Fund for Innovative Technology-in-Education (FITE)
Call for Proposals - 2026/27 to 2028/29
We are pleased to invite proposals for the next phase of the Fund for Innovative Technology-in-Education (FITE) for the 2026/27 to 2028/29 academic years. The University Grants Committee (UGC), with the support of the Quality Assurance Council (QAC), has continued the FITE to support universities in harnessing innovative and breakthrough technologies to transform teaching and learning and enrich students’ learning experience.
The objectives of the continued FITE are to sustain the momentum of transformation in the UGC-funded sector, broaden the focus beyond generative AI to other emerging technologies, promote appropriate mindsets for the new generation, and provide students with practical exposure to evolving career landscapes.
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. In addition to the four key themes, proposals may also be considered under other worthwhile initiatives that strongly align with the broader objective of accelerating the use of technology to inform teaching and enrich student learning.
Scope of proposals
Proposals should focus on substantial initiatives that will contribute meaningfully to teaching, learning, student support, or the wider student experience at HKUST. These may include curriculum innovation, assessment redesign, AI and digital competency development, staff capability building, student support initiatives, development of platforms or tools, and other strategic initiatives aligned with the FITE objectives and HKUST priorities.
Projects that demonstrate clear educational value, strategic relevance, potential for sustainable impact, and the capacity to generate transferable practices or reusable outputs are especially encouraged.
Funding level and matching
Up to HK$1,000,000 per project, with a required minimum one-fourth matching contribution from the department/division, which must be provided in addition to the awarded amount. Priority will be given to applicants who secure a minimum one-fourth matching contribution from their department/division, which must be provided in addition to the awarded amount. Funding awarded can be only used for the purposes such as:
- hiring support staff (for example, project/instructional assistant/teaching associate/research assistant); and
- with department/division head’s agreement, hiring temporary staff to partially release the project leader from regular commitments to work on the project.
- subscription/purchase of AI services and software licenses (e.g. generative AI APIs, cloud compute, institutional/site licenses) for project use, subject to department/division head approval and compliance with university procurement, licensing, data‑protection and academic‑integrity policies; such purchases should be time‑limited to the project period, cost‑effective and specifically justified in the project budget.
The following expenses are NOT normally covered by the funding:
- equipment and teaching material expenses, which should be covered by the relevant school/department/division
- using the funding as a PGS or hiring full-time research student at HKUST to support the project
- conference attendance, publications in journals, and traveling outside Hong Kong; and
- refreshment for functions/events; and provision of incentives to students (for example, coupons or allowance) for taking part in the study.
Expression of Interest
Faculty members interested in submitting a proposal are invited to provide a brief expression of interest via the online form. To facilitate internal review, the EoI should be concise and written for an informed but non-specialist audience.
Selection criteria
Submitted proposals will be reviewed through an internal vetting process coordinated by CEI and the Provost’s Office. In making selections, consideration will be given to the following criteria:
Clarity in defining the educational challenge or opportunity, with strong alignment to intended outcomes for teaching, learning, student support, or the wider student experience. The project should demonstrate substantial potential for impact beyond a single course or activity, with clear benefits for multiple programmes, services, or student groups, and a plausible pathway for scaling or adaptation across contexts, disciplines, or modalities.
Quality and originality of the proposed use of innovative or emerging technologies (including but not limited to AI) in addressing the identified challenge. Evaluation will consider how thoughtfully the technology is integrated into pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, or student support; the extent to which the design reflects responsible and ethical practices (e.g., academic integrity, privacy, bias, wellbeing); and alignment with relevant HKUST and sector policies on digital and AI use.
Depth and appropriateness of collaboration across units, roles, and/or disciplines, and the extent to which key stakeholders (e.g., academic staff, professional staff, students, industry/community partners) are meaningfully involved in shaping, implementing, and evaluating the project. Projects that clearly articulate stakeholder roles and demonstrate strong institutional support will be viewed favourably.
Realistic and well‑structured implementation plan with clear phases and milestones, appropriate timeline (up to two years), and credible risk identification and mitigation. Strength and clarity of the budget justification, including alignment between activities and requested resources, and evidence of department/division matching support and other enabling resources (e.g., learning design, technical support, data/analytics).
Quality of the evaluation plan, including well‑defined quantitative and/or qualitative indicators of success and feasible methods for gathering evidence of impact. Strength of the strategy for embedding successful practices into regular operations, sustaining outcomes beyond the funding period, and supporting broader knowledge transfer (e.g., reusable tools, frameworks, guidelines, training, or sector‑facing outputs) within HKUST and, where appropriate, across the sector.
Priority may be given to proposals that demonstrate cross-unit relevance, broader institutional applicability, and confirmed matching support.
Internal process and timeline
To allow sufficient time for internal review, prioritisation, and development of selected proposals, colleagues are invited to submit an expression of interest to CEI by Friday, 12 June 2026.
Selected proposals will then be further developed for inclusion in HKUST’s institutional FITE work plan.
Notes for applicants
Applicants should note that the FITE funding period runs until 30 June 2029. The scheme also places importance on coordination, evaluation, dissemination, and the creation of outputs that can demonstrate institutional and sector-wide value, including reusable assets, shared practices, and impact stories where appropriate. As this is one-off funding, there should be no assumption of additional funding beyond the current phase, and units should take into account any recurrent implications beyond the funding period.
Enquiries
For enquiries about application procedures, please contact Ms Tammy SHA of CEI at tammysha@ust.hk.