As a research-intensive institution, the University continued to build on its core areas
of research excellence and to make an impact with revolutionary discoveries. Reflecting strong research output, a total of 633 new projects took off in the year* while 748 projects were completed. A totalof 2,146 papers were published in internationally refereed journals.
To further encourage a culture of R & D in Singapore,attractive funding and grants were made available for research work in diverse areas ranging from biomedical sciences, engineering to social sciences. The University enjoyed a major funding of $343 million in research grants in the year* from the National Research Foundation, Ministry of Education and other agencies, registering an increase of 28 per cent over the year before. Some of the notable grants include a $10 million Competitive Research Programme Funding Grant for Lipidomics, $13 million for six projects undertaken by the Interactive and Digital Media Institute, and over $18 million for two projects undertaken by the Faculty of Engineering on membrane materials and spintronics.
Recognising the importance of forging strategic partnerships with top organisations worldwide to
sustain a culture of research excellence, the University
inked a total of 117 research agreements with a
total project value of $37 million during the year of
review. Partnering the Agency for Science, Technology
and Research (A*STAR), the University entered a
collaboration with the world’s largest non-profit
cancer research institute, the Ludwig Institute for
Cancer Research, to set up its first Asia branch for
translational and clinical cancer research. A joint
agreement with global leader European Aeronautic
Defence and Space Company (EADS) will impact the
future of the aerospace industry in Singapore.
A significant number of research institutes and centres were set up in the period under review. Research foci remain strategic and aligned to the nation’s economic growth and competitiveness.
The University was awarded its second Research Centre of Excellence (RCE) – the Cancer Research Centre of Excellence – following last year’s Centre
for Quantum Technologies. With funding of $172 million over seven years
from the National Research Foundation and the Ministry of Education, and
headed by world-renowned cancer researcher Daniel Tenen, Saw Swee Hock Centennial Professor in Medical Sciences, the Cancer RCE aims
to be one of the world’s leading centres in the field. It also intends to train over
150 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows within the first five years.
Focusing on energy and environmental issues, a new Energy Studies Institute
(ESI), was established. The first such think-tank in Southeast Asia, ESI aims
to make Singapore a centre for strategic research on energy. It has already
embarked on a number of study projects such as energy consumption
behaviour in Singapore, impact of climate change on businesses in Asia and
the use of biofuels. The University also established the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) in collaboration with the Economic Development
Board. Some of its initial research projects will focus on silicon-based
solar cells, novel photovoltaic devices and innovative materials for solar and
energy-efficient buildings.
The Office of Life Sciences, set up in 2001, was repositioned as the Life Sciences
Institute (LSI). It continues to facilitate multidisciplinary life sciences research
among the five core faculties: Engineering, Science, Medicine, Dentistry and
Computing, as well as other affiliated institutions.
Other research institutes and centres launched within the period include
Singapore’s first Centre for Hazards Research; the Middle East Institute; and
Lien Centre for Palliative Care, Asia’s first palliative care research centre,
set up jointly by the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore and
Lien Foundation. The Institute of Water Policy was also established under the
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy to conduct research on water policies
and provide a forum for water management issues.
The Centre for Translational Medicine at NUS, when completed in 2010, will
help Singapore stay ahead of competition and maintain its status as a regional
medical hub. It will house the medical library, lecture theatres, digital media
(SMART) classrooms, and a simulated hospital and intensive care unit for
medical and nursing student teaching. Some of the nation’s key biomedical
research resources will also be situated here, including the Cancer RCE and the
Clinical Imaging Research Centre (CIRC). The CIRC, a collaboration with A*STAR
and Siemens Medical Solutions, will be a focal point for the development and
testing of new imaging methods. It will also serve as a training centre for
postgraduate students in clinical imaging and provide a shared resource for
human imaging research across Singapore.
