|
The Cultural
Institute of the Macao S. A. R. Government (IC) will
grant research scholarships aimed at encouraging investigation
and research into academic subjects, preferably in the
Chinese or Portuguese languages.
The IC scholarship
programme will be announced through the Chinese and
Portuguese mass media as well as in academic institutions.
The IC will
stipulate a suitable time to accept applications, and
any other conditions or time frames that have not been
specified in the Regulations. Scholarships may be limited
to certain fields and topics of research that conform
to the Region’s priorities and general interests.
The number
of scholarships granted each year will depend on the
funds available to the IC and the value of the scholarships
to be awarded. The number of scholarships in each field
will also be considered in the light of on-going projects
and the aforementioned priorities of the Region.
The IC reserves
the right not to grant all or any of the scholarships
for which applications have been requested.
§ The submission of an application does
not mean that a scholarship will automatically be granted.
The scholarship
includes:
- A monthly allowance, whose amount will be determined
at the time the award is made;
- A research fund, subject to prior approval by the
IC, to subsidise the purchase of materials, equipment
and documentation, and to cover travel, word processing
and other expenses considered essential to the satisfactory
completion of the approved proposal;
- Only one research fund will be awarded per project,
regardless of the duration of the scholarship.
In order
to receive the grant, the scholarship holder must sign
a declaration agreeing to comply with the conditions
stipulated in the Regulations.
Anyone interested
in applying for a scholarship should complete the relevant
application form and submit it to the IC along with
the following documents:
- Authenticated academic certificates and evidence
of professional title;
- Detailed curriculum vitae so that the applicant’s
academic background may be assessed in relation to
the proposed project;
- Documents proving attendance or acceptance of a
Ph.D. or Master’s Degree programme (when appropriate);
- A detailed project proposal, including study plan
that clearly defines the objectives of the project
and the time frame for its completion;
- Written proof that the project has been approved
by a professionally qualified person who is willing
to give academic guidance to the project;
- Written proof that the stated project has been accepted
by the competent authorities of the university, institute,
department, research centre or academic institution
to which the applicant belongs;
- When the applicant does not belong to any of the
above-mentioned establishments, the reference should
be written by two persons of recognised academic merit
in the proposed field of research;
- Applicants who hold a Ph.D., and whose curriculum
vitae displays adequate academic experience, shall
be exempted from the requirements stated in paragraphs
5) and 7).
Application
forms will not be accepted if they:
- Are received by the IC later that the application
deadline, unless the postmark proves that they were
posted prior to the deadline;
- Are incomplete or lacking any of the required accompanying
documents, unless the delay can be justified and these
documents can be submitted in time for consideration.
The IC may
require applicants to provide any additional information
or proof it deems relevant.
The scholarships
available each year shall be awarded to applicants who
are chosen according to standard selection procedures
and pursuant to approval by the competent authorities.
Scholarships
will generally be granted for a period of up to twelve
months, although their duration may be extended under
the terms laid out in Chapter V of the Regulations.
The following
points shall be considered in selecting applicants:
- The research topics and priorities specified by
the IC in accordance with Article 3 of the Regulations;
- How significant and original the applicant’s
proposed project is in promoting Chinese and Portuguese
cultures, as well as the cultures of Macao and its
communities in their specific historical, geographical
and demographic contexts;
- The merit of research or studies already completed
by the applicant, and of his/her published works;
- Whether or not the candidate intends to commence
or continue a career as a researcher in an institution
of recognised merit.
The IC reserves
the right to make enquiries into the academic qualifications
of the candidate, and into the feasibility and merit
of the project submitted by the candidate.
Scholarships
should be commenced within thirty days after the awardee
has received official notice of the award from the IC.
This deadline may be altered only when explicitly authorized
by the IC.
In the case
of unforeseen circumstances which are properly justified,
the IC can authorise the temporary suspension of a scholarship
for a maximum period of three months.
Scholarships
will be cancelled immediately if they are not commenced
within the deadline specified in Article 15 above, or
if they are interrupted without prior approval by the
IC.
Applicants
cannot be awarded scholarships in two consecutive competitions.
Scholarship
holders shall submit the following to the IC:
- Quarterly progress reports charting their research
studies and activities, which have been approved by
the project supervisor;
§ The supervisor’s approval shall not be
required in the case of scholarship holders accepted
under the terms of paragraph 8) of Article 8.
