Nominations open for Singapore Translational Research Investigator Award 2025 (Singapore)

The STaR Investigator Award is a talent award for an individual. A large collaborative project involving themes not driven/led by the same investigator would be deemed unsuitable for this programme. The proposed research should also have sufficient scientific depth.

Research Areas

• Applicants focusing on translation of research and innovations into healthcare in the following strategic areas (covering both expertise in technology as well as use case areas) will be prioritized:
  • Medical Technology (ManTech), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science and Digital Health
  • Epidemiology, Population Health and Implementation Science
  • Precision Medicine
  • Healthy and Meaningful Longevity
  • Family Medicine and Primary Care

Award Information

• For first STaR award, the total award quantum is S$6M over 5 years, inclusive of the PI’s salary support up to S$600k per annum, and direct costs and up to 30% indirect costs which will be adjusted accordingly.
• For STaR award renewal, the total award quantum over 5 years is S$4M, inclusive of the PI’s salary support up to S$600k per annum, and direct costs and up to 30% indirect costs which will be adjusted accordingly.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants should have a strong track record of scientific achievement, conduct cutting edge translational and clinical research (TCR) or research in Health Promotion, Preventive Health, Population Health, Health Services Research (HPHSR) or Health Technology, and produce outstanding research output with clinical and health impact.
• Applicants should hold a clinical qualification (e.g. MBBS, MD, BDS or equivalent), with specialty training beyond medical or dental school (including specialists, family physicians and public health practitioners)
• Applicants who are health science/healthcare professionals with non-medical degrees, such as nurses, pharmacists and other allied health professions listed on MOH’s website in clinical practice, possess PhD or equivalent qualifications are eligible to apply. Those without PhD or equivalent qualifications but possess relevant research track record can be considered for award on case-by-case basis.
• Applicants working in human clinical research, including epidemiologists and biostatisticians, and whose research is clinically relevant and has potential health impact, will be considered as exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
• All applicants must be doing research in clinical settings or doing research with clinical and healthcare applications/relevance.
• 6) Applicants with non-medical degrees conducting laboratory-based research are not eligible.
• Applicant must hold the following appointments:
  • A primary appointment in a local public hospital/public health institutions/national specialty centre/public university/Academic Medical Centre (AMC) and be salaried by the institution and
  • A regular-rank faculty/academic appointment in one of the AMCs or medical schools within 3 months of award conveyance.
• Applicant must agree to fulfil at least 9 months of residency in Singapore for each calendar year over the duration of the grant award (Host Institution must provide a letter, to commit that the STaR applicant will spend at least 75% of their time in Singapore upon award).
• Applicant must generally not be beyond the retirement age in the year of grant call.
• All research must be conducted in Singapore at a public research institute, hospital/centre or medical school.
• Applicant should not have outstanding reports from NMRC grants and other national grants.
• Applicant may only submit one application to the human capital/talent awards (i.e. STaR, CSA, HCSA, CIA and TA) for each round of grant call.
• Applicant is only allowed up to 2 resubmissions following an unsuccessful first submission.

Assessment Criteria

• The assessment criteria will be broadly as follows:
  • Track Record of PI will be the highest priority
  • Scientific excellence and potential outcomes in the respective areas
  • Feasibility of study in local context
  • Productivity o Overall Impact in local context

Application Requirements

• Awardees will have to provide an annual report to NMRC which sets out what has been achieved and the progress made towards the contributions which had been agreed to at the point of recruitment.
• There will be an extensive mid-term review (apart from the annual progress report submission) in the third year of funding support. The subsequent 2 years of funding support will be subject to review of the Year 3 mid-term report and progress made.
• The awardee is required to submit a final report to NMRC within 3 months from the project completion date.

For more information, visit NMRC.