The School has launched “Research Cluster/Centre Scheme (RCC)” in 2006, aiming to establish a number of promising research clusters involved in conducting research that can significantly add to knowledge and understanding in the Communication and Information related disciplines. Promising research clusters receive a direct allocation of up to $100,000 from the School.

The proposed clusters are reviewed by an external panel. Principal Investigators of the clusters will then be invited to submit detailed proposals upon recommendation by the Panel.

The School funds research clusters (with at least three members) to carry out research using knowledge, methods, and perspectives of communication and information, and to enhance the understanding of science, technology, and humanities resulting in research publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. Planned and active attempts are carried out to raise the research profile of the theme of the clusters as well as to promote the School as an active research School within and outside the university through: 

• having a Web presence to promote the research cluster and projects; 
• identifying an action plan in getting possible funding support that might help to sustain the research cluster beyond the duration of the grant;
• generating more related projects; and
• supervising PhD and Master’s students in projects identified by the cluster.

The cluster grant is awarded primarily to support research rather than publicity. However, up to 10% of the grant could be used to carry out research-related activities to communicate the results of their work to the appropriate scholarly and public audiences such as organizing conferences, symposiums, workshops, tutorials and panels.