Fund for Innovative Technology-in-Education – Inter-Institutional Collaborative Activities (FITE-IICA)

Call for Proposals – 2026/27 to 2028/29

We are pleased to invite proposals for the Inter-Institutional Collaborative Activities (IICA) portion of the Fund for Innovative Technology-in-Education (FITE) for the 2026/27 to 2028/29 academic years. The IICA portion supports cross-institutional collaborative projects among UGC-funded universities that advance innovation in teaching and learning through emerging technologies.

Projects should align with one or more of the four FITE Key Themes. HKUST will support HKUST-led IICA projects of up to HK$1,000,000 per project, and projects led by other UGC-funded universities with HKUST colleagues as Co-Investigators of up to HK$300,000 per project. No matching funds from departments are required. Proposals will be reviewed by a committee led by the Associate Provost (Teaching and Learning).

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Key Themes

Proposals should align with one or more of the following FITE key themes:

KT1: Driving transformation in pedagogies, curriculum, assessment and student development
This theme supports student-centred pedagogical innovation enabled by emerging technologies. Universities have already piloted diverse pedagogical models, AI-enabled curricula, and innovative assessment approaches that enhance educational quality, conceptual understanding, and hands-on learning. For the new phase, more systematic and structural reform is needed in response to the rapid expansion of AI applications. Proposals under this theme may therefore include programme-level reviews in disciplines significantly affected by AI, more comprehensive curriculum design where appropriate, and initiatives that promote mindful AI use while strengthening students' cognitive capabilities, reducing over-reliance and cognitive offloading, and preserving human agency in analytical thinking, creative application, and technological literacy.

KT2: Advancing AI and digital competencies for all
This theme explicitly covers both AI literacy and digital competencies for students and staff. Universities are encouraged to move beyond basic usage of technological tools and platforms toward more advanced, discipline-specific digital proficiency. Relevant proposals may include the introduction of tiered digital competency frameworks into curricula and co-curricular activities across faculties, structured professional development that enables staff to integrate multimodal AI into course design, assessment, and student support responsibly, and initiatives that build cross-disciplinary communities to co-develop standards, validate applications, and disseminate best practices.

KT3: Promoting technological social responsibilities and academic integrity
This theme focuses on ethical and responsible technology use in education. It highlights the need for continued guidance for students and staff on the responsible use of AI and digital tools, especially in light of concerns relating to academic integrity, misinformation and disinformation, data security and privacy, over-delegation of cognitive and ethical responsibilities, and digital wellbeing. It also places particular emphasis on helping students and staff critically evaluate sources, understand how algorithms shape information flows, distinguish between reliable and manipulative content, and recognise scams, deepfakes, and other forms of digital deception. In addition, this theme has been extended to encompass student wellbeing, including resilience in response to emerging phenomena such as emotional desensitisation, diminished interpersonal empathy, and possible developmental implications associated with growing engagement with AI in learning environments.

KT4: Fostering academia-industry collaboration and real-world learning experience
This theme emphasizes the importance of connecting student learning with authentic contexts beyond the classroom. It highlights the value of closer collaboration with industry, community, and public-sector partners to ensure that higher education remains relevant and responsive to societal needs, while also enhancing students' future employability. Relevant proposals may include strategic partnerships that support student-led industry projects, curriculum innovation through co-development with external partners, regional or international platforms involving global collaborators, public-sector engagement, and the creation of reusable assets such as open toolkits, case libraries, or interoperable platforms that benefit the wider community.

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Eligibility and Submissions

Proposals should involve collaboration with one or more partner institutions from the UGC-funded sector and should demonstrate clear inter-institutional value, including shared development, dissemination, infrastructure, standards, resources, or practices. The leading university of an IICA is responsible for submitting information on behalf of participating universities in the Work Plan, Annual Progress Reports, and Final Report.

Proposals should clearly identify the lead institution, participating institutions, project leadership team, objectives, deliverables, timeline, budget, and evaluation approach. Projects should also indicate how they will create sector-wide value through reusable resources, scalable models, shared platforms, or transferable practices.

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HKUST Timeline

The internal schedule below follows the timeline model used by peer institutions and is designed to support HKUST's submission of the IICA Work Plan to the UGC by 31 August 2026.

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Assessment Criteria

Proposals will be assessed on:

• Alignment with one or more FITE Key Themes.
• Strength and clarity of the inter-institutional collaboration.
• Likely impact on teaching, learning, curriculum, assessment, student development, staff capability, or sector-wide practice.
• Feasibility within the funding period ending 30 June 2029.
• Potential for sustainability, dissemination, and broader value to the sector.
• Appropriateness and justification of the proposed budget.

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Application Submission

Faculty members interested in submitting a proposal are invited to submit it via the online form. To facilitate internal review, the application should be concise and written for an informed but non-specialist audience.

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Enquiries

For enquiries about application procedures, please contact Ms Tammy SHA of CEI at tammysha@ust.hk.