The SCRF aims to promote excellent, collaborative and interdisciplinary research programs among members, particularly from the seven collaborating universities. It also aims to: (i) stimulate the participation of members, (ii) nurture and develop outstanding research projects, and (iii) enable members to acquire the necessary preliminary data and better prepare their applications for major external grants. Grants made from the fund should lead to self-sustaining, nationally competitive research programs that will address critically important environmental research problems and/or lead to a tangible solution via technological innovation or effective environmental policy.

The maximum funding for each funded project is HK$300,000 (to be spent within two years) which shall be used as a matching fund to support PhD Studentships or Postdoctoral Fellowships for the purpose of conducting collaborative research.  The topic(s) should preferably encourage collaboration among SKLMP members from different institutions.  Alignment with the development strategies of the SKLMP and the Mainland will also be beneficial.