A. Objectives

Law Sun Service Learning Fund was established with a donation from a Social Sciences alumna Dr Katherine Lo Wai Fong, in memory of her father. It aims to encourage full-time undergraduate student teams to engage in service learning projects in Mainland China or abroad.

B. Eligible Projects

1. The Fund supports service learning projects which are organised or led by full-time HKU undergraduate students with the support of HKU staff and faculty.
2. Projects take place in Mainland China or abroad. 
3. Projects must be non-credit bearing or fulfilling any course requirements.

C. Funding Available

1. The maximum amount of Fund for each project should not exceed $50,000.
2. Funding available for each project will be subject to the level of participation of students and the impact brought to the community or service targets. In principle, the amount of fund reflects the merits of the proposed project
3. The Fund can be used to cover traveling and accommodation costs of full-time undergraduate students, programme and materials costs.
4. The Fund does not support:
   1. Purchase of fixed assets such as equipment and furniture;
   2. Honorarium, remuneration and/or administrative fees for the services provided by the project team, partner organisation(s) and other third parties;
   3. Meals, refreshment and catering costs;
   4. Gifts and souvenir items (except those approved);
   5. Travel insurance; and
   6. Donation to other parties.

D. Application Procedure

Applicants should submit their application online with:

1. A page of background information of the student society / group;
2. CV(s) of project coordinator(s);
3. A project proposal of a maximum of 10 pages (in 12-point font) which includes the followings:
   a. Project title;
   b. Project summary (150 words);
   c. Project objectives;
   d. Project activities and schedule (including date, time, duration, venue, format, content, expected number of HKU participants, type and number of service targets, etc.);
   e. Expected outcomes (including the impact on HKU students and service recipients, contributions to local community, and achievements towards the stated objectives) and the corresponding evaluation methods;
   f. Sustainability of the project;
   g. Plan on how to share the project results and outcomes to HKU community and society at large;
   h. Budget
   • Income (e.g. programme fee/contribution by volunteers, sponsorship, donation, etc.)
   • Expenses (e.g. trip expense on transportation and accommodation of volunteers, training cost for volunteers, promotion and publicity, material costs of service activities, etc.)
   • Amount of grant being sought
4. For projects which take place outside Hong Kong with any pilot and/or service trip(s), applicants should also provide the tentative trip itinerary.
5. A successful applicant will be disqualified and/or, where appropriate, be required to refund if he/she provides any false or misleading information. Applicants with preliminary ideas are welcome to meet with the Student Advising Officers of CEDARS for advice before drafting a proposal.
6. No retrospective applications will be considered by CEDARS, i.e. projects which have already been executed before application deadline will not be considered for funding.

E. Application: The Fund is depleted and closes for application

F. Assessment of Application

Funding decision is usually announced within six weeks upon closing of application. Funding is awarded on the basis of:

• Relevance to the objectives of the Fund, and
• The impact of the project to the community and students.

G. Project Execution and Report

1. Under normal circumstances, projects should be completed within one year upon approval. All changes to approved projects and deferral of completion date require approval from CEDARS in advance. Students are no longer eligible for the grant once their HKU student identities and status expire before projects complete.
2. Within one month upon completion of the projects, project teams should submit their reports and all the required information to CEDARS.
3. In general, the Grant will be paid in the form of reimbursement upon successful completion of the project, presentation of the original receipts and submission of all reporting documents and materials.
4. If needed, CEDARS may invite project teams for meetings to review the progress during the project implementation phase. Upon completion of the projects, project teams may also be invited to present their findings and outcomes to the HKU community and wider public.
5. The University and CEDARS may use the project materials provided in the report for publicity purpose.

H. Important Notes

1. Submission of incorrect / incomplete information may cause delay / disqualification. Moreover, a successful applicant will be disqualified and / or, where appropriate, be required to refund the grant if he / she provides any false or incomplete information to CEDARS.
2. The Fund is a token subsidy and does not mean to assist any student body/group to generate income or profit. Project teams with other sources of funding can also apply for the Fund, but the total amount obtained from different sources must not exceed the total expenditure. Moreover, applicants are required to declare and report on details of any subsidies and sponsorships already received at the time of application or as soon as they are awarded.
3. Please note that CEDARS will NOT be involved in any financial transactions or accounting work of the project teams. If needed, CEDARS can offer advice on financial management and fund-raising strategy.
4. All students supported by the Fund to participate in any out-of-Hong Kong trip(s) are required to read the information on Crisis and Emergency Outside Hong Kong, and sign the Assumption of Risk and Release Form(http://wp.cedars.hku.hk/fileupload/files/dosa/Assumption_Risk_Release_Form_20191205.pdf). Please Return the signed copies to CEDARS by email to cedars@hku.hk at least 7 working days before the date of departure from Hong Kong. Failure to do so may result in disqualification of the Fund. Before leaving Hong Kong, students are also strongly advised to arrange their own travel insurance to best suit their needs, especially if they are planning to travel beyond the official programme period for personal leisure purpose. 
5. Project teams are required to follow HKU’s Full Disposable Plastic Free Campus Policy which prohibits the sale and distribution of single-use plastic food service ware, single-use plastic bottled beverages of 1 litre or less in volume, and single-use plastic banners on University premises. The policy applies to all student-run events. For details, please visit: HKU Estates Office: Disposable Plastic Free Campus Policy.

K. Enquiries

For enquiries, please contact CEDARS at cedars@hku.hk.

Update on 7 December 2023