Orientation for Research Postgraduate Students Dr Danny Chan Assistant Dean (Research) HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
Orientation for Research Postgraduate Students
Dr Danny Chan
Assistant Dean (Research)
HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
Welcome to the Medical Faculty !
Your home base …
The place to be for your quest of
knowledge …
Where discoveries and
inventions are born …
Where the next generation of
scientists and clinicians is
nurtured …
Your Faculty at a glance
Founded in 1887 (Hong Kong College of
Medicine for Chinese)
Over 120 years of medical education
16 teaching departments, Schools of
Nursing and Chinese Medicine, AIDS
Institute and Eye Institute
Around 240 full-time teaching staff and 600
research staff
Medical Faculty
Research Strategy Map
Genome Research Centre
and Core Facilities
Heart, Brain,
Hormone &
Healthy Aging
Cancer
Infection &
Immunology
Reproduction,
Development
& Growth
Public
Health
Discipline-based Research
Other Relevant Strategic Research Themes
Biomedical engineering
Drug
Genomics & genetics
Nano-biotechnology
Stem cell & regenerative medicine
19.59
31.43
5.5
33.15
41.0139.79
5
46.07
3
53.0954.55
41.5
11.1
50
64.07
6.4
54.62
13.2
76
67.08
5.5
48.41
21
62.1
92
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11
GeneralResearch Grants(HK$656.46M)
CollaborativeResearch Grants(HK$70.7M)
Area ofExcellence*(HK$218M)
Major Funding from Research Grant Council / University Grants Committee (97/98 ~ 10/11)
Hong Kong Research Grants Council
HK
$(M
)
Year
Total:
HK$945.16M
Proud achievements of your Faculty
First in identifying Coronavirus as the causal agent of SARS
and developing a rapid diagnostic test for SARS
First in isolating Coronavirus causing SARS from civet cats
First in predicting the spread of H5N1 by migratory waterfowl
First in discovering a gene responsible for hearing
First in discovering the molecular mechanism causing
premature aging
First in discovering a new mechanism in the causation of
heredity colon cancer
RPG in the Medical Faculty
Total: 679 students
As at September 14, 2010
Part-Time PhD
53 (8%)
Part-Time MPhil
21 (3%)
Full-Time PhD
385 (57%)
Full-Time MPhil
220 (32%)
Support for your research
State-of-the-art laboratories in the Faculty of Medicine Building and
Queen Mary Hospital
Faculty Core Facility: Live Cell Imaging and Flow Cytometry
technologies
Genome Research Centre –core facilities in microarray, genotyping
and proteomics
State Key Labs:
(i) Emerging Infectious Diseases
(ii) Brain and Cognitive Sciences
(iii) Liver Research
Laboratory Animal Unit and Transgenic Core Facility
Clinical Trials Centre
Yu Chun Keung Medical Library
Postgraduate Study Room (L2-21 Laboratory Block)
Hardwares:
Laboratory Animal Unit State Key Lab of Emerging
Infection Diseases
Transgenic Technology Centre
Yu Chun Keung Medical Library
Proteomic System at
Genome Research Centre
Your supervisor and co-supervisors
Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee (DRPC)
Faculty Higher Degrees Committee (FHDC)
Graduate School
Centre of Development and Resources for Students
(CEDARS)
Laboratory and research staff in your Department
Your fellow RPg students
Expertise in the Genome Research Centre, other
Departments and other Faculties
Support for your research
Softwares:
Graduate School
[serving the Board of Graduate Studies (BoGS)]
Faculty Higher Degrees Committee (FHDC)
Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee (DRPC)
Chairman
Research Postgraduate Co-ordinator
Supervisor, together with
Co-supervisors/Counsellor
Research Postgraduate (RPG) students
Your Keys to Success
Know the expectations of the University
Familiarize yourself with the degree regulations,
procedures and guidelines (Graduate School
Handbook / website) which were drawn up by
the University to guide you through your study
Monitoring of progress
Reading and
project planning
• Progress report for
confirmation of probation
• Thesis
• RPS
24 18 12 6
Enrolment
36/48
M.Phil
PhD
End of probation period
• Thesis
• RPS
Progress report
• qualifying research seminar
• detailed scheme of research
1 (month)
Probation & Confirmation of Candidature
Probationary period and confirmation of
candidature:
MPhil and PhD (3-yr) - FT: 12 months
PT: 18 months
PhD (4-yr) - FT: 18 months
PT: 24 months
Probation & Confirmation of Candidature
Criteria for confirmation of your candidature:
passed all the Graduate School core courses and at
least 2 out of 3 Research Postgraduate courses
demonstrated capability in research
submitted a detailed scheme of research to your
supervisors
given a qualifying research seminar
passed the safety quiz
Attended 4 out of 6 case-based workshops on
Research Integrity
Work closely with your supervisors and DRPC
Regular meetings with your supervisors,
preferably weekly
Establish an agreed manner of work with your
supervisors
Seek help from supervisors, counsellor and
DRPC once you have identified any problems
Report your Progress
Submit your 6-monthly progress report on time
Progress reports are not extra work - they
facilitate your supervisors, DRPC, FHDC and
BoGS to evaluate your progress and help you
complete your study
Renewal of studentship is subject to satisfactory
progress as indicated in the reports
Report your Progress
Present the progress of your work at the annual
Research Postgraduate Symposium
(December 1 & 2, 2010)
at least once for MPhil (poster presentation)
at least twice for PhD
(1 poster and 1 oral presentation)
Presenting your research progress = ½ of your
role
Another ½ of your role: ask your fellow students
questions! Don’t just keep silent!
