Singapore National Research Foundation Fellowship

(Singapore NRF Fellowship)

The Singapore National Research Foundation Fellowship (Singapore NRF Fellowship) is a prestigious Fellowship open to budding researchers in the areas of science and technology. Besides supporting the appointment at NUS, NRF will also provide each appointed Fellow with a research grant of up to SGD$3 million over 5 years. The research grant to be provided can only be used to fund research conducted in Singapore. More information is available on the NRF website.

Past Awardees

    Please click here for the past awardees.

    Eligibility

  • Interested outstanding scientists and researchers under the age of 40 at the close of the call, of any nationality with a Ph.D degree in any discipline of science and technology from a reputable university, are eligible to apply for the Singapore NRF Fellowship.
  • Research projects which are already funded by other agencies or being considered for funding by other agencies are not eligible for funding under the Singapore NRF Fellowship Scheme.
  • A prior post-doctoral stint at a renowned university or research organisation would be an advantage.

Criteria for Selection

The NRF is looking for the following qualities in the candidates:

  • Top quality research talent with excellent scientific credentials as an outstanding young researcher;
  • Readiness to take on a first independent research appointment, usually having completed and demonstrated outstanding performance during a first post-doctoral fellowship stint at a reputable university;
  • Internationally competitive research project proposal demonstrating scientific excellence;
  • Potential and aspiration to become a next generation research leader in his/her field; and
  • Willingness to commit to carrying out cutting-edge research on a full-time basis in Singapore if selected.

Terms and Conditions

  • Gross annual salary is pegged to that of an Assistant Professor and ranges from SGD$72,000 to SGD$144,000.
  • Successful applicants will receive research funding of up to SGD$3 million dollars over five years.
  • Outstanding Fellows may be offered tenured track or permanent positions at the appropriate academic departments in NUS.
  • Awardees would be required to take up at least 25% teaching load for the 4th and 5th year of their Fellowship term.
  • A full performance review will be conducted at the end of the 3rd year of the award term and each NRF Fellow will be tied to the following expectations:
      i. Research accomplishment as measured by:
    • Quality and impact of research (paper publications and citations counts)
    • Recognition of research contribution (collaboration with renowned research groups or individuals, and invitations to major scientific meetings, committees and editorial boards)
    • Awards
      ii. Direct interaction with industry and/or generation of IP as evidenced by:
    • Industry collaboration
    • Invention disclosures/patents filed
    • Contribution to innovation and entrepreneurship activities
      Performance metrics of the above shall be:
    • Training of 6 PhD students and post-docs
    • 6 papers published in top journals in your research field as a leading and/or corresponding author
    • 2 invention disclosures and/or patents filed

Schedule of Annual Call and Activities

There is one call per year, on 1 April. Shortlisted finalists as well as unsuccessful applicants will be notified by December 2012. The final interviews by NRF Fellowship Evaluation Panel will be held in January 2013, where shortlisted candidates would be invited to Singapore for a campus visit.

Date of Current / Next Call

1 April 2012

Deadline for Current / Next Call

Deadline to NRF is on 14 August 2012.

Application Procedure

Please click here for the online application on NRF's website.

Applicants need a "RITA account" before application can be done online. Application for the RITA account can be made via https://rita.nrf.gov.sg/default.aspx. All attachments uploaded on RITA must be clearly labelled to facilitate easy identification of the attachment's contents.

Contact Person(s) for More Information

Ms Zhuang Xinmin Email: zhuang_xinmin@nrf.gov.sg
Mr Eddie Goh Tel : 6516 8114 Email: dprges@nus.edu.sg
Ms Mandy Ng Tel : 6516 4824 Email : dprmyn@nus.edu.sg