Welcome to the Researcher’s Corner, a one stop platform that provides support and the information you need to thrive and do great research.
A wide range of resources and services are available for THEi staff.
Funding Opportunity
External competitive funding schemes available for application
SOPHIA
Access to electronic research management system SOPHIA (for grant application submission and project management)
E-resources
Manuals : Turnitin and VTC MS OneDrive
Access : FYP Online Media Repository, Staff Publication Repository, THEi Research Webinar Series, and VTC Libraries
Equipment Registry
Research equipment for shared-use
Research Support Centre
Facilities for research assistants and student researchers
Research Assistant Recruitment
Fast-track recruitment process for research assistants
English Proofreading Service
Research equipment for shared-use
Research Ethics
Guidelines and forms for obtaining human research ethics approval
Research Safety
Guidelines and forms for obtaining chemical / biological research safety and risk assessment clearance
Manage Your RGC Project
Guidelines and forms cabinet for RGC FDS, IIDS and IDS(C) projects.
SOPHIA
SOPHIA is an interactive web-based platform for THEi researchers to submit grant applications and manage funded research projects. Log in to SOPHIA using your VTC email and password.
SOPHIA User Manuals are available here.
SOPHIA Training Videos:
- Open User Account and Login (2’52”)
- Set Up Homepage (2’08”)
- Submit Research Grant Application (4’57”)
- View Your Projects in Sophia (3’46”)
- Download Grant Application Forms (1’25”)
FAQ
1. Who can apply for a SOPHIA account?
All full-time THEi academic staff are eligible to apply for a SOPHIA researcher account.
2. How do I apply for an account?
Please email your name, department name, post and email address to the Research Office at: thei-ro@thei.edu.hk or call 3890 8089.
3. How long does it take to open an account?
Your account will be ready within 3 working days. You will receive a notification email once it is ready.
4. What happens after I have submitted my application to SOPHIA?
Try logging on using your VTC email (i.e., @vtc.edu.hk) and password. If this does not work, you may not have an account and need to apply for one. Please contact the Research Office at: thei-ro@thei.edu.hk or call 3890 8089.
5. How do I submit my research grant proposal on SOPHIA?
You can refer to the SOPHIA User Manuals on how to submit your proposal on SOPHIA or you can watch the “Submit Research Grant Application” video.
If you still need help, please contact the Research Office at: thei-ro@thei.edu.hk or 3890 8089.
Electronic Resources
A list of useful resources for research staff (access through VTC network or connect through VPN at home).
Co-Revision on VTC MS OneDrive
Learn how to co-revise and simultaneously edit your research proposal with different parties on OneDrive for grant submission.
Final Year Project Online Media Repository
Explore the collections of abstracts, research posters and video presentations created by THEi students on their Final Year Projects for the annual Student Applied Research Presentations from 2019 and onwards.
THEi Research Webinar Series
The THEi Research Webinar Series is a collection of research webinars on various contemporary topics presented by THEi staff. Watch past webinars in our collection on the Panopto.
Turnitin Training Materials
View training materials on how to use the anti-plagiarism software Turnitin to do pre-submission screening for your research grant proposal.
Research Repository
The Research Repository provides access to publications authored by THEi staff.
VTC Library System
Access the entire library collection of the VTC library, which consists of 612,200 in print volumes, 321,300+ titles of e-books, 82,515 e-journals and 90+ electronic databases (as of May 2020).
THEi Research Equipment Registry Equipment Shared-use
Welcome to THEi's centralized research equipment registry. The registry is set up to help categorize the equipment resources and promote shared-use of resouces among academic staff and students for research purposes.
Featured Equipment
Categories (click to see details):
- Analytical Instruments
- Body Scanners & Human Data Capturing
- 3D Printing and Advanced Prototyping
- Drones, GPS & Laser Rangefinders
- Tree Analysis Equipment
Disclaimer
The borrower/user should contact the equipment contact person for the availability status of the equipment. Equipment may be subject to a usage charge, and some specialized equipment may require the borrower/user to undergo training before use.
Research Support Centre (RSC)
The Research Support Centre (RSC), located at S601, South Block, THEi (Chai Wan), is a central facility providing communal workspace for project support staff and student researchers to concentrate on their research in a quiet and comfortable environment. The RSC is well-equipped with:
- individual computer work stations
- software: Adobe Pro, Adobe Creative Cloud, SPSS and NVivo
- lockers*
- multi-function digital copier*
- telephone lines*
*For staff use only
The RSC also has a multi-purpose room with audio-visual equipment available for booking. The multi-purpose room is suitable for organising training workshops or small-scale meetings.
Opening hours:
09:00 - 18:00 (Mon - Fri)
Closed (Sat, Sun & Public Holidays)
Research Ethics
Research activities that involve human subjects pose potential ethical and legal concerns. These activities require human research ethics approval by an appropriate authority to safeguard the rights, safety and well-being of all human subjects involved, and to ensure compliance with international ethical standards and local legal ordinances on privacy and personal data collection.
THEi’s Human Subjects Ethics Committee (HSEC) is an institutional review board responsible for overseeing the ethical aspect of human research by THEi researchers.
Who should apply for human research ethics approval?
THEi researchers, whether staff or students, whose projects involve human subjects should apply for ethical review and approval by the HSEC for staff and student projects.
When to apply?
Ethics approval should be obtained before subject recruitment and commencement of data collection. A project’s principal investigator is recommended to apply for ethics approval in the planning stage of the project. At least 4 weeks should be allowed for the processing of an ethics application.
How to apply?
Please click “Go” to read the respective “Human Research Ethical Guidelines” for staff projects or student projects, and to download the forms and templates for completion (staff login required).
Research Safety
THEi strives to provide a safe environment for research to take place. The Safety, Health and Environment Committee (SHEC) provides consultation on occupational health and safety matters for faculties and operational units of THEi, including the safety of research activities occurring in the laboratories on THEi premises. It is crucial that such activities are carried out in accordance with the laboratory’s standard operational procedures and practice codes, and in compliance with THEi’s safety and health policies.
Who should apply to SHEC for research safety clearance?
All THEi research projects need to complete a Risk Assessment for the project. Research projects that involve the use of biological and/or chemical materials should also apply to SHEC for research safety clearance.
When to apply?
Risk Assessment, biological and/or chemical safety clearances should be obtained from SHEC before the commencement of any laboratory work related to a project. The project's principal investigator is strongly recommended to make the clearance application at the project's planning stage. At least 4 to 6 weeks should be allowed for processing the application.
How to apply?
Please click "Go" to read the "SHEC Guidelines on Obtaining Risk Assessment and Research Safety Clearances for Research Projects" and download the application documents for completion (login required).
Manage Your RGC Project
Guidelines
THEi guidelines for research staff of funded RGC projects (access through VTC network or connect through VPN at home).
Faculty Development Scheme (FDS) Forms Cabinet
Go to the UGC's website to download the request for change and relevant report forms.
Inter-Institutional Development Scheme (IIDS) Forms Cabinet
Go to the UGC's website to download the request for change and relevant report forms.
Institutional Development Scheme Collaborative Research Grant (IDS CRG) Forms Cabinet
Go to the UGC's website to download the request for change and relevant report forms.