Grants and Awards
Research Grants
2024 - 2026 Hong Kong Research Grant Council. General Research Fund. HKD893,500. Can autonomous robot improve the eye contact of autistic children? Comparison of robot-based to human-based interventions
2023 - 2025 Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD438,000. Strengthening impact cases for RAE (Round 2) - A full-fledged robotic intervention, Robot for Autism Behavioral Intervention (RABI) to enhance the social and emotional well-being of school-age children with autism
2023-2025 Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD500,000. Strategic Impact Enhancement Fund. A full-fledged robotic intervention for enhancing social and emotional well-beings of school-aged autistic children.
2023-2025 Mental Health Initiatives Funding Scheme Phase 2., Health Bureau, Hong Kong, S.A.R. HKD$1,944,660. Resilience in the face of adversity: coping strategies for autistic children and their families.
2021-2023 Chinese Medicine Development Fund. HKD1,800,000. 小兒推拿治療兒童自閉症的臨床研究 (PI: Dr. Zhang Jian Guo)
2019-2021 Hong Kong Research Grant Council. HKD744,000. Does a social robot lend a helping hand to learning gestures among children with ASD? Effects of robotic versus human intervention in the development of gestural skills
2017-2019 Direct Grant, Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD32981 Developing Cantonese Pinyin augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for Chinese-speaking children with autism
2017-2019 Direct Grant, Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD40000. Use Chinese pediatric massage to promote language and communication skills in preschool children with autism spectrum disorders
2016-2019 Quality Education Fund, Education Bureau. HKD551,900. Using social robot to teach children with autism gestural communication skills
2015-2016 Direct Grant, Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD34,300. Using Chinese pediatric massage therapy to reduce mental health and behavioral problems among school-aged children with ASD
2014-2016 Direct Grant, Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD67,175. Using a social robot to teach children with ASD conventional-interactive gestures.
2014-2015 Hong Kong Research Grant Council. HKD274,280. The beneficial role of gestures in encoding spatial relation
2013-2015 Direct Grant, Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD79,637. Semantic coordination of speech and gestures in young autistic children
2012-2015 Academic Research Tier 1 Funding, Ministry of Education, Singapore. SGD 59640 Early genetic, environmental and behavioural predictors of autistic traits in pre-school children.
2011-2014 Academic Research Tier 1 Funding, Ministry of Education, Singapore. SGD40000 Effect of early maternal employment on cognitive and behavioral development.
Grants on Social Services / Entreprenurship
2023-2025 Fu Tak Iam Foundation Limited. HKD$3,297,356. One-stop service for autism: from autism diagnosis and intervention to family counseling.
2023-2025 Knowledge Transfer Fund, Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD$400,000. Power Up and Mange Parents (PUMP): Resolve 20 common dilemmas in autistic children (with Prof. Jennifer Tang)
2022-2024 Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund. HKD400,000 (with matching funding HKD$400,000 from Oxfam). Innovative & Evidence-based Autism Intervention Center (Shatin)
2021-2023 Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited Centenary Charity Program. HKD20,760,637. Across-aged Utilization of Technology & Innovation for Social Missions (AUTISM) (with Dr. Ka-Yee Lam)
2020-2022 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. HKD7,120,000. Online holistic wellness program for children with special education needs and families (PI: Prof. Samuel Wong and Dr. Dorothy Chan )
2020-2021 Technology and Business Development Fund. HKD168,167. Development and Trial Run of Online and Home-Based Robot for Autism Behavioural Intervention (RABI) (with Dr. Sarah Luk)
2020-2022 Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund. HKD287,870. Online and home-based Robot for Autism Behavioral Intervention (with Dr. Sarah Luk)
2020-2022 Sustainable Knowledge Transfer Project Fund (S-KPF), Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD600,000. Science and Technology for Autism Remediation (STAR) Limited (with Dr. Sarah Luk)
2020-2023 Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme, The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau. HKD538,000. Training Speech Therapists in Hong Kong to Deploy Social Robots when Educating Children with Autism
2018-2021 Innovation and Technology Fund for Better Living. HKD2,845,696. Implementation of robot drama education programme for reducing challenging behaviours in kindergarten children of autism spectrum disorders
2018-2020 Knowledge Transfer Fund, Chinese University of Hong Kong; The Social Innovation Entrepreneurship Development Fund. HKD395,810. Promote psychological and behavioural well-beings of preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorders by implementing a TCM paediatric massage program
2017-2019 Knowledge Transfer Fund, Chinese University of Hong Kong; The Social Innovation Entrepreneurship Development Fund. HKD396,000. Robot drama therapy for promoting social competence of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
2016-2018 Knowledge Transfer Fund, Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD325,000. Robot-based Intervention to Reduce Challenging Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
2016-2017 Knowledge Transfer Fund, Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD328,000. Getting Our Kids Active” – Promoting Motor Skills Proficiency of Hong Kong Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (PI: Prof. Cindy Sit)
2015-2016 Knowledge Transfer Fund, Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD361,670. Promoting nonverbal communication skills among children with Autism Spectrum Disorders through online social robotics.
