HONG KONG, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Central Policy Unit (CPU) of Hong Kong announced Tuesday that it has decided to fund six projects with a total funding of about 3.7 million HK dollars (about 477,419 U.S. dollars) in 2015-16.

　　The decision came after the CPU has processed 13 proposals in the Public Policy Research (PPR) Funding Scheme 2015-16, which involved a total funding of about 9.1 million HK dollars, which were assessed by a panel comprising 16 experienced academics.

　　The funded projects cover a wide spectrum of policy areas, including land supply and housing markets, poverty and inequality, regional co-operation and development, economic development, air quality, and ecological conservation.

　　The Hong Kong government introduced the PPR Funding Scheme in 2005 to promote public policy research. From 2013-14 onwards, the CPU is administering the day-to-day operation of the PPR Funding Scheme.