The Review 2013

21 SRT ‘themes’ that capitalised on our existing strengths and/or showed potential for new directions of growth. Each theme was provided with seed money to explore its possibilities. The SRT themes were revised in 2008 and again in 2013, taking into account hard and soft criteria such as peer-reviewed publications among members, funding success and whether there is potential to have an impact in a new field. The 2013 SRTs are grouped into five areas - biomedicine, the community, China, the environment and frontier technology - and ‘emerging’ themes of research are also included in addition to the SRTs. These may not have quite the critical mass of expertise and track record of established SRTs, but they hold promise of future results. The five emerging themes cover: food; integrative biology; law, literature and language; stem cell and regenerative medicine; and Earth as a habitable planet. The expectation is that the SRT support will promote cross-fertilisation of ideas and projects, and help to establish HKU's reputation in these fields. Connecting the Dots An example of how SRTs can benefit research is the new SRT on Neuroscience. HKU researchers across six faculties were already investigating seven fields within neuroscience and earning international recognition for their work. The SRT has provided a framework to bring these fields together under one umbrella and identify new areas for collaboration, at a time when neuroscience research is attracting interest and funding around the world. "With this SRT we hope we can draw in new people and form more research synergies in addition to those in existence," the SRT co-convenor, Professor Tatia Lee, said. Branching into the Mainland HKU has been building and strengthening ties with Mainland China in all areas of its work. In research, this is making a tangible difference in terms of funding, facilities and the projects we undertake. The HKU Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU-SIRI) was set up in early 2011 as a vehicle for transferring science and technology from HKU to the Mainland. It has also enabled the University to apply for funding from Mainland research bodies. In 2012-13, HKU-SIRI received total funding of RMB20 million for 32 projects under the National Natural Science Foundation of China and about RMB34 million for a project under the National Basic Research Development Program. An application has been made for land in Shenzhen to construct purpose-built laboratories for SIRI as HKU's R&D base in Shenzhen. In the meantime, the local and provincial governments in Zhejiang have agreed to fund development of the new Zhejiang Institute of Research and Innovation (ZIRI). Construction started in January 2013 and will be completed in mid-2014. Three engineering laboratories are being built, with plans to expand to six labs within five years and involve other faculties at the University. The HKU Shenzhen Hospital, which opened in the summer of 2012, will also be a venue for research as it develops in the coming years (see also Knowledge Exchange chapter). The spacious new HKU Shenzhen Hospital represents a bright future for clinical research The University of Hong Kong ⎜ 25 THE REVIEW 2013 ⎜ Research