- An article at the end of the first semester, for
publication by the IC. This must be between 15 and
25 A4 pages in length (with approximately thirty lines
or 500 Chinese characters per page);
- On completion of the scholarship:
- A final report detailing the results of the
research carried out according to the study plan
initially submitted to and approved by the IC.
This report should be at least 150 A4 pages in
length (with approximately thirty lines or 500
Chinese characters per page), and must be approved
by the project supervisor. Scholarship holders
accepted under
the terms of paragraph 8) of Article 8 will not
be required to obtain approval from a supervisor;
- A final short article, summarising the main
points of the research and the relevant conclusions,
of approximately 15 to 25 A4 pages in length (with
approximately thirty lines or 500 Chinese characters
per page).
The scholarship
holder may not
- Alter the initial work plan without prior authorisation
from the IC. Requests for changes must be justified
in detail;
- Use the work carried out during the scholarship
period for any purpose without prior approval by the
IC;
- Be absent from the research site without prior authorisation
from the IC. Such authorisation may only be granted
after consideration of the reasons presented;
- Combine the scholarship granted under these Regulations
with any other research grant;
- Give any presentations or publish any articles,
paid or otherwise, that are related to the subject
areas of the project, without prior authorisation
from the IC.
The scholarship
holder may propose that the IC organises any activity
in which he/she intends to engage as a direct result
of the grant. The scholarship holder must submit a well
structured and documented proposal for such an activity,
to
be considered by the IC not less than sixty days in
advance.
Reimbursement
of expenses covered by the research fund as stated in
paragraph 2) of Article 6 shall be made on the basis
of original receipts presented.
§ All materials, equipment and documentation
that the scholarship holder has acquired with these
funds should be returned to the IC at the end of the
project.
Scholarships
may be extended for a period of up to one year, upon
authorisation by the IC.
Requests
for extensions must be made at least sixty days before
the end of the current scholarship. The request must
be well justified and submitted together with a proposal
of the work to be done under the extension. Both documents
must be approved by the project supervisor.
§ Scholarship holders who meet the conditions
specified in paragraph 8) of Article 8 shall not be
required to submit the above-mentioned approval.
Requests
for extensions that are presented outside the stipulated
application period, that are presented without justification,
or that are not properly presented, shall not be entertained.
In this case, the scholarship will terminate on the
date originally set for completion.
The scholarship
shall be terminated immediately in the following cases:
- Verification, at any time, that the declarations
given to the IC by the scholarship holder are false
or incorrect;
- Absence of favourable reports from the supervisor
or academic institutions mentioned in paragraph 6)
of Article 8;
- Abandonment of research activities by the researcher,
or failure to submit the quarterly report as stipulated
in the Regulations, without a reason deemed acceptable
by the IC;
- Failure to submit the article mentioned in paragraphs
2) and 3) of Article 19 without a reason deemed acceptable
by the IC;
- Substantial change, without prior agreement from
the IC, to the original research objective or plan,
or of project supervisor or the faculty, institute,
department, research centre or academic institution
to which the scholarship holder is linked in accordance
with paragraph 6) of Article 8;
- Use of the scholarship for any purpose other than
that for which it was granted;Acceptance of any other
research grant during the tenure of the IC scholarship;
- Failure to fulfill the obligations to which scholarship
holders are bound by their acceptance of the scholarship
and these Regulations.
- The IC reserves the right to publish, after assessment,
all or part of any research work carried out by the
scholarship holder;
- For the purposes of the previous paragraph, “Publication”
refers to a single edition and includes the translation
rights for the research work into or from Chinese,
Portuguese and/or English;
- If the IC does not publish the research work in
the eighteen-month period following the submission
of the final study, the scholarship holder may publish
it elsewhere, but is required to mention in the publication
that the research was carried out with a scholarship
from the IC.
If the scholarship
is terminated for any of the reasons given in Article
26, the IC may require the scholarship holder or his
legal representative, to repay, immediately, the monies
that have already been paid, and these shall constitute
income
for the IC.
All current
scholarships shall hereafter be subject to these Regulations,
without affecting any possible extension.
If the scholarship
is suspended under Article 16, no payment shall be made
while the suspension is in force.
The IC shall
not be responsible for any personal or material damages
arising directly or indirectly from any research activities,
nor from any additional activities necessary to pursue
the objectives of the proposed work funded by the scholarship.
These Regulations
may be subject to alterations or modifications at any
time. These alterations or modifications shall take
effect immediately after the scholarship holder has
been notified.
The IC reserves
the right to resolve any omissions in these Regulations. |
