Funding Scheme for Research and Innovation
Capability Enhancement

Application Period : January 13, 2025, to February 13, 2025
Important notice : The signed application and relevant attachments must be submitted to the Fund before the deadline (during office hours).​​

Objectives Maximum Funding Amount Funding Recipients Application Eligibility Relevant Conditions
Application Period  Type and Scope of Funding Expenditure Eligible for Funding  Application Documents  Submission of Application
 Preliminary Analysis   Assessment Method and Criteria Funding Approval Funding Term Requirements for Output
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I. Objectives

To support the policy objectives of the Macao SAR Government, the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (hereinafter referred to as “FDCT”) launched the Funding Scheme for Research and Innovation (hereinafter referred to as “the Scheme”) based on the relevant provisions of the Public Financial Support Scheme of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the Statutes of the Science and Technology Development Fund and the Regulation on Financial Support of the Science and Technology Development Fund. With the multi-level funding categories, the Scheme aims to support scientific research units and researchers in Macao to continuously enhance their research strength and cutting-edge original innovation capacity through in-depth research in various science and technology projects, so as to maintain Macao’s leading position in advantageous disciplines. At the same time, the Scheme supports the enhancement of industry-academia-research cooperation, encourages the production of applied scientific research results, and focuses on the transformation and cultivation of mature research results, so as to improve the contribution of scientific and technological innovation results to the social and economic development of Macao.

II. Maximum Funding Amount

Research projects initiated by new researchers and those interested in enhancing their research capabilities. The amount of funding applied for this type shall not exceed MOP500,000.

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III. Funding Recipients

  1. Public higher education institutions or public medical institutions in the Macao SAR;
  2. Private higher education institutions established by law in the Macao SAR.
  3. Private non-profit-making entities established by law in the Macao SAR.
 

IV. Application Eligibility

If an entity does not have a legal personality, the application shall be made through the entity with legal personality to which it belongs.

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V. Relevant Conditions

  1. Each research project must have a project leader who is responsible for leading and coordinating the project (hereinafter referred to as "project leader").
  2. The project leader shall meet any of the following requirements:
    1. If the applicant is a higher education institution referred to in Article 3, the project leader shall have been employed by the higher education institution for no more than five years as of the date of public application for this type and hold a position not higher than assistant professor or equivalent.
    2. If the applicant is a private non-profit-making entity referred to in Article 3, the project leader shall be an organizational member or a full-time employee of the entity. If the funds applied for are used for a scientific research project in the higher education institution, the project leader shall also meet the conditions referred to in paragraph (1) of this article.
 

VI. Application Period

January 13, 2025, to February 13, 2025

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VII. Type and Scope of Funding

  1. The Scheme is a non-reimbursable financial assistance.
  2. Scope of funding: Projects in line with the purpose of the FDCT and the objectives of the Scheme.
 

VIII. Expenditure Eligible for Funding

  1. The expenditure eligible for funding includes the following expenses incurred for the implementation of the project:
    1. Personnel expenses.
    2. Expenses on acquiring the necessary new machinery and equipment by any means.
    3. Expenses on consumable materials, reagents, and equipment maintenance.
    4. Direct costs of patent application.
    5. Other derivative expenses.
  2. Other derivative expenses referred to in e of the preceding paragraph do not include:
    1. Expense on the establishment of the recipient entity.
    2. Electricity, water, telephone charge and other expenses of a similar nature.
    3. Entertainment.
    4. Audit fee.
    5. Expense on the acquisition of vehicles, except for experimental purposes.
    6. Expense on construction, acquisition and repayment of real estate by installments.
    7. Other expenditures ineligible for funding as stipulated in the General Guidelines for Project Management of the Science and Technology Development Fund, the approval decision and the consent of funding.
 

