CFAs: CS-IRG New Investigator Grant (Singapore)

Research Themes

• The CS-IRG-NIG is open to application on all research themes. Applications are assessed based on scientific merit and relevance to Singapore, but should prioritisation be required between meritorious applications, the following seven disease areas have been identified as national priorities for research:
  • Cancers and neoplasms
  • Cardiovascular
  • Eye
  • Infection
  • Mental health
  • Metabolic and endocrine
  • Neurological

Funding Information

• The CS-IRG-NIG will provide a funding quantum of up to S$260,000 (inclusive of up to 30% indirect costs^) for up to 2 years.  Projects involving prospective patient/subject recruitment may apply for a funding duration of up to 3 years, subject to the same funding quantum.

Eligibility Criteria

• Each CS-IRG-NIG application must be led by a Clinical Principal Investigator (PI) who has to fulfill the eligibility criteria listed below:
  • PI must be clinically qualified (i.e. with MD/MBBS/BDS) and preferably with post-graduate clinical training and experience.
  • Allied Health Professionals who meet the following conditions may apply:
    • Non-medically trained PIs who are nurses, pharmacists or other allied health professions listed on the MOH’s website in clinical practice, doing research in clinical settings or doing research with clinical and healthcare applications/relevance, are eligible to apply.
    • Applicants who are working in human clinical research, including epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and whose research is clinically relevant and has potential health impact, will be considered as exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
    • Non-medically trained applicants conducting wet laboratory based research are not eligible.
    • Applicants must possess a minimum academic qualification of a PhD or the equivalent training.
    • Recipients of NMRC Human Capital Awards, Transition Award and NMRC Research Training Fellowship are eligible to apply.
  • A STAR CS scholar from the National Science Scholarship (NSS) (MBBS-PhD) or NSS (MD-PhD) schemes and who fulfil the following may apply:
    • hold primary appointments in Academic Medical Centres (AMCs), public health institutions (PHIs) or medical schools; or
    • hold primary appointments in A STAR but (with mutual agreement of A STAR and the AMC/PHI/medical school) also hold a joint appointment in the AMC/PHI/medical school, provided that any such grant application is supported by the AMC/PHI/medical school. The institution/school should also consider if these A STAR CS scholars are able to demonstrate that they can act as a bridge between A STAR and the healthcare system.
    • submit the grant application through AMCs/PHIs/medical schools as host institutions.
  • For proposals involving patients, the clinical PI or co-I should be SMC registered; or should be able to demonstrate ability to access patients through SMC registered collaborators. For some CS-IRG-NIG proposals it is recognized that some studies may be pre-clinical and not require the PI to be SMC registered.
  • Only one PI is allowed per application. The number of applications by an individual (as PI) is capped at 1 grant application per grant type in a grant call.

For more information, visit National Medical Research Council.