Dreamer Lab Award 2023-24

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Purpose

To support student-initiated innovative projects in or outside Hong Kong that address environmental and social issues, care for the neglected group in the community, or help build a sustainable society by providing a subsidy of max $30,000.

Types of Application

Local Track
The proposal serves local community.

For individual application, applicants can apply for a subsidy of HK$10,000.
For team application, applicants can apply in a group of 2 or above for a subsidy of HK$30,000.

Non-local Track
The proposal involves overseas trips

Only team applications will be accepted.
Applicants can apply in a group of 2 to 4 participants for a subsidy of 50% of the proposed budget or total expenses, whichever is lower. The ceiling amount of $10,000 per person.

*Applicants could submit at most one application to each of the local and non-local tracks.

Check our infographics if you are uncertain about the type of subsidies to look for: (Click below to enlarge)

Click HERE to learn more about Catalyst for Community Building Grant (CCB).

Related Key Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):

SDG_9 SDG_11 SDG_17

Application Details

Eligibility:	Full-time HKBU undergraduate students from UGC-funded programmes
Project location:	In and outside Hong Kong
Application and selection procedures:	The completed application should be sent to lqc@hkbu.edu.hk by 23:59 pm on 12 Oct 2023 (1st round) OR 12 January 2024 (2nd round). Selected applicant(s) will be invited to attend an interview NOTE: Round 2 application may not open if the budget was fully committed in Round 1.
Requirements for Project Implementation (After being selected):	Before project launch Consult the staff of the Leadership Qualities Centre (at least twice) Submit a finalised proposal During project execution Share your experience on the social media Report the progress to the staff of Leadership Qualities Centre regularly After completion of project Post-activity survey, reflective report, photos, and a video. Selected groups may be invited to showcase their experience or outcomes from the activity in the current or following academic year.
Award payment:	Local Track Successful applicants will receive 50% of the award amount within 2 months after the result announcement. The remaining 50% will be given to the successful applicants upon the completion of the projects and the completed submission of the required report. LQC reserves the right to withdraw the award if the applicant failed to fulfill at least 20% of the agreed KPIs after the first phase of the project. Non-local Track The full award amount will be given to the successful applicants upon completion of the trips and the completed submission of the required report.
Remarks	Applicants could submit at most one application to each of the local and non-local tracks. Prior consideration will be given to projects with entrepreneurial elements (i.e. establishing social enterprise). For application to the non-local track: If the applicant’s proposal has gained subsidy from another source, s/he can still enroll for the DLA but the subsidy granted will not exceed the total expenses. Applicant must identify and invite AT LEAST ONE local partner from the destination (e.g. international NGOs, community centers, local schools, etc.)

Related Key Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):

SDG_9 SDG_11 SDG_17

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Criteria		Local Track	Non-local Track
Impact	Deal with the identified environmental and social issues in a practical way. Care for the neglected group in the community. Raise awareness of the public and/ or HKBU community towards the identified social issue.	30%	35%
Creativity	Show unique and innovative ideas. Provide creative solutions in response to the identified social needs.	30%	25%
Sustainability	Assist or address the identified group or issue without comprising the needs of others in the future. Able to achieve self-financing.	20%	0%
Learning Elements from Destination	Able to name and elaborate on specific community issues common in HK and the destination. Able to relate the learning elements from the destination to the benefits of HKBU or the Hong Kong community.	0%	20%
Organisation	Provide a detailed and presentable execution plan. Able to identify and consider possible risks and provide solutions. Efficient use of the Budget	20%	20%
Total		100%	100%

Related Key Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):

SDG_9 SDG_11 SDG_17

Past Awardees

22 - 23

Non-Local Track

Sweden Team (Boy’s Journey in Sweden)

3 Boys explored the lifestyle in Sweden, and compared it with Hong Kong's. One of their finding is an unique concept promoted by Swedes, called "lagom", which means maintaining equilibrium in their lives, pursuing "just the right amount". They believed that Hong Kong citizens may gain some insight from it.

