The Research Department endeavors to provide niche expertise and deliver research administration services and systems to the HKUST(GZ) research community. As a central organization, the Research Department collaboratives with Hub, Thrust, and other research units to support faculty and staff in soliciting, securing, and managing research project fundings, including the following core services:

• Standardize and promulgate research policy and compliance
• Review and endorse proposals for government-sponsored research projects
• Manage and oversight the awarded projects till the final closeout
• Review and endorse collaboration agreements between the Univerisity and non-company entities
• Provide effective and supportive research project management system
• Record and claim research outputs for each awarded project
• Archive research project materials and statistics in the whole project lifecycle

Since the establishment of the university, the Research Department has liaised with more than 90 sponsors, including government departments and non-enterprise funding agencies, covering over 60 local and non-local funding schemes. As of December 2025, the Research Department has reviewed and submitted over 2069 applications to the funding agencies. Of these, 827 research projects have been awarded.

The primary missions of the Research Department are to provide excellence in research administration, deliver relevant information on funding opportunities, and maintain a high standard of integrity and professional conduct of research. The Research Department would endeavor to help faculty and staff further push the frontier of science and research and promote the advanced technological innovation of collaborative development in the Greater Bay Area.