IX. Application Documents

The application documents shall include the following materials:
  1. The applicant's identification information and relevant supporting documents.
  2. A document issued by the competent authority in the last three months certifying that the applicant does not owe any tax or social security contributions to the Macao SAR.
  3. Information on other projects financed by public funds and other pending applications submitted by the same applicant for the purpose of applying for the funding.
  4. Identification information and curriculum vitae of the project leader and members, as well as information on the time allocated to the implementation of the project.
  5. An application proposal containing a detailed description of the project, which shall set out in detail the estimated amount of the project.
  6. A statement of responsibility for the project.
  7. A cooperation agreement or memorandum of understanding or letter of intent signed with the cooperating party (if any).
  8. Other materials required by the application guidelines (if any).
 

X. Submission of Application

  1. Applicants shall prepare applications in any of the official languages of the Macao SAR or in English.
  2. Applicants who have applied for an electronic signature shall submit the application documents via the online application system of the FDCT on or before the deadline (during office hours).
  3. Applicants who have not applied for electronic signature shall, in addition to submitting the application documents via the online application system of the FDCT on or before the deadline (during office hours), deliver the signed and stamped application documents to the FDCT.
 

XI. Preliminary Analysis

  1. The FDCT will conduct a preliminary analysis of the application documents after the application deadline, respectively, to verify whether the application has the required documents under the Scheme and whether the applicant meets the conditions for funding approval.
  2. If the documents required for the application are not sufficient, the FDCT will request the applicant to supplement materials within 15 days, if necessary.
  3. Applications under any of the following circumstances will not be accepted for review and will be rejected by the FDCT, and the relevant applicant will be notified by letter:
    1. The applicant does not meet the requirements of Article 4
    2. The applicant is on the list of mandatory levies and overdue returns of the FDCT.
    3. The applicant is a debtor to the treasury of the Macao SAR.
    4. The application conditions do not meet the requirements of Article 5.
    5. The number of active research projects undertaken by the project leader exceeds the maximum number of active research projects that the project leader can undertake under the FDCT.
    6. The project leaders cannot submit a new application for funding.
    7. Multiple applications for the same project are submitted at the same time or the same project has been funded by the FDCT before.
    8. The application documents do not meet the requirements of Article 9.
    9. The applicant fails to supplement or promptly submit relevant application materials after notification.
    10. The applicant violates existing laws and regulations or fails to protect the safety and legal rights and interests of participants.
 

XII. Assessment Method and Criteria

  1. Before accepting an application, the Administrative Committee of FDCT shall invite five to seven advisors from the list of project advisors to form the Project Advisory Committee.
  2. The application documents that may enter the review process will be submitted to the Project Advisory Committee formed by FDCT for review according to the review elements and criteria in the following paragraph.
  3. Review elements and criteria:
    1. Assessment of technology innovation enhancement.
    2. Eligibility of the applicant.
    3. Project plan.
  4. The Administrative Committee of FDCT may formulate specific assessment criteria based on the above review elements.
  5. The Administrative Committee of the FDCT may invite external experts to review specific or more complex funding applications.
  6. FDCT may conduct site inspection to verify the research conditions of the applicant, interview with the project team and partners (if any) as necessary.
 

 XIII. Funding Approval

  1. For a project application not exceeding MOP1 million, the Administrative Committee of the FDCT will make a decision after considering the analysis of the application documents and the review opinions.
  2. The recipients shall sign the Consent of Funding attached to the approval letter within the time limit to declare that they are aware of and will comply with the approval decision as set out in the approval notice.
  3. The funds will be disbursed by installments in the manner as described in the Consent of Funding.
 

XIV. Funding Term

The funding term does not exceed two years.  

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XV. Requirements for Output

The expected research results include but are not limited to academic or applied results. 

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XVI. For reports, agreed procedures, obligations of beneficiaries, consequences of non-compliance, circumstances of potential penalties, refunding and restitution of grants, administrative, civil, and criminal liabilities, monitoring, appeals, personal data processing, and other important considerations, please refer to the Funding Scheme for Research and Innovation.

Office address: Avenida do Infante D. Henrique, No. 43-53A, Macau Square, 8th Floor, Unit C and 11th Floor, Unit K, Macao (To apply for project funding, please go to 11th Floor, Unit K)
Office hours: Monday to Thursday: 9:00-13:00, 14:30-17:45;Friday: 9:00-13:00, 14:30-17:30;Tel.: 28788777
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