Silence ≠Research spirit
Research Postgraduate Symposium 2009
Research Ethics
Familiarize yourself with research ethics and
intellectual property rights
Honesty in the conduct of research, reporting of
findings, and attribution of ideas and their source
Avoid plagiarism which is a serious academic
offence
Read the booklet “Plagiarism and How to avoid it”
Attend the Graduate School’s compulsory core
course on Research Ethics
Plagiarism = Failure + Penalty decided by
Disciplinary Committee
Penalty – reprimand, suspension, expulsion, etc.
You must learn to make proper references in your
written work, be it your thesis or publications
Use Turnitin to check your thesis before
submission
Research Ethics
Warning!
The six topics are:
• What constitute research misconduct, falsification,
fabrication and plagiarization
• Conflict of Interest: declare or beware!
• Management, ownership and legal aspects of your
research data
• Publication, contribution and justification of authorship
• Clinical research ethics: the rights of the human
research subject
• Animal research ethics: laboratory animal welfare
compliance
Research Ethics Case-based Workshops on Research Integrity
All RPg students registered on or after September 1,
2010 are required to attend at least 4 of the above
workshops before their probation period can be
confirmed.
Research Ethics Case-based Workshops on Research Integrity
Topic: What Constitute Research Misconduct,
Falsification, Fabrication and Plagiarization?
Venue: Lecture Theatre 2, Cheung Kung Hai Conference
Centre, G/F, William MW Mong Block
Date: October 5, 2010 (Tuesday)
Time: 2:00 – 2:00 pm
Please register on-line on or before September 28, 2010
Seek approval for experiments involving human
subjects and animals from the HKU/HA HKW
IRB and the Committee on the Use of Live
Animals in Teaching and Research (CULATR)
respectively well in advance
Acknowledge in your thesis the assistance and
contributions by others
(e.g. PDFs, Research Officers, Technicians,
RAs, etc.)
Research Ethics
Get to know the departmental safety
representative and read the departmental
safety manual/guidelines (available from the
Faculty Research website)
Strictly follow laboratory regulations
Conduct your research in a safe and ethical
manner to protect yourself and others
Safety
Better Safe than Sorry!
Research is No Spectator Sport
Initiative
Active participation
Collaboration, academic exchange
Share research findings and gain
“community” experience, e.g. through
seminar presentations
Aim to publish the results of your research in
international journals
Attend conferences and seminars to increase
your exposure – watch out for the e-mail
announcements via the intranet, e.g. Frontiers
in Biomedical Research, HKU 2010
(December 3, 2010)
Help out with event organization of your
Department and Faculty
Research is No Spectator Sport
Transfer of Candidature from MPhil to PhD
May be considered if:
candidature is confirmed
all coursework completed
substantial results have been achieved for the MPhil
project (e.g. a paper accepted by international journal)
application made at least 4 months before expiry of
MPhil candidature
Not as a rescue for those unable to finish the
MPhil on time
Opportunities for Overseas Exchange
Research Postgraduate Students
Exchange Scheme
To gain international exposure
To acquire advanced knowledge and
research techniques complementary to
those available at HKU
Opportunities for Overseas Exchange
Duration: Maximum 12 months for MPhil students;
18 months for 3-year PhD students and 24
months for 4-year PhD students
Travel/subsistence allowances are available for
application
Travel & medical insurance will be covered by
HKU
Students on exchange will be conferred their
degrees by HKU
Points to Note:
Examples of Exchange Partners: • Columbia University, USA
• Imperial College, UK
• Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands
• Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), USA
• Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Germany
• National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD), USA
• National University of Singapore
• Institut Pasteur, France
• University of Groningen, The Netherlands
• University of Liverpool, UK
• University of Oxford, UK
• University of Toronto, Canada
Opportunities for Overseas Exchange
Scholarships and Grants
Faculty-wide
• The Hong Kong Cancer Fund Scholarship in Psycho-
Oncology
• The Hui Pun Hing Scholarship for Postgraduate
Research
• Mary Sun Medical Scholarships
• Serena Yang Postgraduate Scholarship in Nursing
Studies
• Wong Ching Yee Medical Postgraduate Scholarships
• YS & Christabel Lung Postgraduate Scholarship
• Joseph Shuk-Cho Lung Memorial Scholarships
University-wide
• Conference/Travel Grants for Research Students from
the Committee on Research and Conference Grants
(CRCG)
• Li Po Chun Postgraduate Scholarship
• Dr Lo Kwee Seong Education Foundation
• Starr Hall Well of Ismael Scholarships
• Swire Graduate Studentships
• Swire Scholarships
• Swire Travel Grants
• Tanfik Ail Memorial Scholarships
Scholarships and Grants
Prizes
Dr KP Stephen Chang Gold Medal
– Best PhD thesis in the Medical Faculty
Li Ka Shing Prizes (University-wide)
– Best MPhil/PhD theses
Awards for Outstanding Research
Postgraduate Student (University-wide)
- Best MPhil/PhD theses
Submission of Thesis
Submit your thesis within your period of study
Give your supervisors sufficient notice and time to
comment on your research findings and the draft
thesis
Submit Notice of Intent to Submit a Thesis to the
DRPC at least 3 months before the expected date
of submission
Your thesis must be checked by Turnitin software
which helps detect plagiarism
Extension of candidature will
cost you continuation fee
affect your supervisor’s track record
involve penalty to the Faculty
be subject to approval by the FHDC and
BoGS
Submission of Thesis
Thesis Examination
MPhil: 1 internal and 1 external examiners
PhD: 2 internal and 1 external examiners
Oral examination – compulsory for PhD
students
Where can I obtain further information?
Faculty homepage http://www.hku.hk/facmed/
Graduate School
http://www.hku.hk/gradsch/
CEDARS
http://cedars.hku.hk
Supervisors
DRPC
You can be the next one
to make wonders
at the frontiers of science.
Thank you!