UK Team

As the global warming is getting more serious, 4 HKBU students decided to explore the issue of heat wave. They went to United Kingdom to explore the issue through site visits, consultations with NGOs and conducting interviews. Finally, they produced an 1-hour long documentry to raise public awareness towards the topic.

Okinawa Team

2 Year-1 Students went to Okinawa to understand the development of eco-toursim in Japan. Through exploring different attractions and interviewing with locals, they gained a lot of first-hand information about the policies and citizens' opinions, which cannot be easily found on the Internet.

Netherland Team

3 Students aimed to identify what factors may contributed to happiness. They conducted a research in Netherland by surveys, interviews and social experiments. They acknowledged various factors including equality, fairness and environment protection etc, may play an significant role to the happiness level of a city.

Local Track

RICEING UP

2 students from the School of Chinese Medicine initiated a project to share tips of good health and wellness with reference to Chinese medical theories. Cooking videos using Chinese medicines and herbs as ingredients are created. The team will also publish 2 health magazines covering different cooking recipes and information on Chinese medicines. Click here to read more!

1st issue of Health Magazine

19 - 20

Foodmula 2.0

4 students from the School of Chinese Medicine created a mobile application to provide users with health advices using Chinese medical theories. By a few clicks, the Apps can provide an evaluation of the users' body status and suggest suitable diet advices. This year, they submitted another application to enhance the system of the Apps, making its content become richer and more user-friendly.

Click here to read more!

StudyShare

3 non-local students developed a mobile application to provide a platform in fostering academic discussions and supporting peers with learning difficulties.

18-19

Sing The World

The team secured our funding again this year to advance their service. Including improving the tutors' quality, recruiting more volunteers and providing new visual art classes. Like last year, They also continued to provide children from low-income families singing and English tutorials.

Foodmula

4 students from the School of Chinese Medicine created a mobile application to provide users with health advices using Chinese medical theories. By a few clicks, the Apps can provide an evaluation of the users' body status and suggest suitable diet advices based on Chinese medical theories. It helps promoting healthy lifestyles and Chinese medicine to public.

Siteseeing

This group designed and implemented a puzzle-solving game in the community. The game is aimed to raise citizens' attention towards the livelihood of people with physical disabilities. This group also showed the importance of creating "Barrier-free Society" to public.

17-18

Grasswood

This team focus on the issue of homelessness in Hong Kong. They implemented a project to empower homelessness in the community, through organizing woodworking tutorials and workshops for them. Homeless people could develop professional skills and meet with other social parties during this project. At the same time, this eliminated the negative stereotypes towards homelessness in the society.

The Renaissance of Stars

Awardees focus on the nervousness and anxiety of secondary school students towards the public exam. They provided study materials and mock exams for secondary students to prepare. Hoping students could understand their own weaknesses and practise more to overcome. In addition, awradees organized career consultations with students, assisted them to clarify their study and career path after graduation.

Sing The World

Awardees wanted to provide more learning opportunities for children from low-income families. They operated a children choir team to achieve this goal. This project provided children workshops of singing and english tutorials. This created valuable and interesting learning opportunities for students from low-income families.

There is a news article about the project, click here to read it!

Share a Dish

Awardees wished to raise public concerns and eliminate the stereotypes towards refugees in Hong Kong. Therefore, they organized some activities with other parties, such as inviting some local families to cook meals for refugees. Through communicating with refugees, local citizens understood more about the difficulties that refugees faced. Refugees also felt being cared and warmth within the process.

Picture Book Publication

Awardees published a picture book, using a jellyfish as the main character, which has similar characteristics with children with hearing loss, both are poor in hearing but sensitive to the world. The story is about a jellyfish interact with different animals within its journey. They hoped to gain society's attention to children with hearing loss, and wished people in the society can learn mutual respect.

Related Key Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):

SDG_9 SDG_11 SDG_17