Teaching Grant
2023-2024 Funding Scheme for Engaging Postgraduate Students in Teaching and Teaching Development supported by the Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Grant 2022-25. HKD150,000. Adopting Experiential Approach for Parent / Public Education on Understanding Autistic Children. (With Samson Lam and Sean Zhang)
2021-2022 Funding Scheme for Development of the Credit-bearing Service Learning Programme supported by the Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Grant (TDLEG) . HKD150,104. Service-learning programs for training students to serve individuals with autism. (with Prof. Zhang Jian Guo)
Honors and Awards:
2024 CUHK Internationalisation Faculty Mobility Scheme (Outbound) 2024
2023 Hong Kong ICT Awards 2023: Smart Living (Smart Healthcare) Merit Award
2023 Vice-Chancellor's Exemplary Teaching Award 2022
2023 Faculty Exemplary Teaching Award 2021-2022
2022 2022 Rohto Awards HK Champion
2022 Runners up in E-Education & Learning Award (Private Sector/NGO), WITSA Global Innovation and Tech Excellence Award 2022
2022 2021 Best Practice Awards in Social Welfare (Outstanding Social Service Award)
2022 2021 Best Practice Awards in Social Welfare (Service Delivery Award (Innovative Ideas))
2022 2021 Best Practice Awards in Social Welfare (Service Delivery Award (User Participation))
2022 2021 Best Practice Awards in Social Welfare (Service Delivery Award (Evidence-based Practice))
2022 International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2022 Silver Medal
2021 Hong Kong ICT Awards 2021: Smart People (Smart Education and Learning) Gold Award
2021-present INSAR Global Senior Leader for Hong Kong, S.A.R.
2020 Nurturing Social Minds Competition Award, The Yeh Family Philanthropy (HKD250,000)
2017-2018 Researcher Excellence Award, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (HKD200,000)
2018 Hong Kong ICT Awards 2018: Smart People (Smart Inclusion) Merit Award
2017 Finalist, Spirit of Hong Kong Awards (Innovation for Good Award), South China Morning Post
2015-2016 Young Researcher Award, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (HKD100,000)
2013-2014 Researcher Excellence Award, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (HKD200,000)
2009 SRCD International Travel Reward
2008 Marquis Who's Who
2006-2007 University Century Fellowship
2006 Doolittle-Harrison Fellowship
2002 to 2006 Norman Wait and Emma Gale Harris Memorial Scholarship
Patents
RABI® has registered 6 trademarks in Classes 16, 41, and 44 in China (54504317 - 513516-600001-CN07; 54504316 - 513516-600001-CN08; 54504315 - 513516-600001-CN09; 54504314 - 513516-600001-CN10; 54504313 - 513516-600001-CN11; 54504312 - 513516-600001-CN12; 54504311 - 513516-600001-CN13).
RABI® has also registered three trademarks in Classes 16, 41, and 44 in Hong Kong (305575375; 305575410; 305575492).