Request for Applications: Transition Award 2025 (Singapore)

The award aims to help them to transit to a stable independent research position or other independent research funding.

The long-term goal of the award is to increase the cohort of new and talented, NMRC-supported independent CSs in the three CS tracks: Translational & Clinical Research (TCR), Health Promotion, Preventive Health, Population Health and Health Services Research (HPHSR) or Health Technology.

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 prioritised:
  • Medical Technology (MedTech), 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

• The award includes up to $300k grant support, up to 30% indirect costs4 and 0.5 FTE to 0.7 FTE salary support for protected time in research over 4 years.

Eligibility Criteria

• 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 must have received in-depth scientific training through a PhD programme, Masters Programme, or at least 2 years post-doctoral intensive research experience, in relevant local or overseas universities, research institutes, centres etc.
• 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.
• Applicants with non-medical degrees conducting laboratory-based research are not eligible.
• Applicants should not have been an independent PI on national/international research grants. Recipients of institutional grants or NIG grants are eligible to apply. Applicants who have previously held one national grant (e.g. EDG or IRG), can apply on exceptions basis with justifications.
• For clinicians (with MBBS/MD/BDS), the number of years after exiting from specialist training should not exceed 8 years. For health science/healthcare professionals with non-medical degrees and applicants applying on exception basis, the number of years post PhD (or post basic degrees for those without PhD) should not exceed 8 years.
• Applicant must hold 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;
• Applicant must be a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident at the point of application.
• 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 and suitability of the applicant to be an independent investigator/CS will be of the highest priority
  • Quality of proposed research
  • Feasibility of study in local context
  • Productivity
  • Overall Impact in local context
  • Mentorship training plan, suitability and track record of mentor

Application Requirements

• The awardee 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.
• The awardee is required to submit a final report to NMRC within 3 months from the project completion date.

For more information, visit NMRC.