Accomplishments

Six research projects win RGC grants

Six School of Communication academics have won funding from the Research Grants Council this year, accounting for more than half of the RGC grants awarded to the sector in this round. All six of the successful applicants are sole or principal investigators in their respective projects.

The distribution of the successful applications reflects the School’s broad-based strengths in film, communication studies, and journalism, said Cherian George, associate dean for research.

“It’s also noteworthy that the RGC has recognised three colleagues from our exciting data and algorithmic journalism cluster. BU’s nascent ‘Smart Society’ interdisciplinary research lab  will open up even more possibilities for them,” he added.

“Although there are always factors outside one’s control when bidding for competitive grants, we’re happy that colleagues are taking the effort to do so — and that a record number have been successful this year.”
 
RGC Funded Projects 2020/21

Timothy Fung Kai-fung
Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies

• An experimental research of narrative persuasion and family discussion about organ donation: Examining issue importance and communication efficacy within the Theory of Motivated Information Management.
  General Research Fund, HKD353,740

 

Dorothy Lau Wai Sim
Assistant Professor, Academy of Film

• Renegotiating film authorship in cyberspace: Chinese filmmakers, global fans, politics of participation. – Early Career Scheme, HKD355,000

 

Celine Song Yunya
Associate Professor, Department of Journalism 

• Mapping the status of political incivility in Hong Kong’s digital space: From the Umbrella Movement to the Anti-Extradition Protests. – General Research Fund, HKD396,720

 

Stephanie Jean Tsang
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism   

• Understanding political disinformation with Facebook audience insights and eye-tracking technology. – General Research Fund, HKD292,400

 

Eva Zhao Xinyan
Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies 

• Social media convergence during emergencies: Hong Kong people’s information choices, perceptions, and actions given multi-platform emergency communication. – Early Career Scheme, HKD339,124

 

Zhang Xinzhi
Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism  

• Why fact-checking fails? Factors influencing the effectiveness of corrective messages countering misinformation on social media: A comparison of Hong Kong, the United States, and the Netherlands. – General Research Fund, HKD408,256

	:Dorothy Lau, Zhang Xinzhi and Stephanie Tsang are among the School's six awardees of 2020/21 RGC grants.