Hong Kong which is
pre-requisite to the award. (For applicants who choose to use their
ID card copies, please make sure that both sides of the ID card must
be photocopied. The Foundation is not prepared to take an application
any further if there is doubt of the residential status of an
applicant upon incomplete documentation.)