Applications for the Innovation & Technology Fund's Innovation & Technology Support Programme Tier 3 have opened. The deadline for submissions is March 31.

The Innovation & Technology Commission today said as Tier 3 project proposals will be more exploratory in nature, the funding requested for each project should not exceed $1 million and the duration should not exceed one year.

As the proposals are expected to be more innovation and technology driven, industrial sponsorship is not mandatory, but is still encouraged. Priority will be given to those with cash sponsorship, the commission said.

Priority will also be given to follow-up projects to, or which leverage on the results of, completed basic research projects the applicant organisation, other local or overseas research institutes, have undertaken.

The commission said following a review of the fund's operation, a new three-tier structure in funding proposals was adopted in early 2005.

Three-tier funding structure

Tier 1 will be proposals for the establishment of R&D centres to undertake projects in the technology areas of automotive parts and accessory systems, logistics and supply-chain-management-enabling technologies, textile and clothing, nanotechnology and advanced materials, and information and communications technologies.

Tier 2 will be proposals submitted under focus themes, including proposals submitted under the Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Co-operation Funding Scheme. Tier 3 will be proposals for innovative applied R&D projects.

The commission invited applications for Tier 1 and 2 earlier this year. Project proposals which would more appropriately be funded under Tier 1 and 2 should not be submitted under the Tier 3 invitation.

Projects should have application potential

A panel will assess applications and only projects with clear potential industrial applications and exceptional merit will be funded.

For the fund's other three funding programmes - the General Support Programme, the University-Industry Collaboration Programme and the Small Entrepreneur Research Assistance Programme, applications are open all year round.

All application proposals must be submitted electronically through the Innovation & Technology Commission Funding Administrative System. Applicant organisations and project coordinators are required to register for access to the relevant application form.