The Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA) is a collaboration between the Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR), the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and the Singapore Management University (SMU).
PhD training is carried out in English at a student’s chosen lab at A*STAR research institutes and NTU/NUS/SUTD/SMU. Upon successful completion, students are conferred a PhD degree by either NTU, NUS, SUTD or SMU.
Singapore is the gateway to some of the fastest-growing economies in the Asia Pacific region. And with SINGA, you can pursue your PhD education in Singapore, establish global links and take your research career to greater heights.
SINGA fosters a vibrant and culturally diverse research community of international students. You’ll be working in a multi-cultural environment alongside distinguished and world-renowned researchers in state-of-the-art facilities.
Pursue your PhD education in Singapore with SINGA and take your research to greater heights.
RESEARCH AREAS
SINGA supports PhD studies in Biomedical Sciences, Computing and Information Sciences, Engineering and Technology, and Physical Sciences.
More information on:
A*STAR Supervisors and Projects
SMU School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS)
SUTD Pillars/Clusters and Research Centres
Please note that you will be required to indicate your choices of supervisor in the application form.
ELIGIBILITY
- Open for application to all international graduates with a passion for research and excellent academic results
Note: SINGA is intended primarily for international students studying for the first time in Singapore. Singaporeans, Singapore Permanent Residents and International students studying/who have studied in Singapore tertiary institutions are not eligible. - Good skills in written and spoken English
- Good reports from academic referees
The above eligibility criteria are not exhaustive.
A*STAR may include additional selection criteria based on prevailing scholarship policies. These policies may be amended from time to time without notice.
COVERAGE
The award provides support for up to 4 years of PhD studies including:
- Tuition fees
- Monthly stipend of S$2,700 which will be increased to S$3,200 after the passing of the Qualifying Examination*
- One-time airfare grant of up to S$1,500
- One-time settling-in allowance of S$1,000
Estimated cost of living in Singapore
| Item | Per Student Per Month (S$) | |
| Food | University Canteens | 250 – 350 |
| Meals outside Campus | 450 – 600 | |
| Accommodation (based on a single room) | On – Campus† | 400 – 700 |
| Transport Expenses (local) | 100 – 150 | |
| Other Expenses (stationary, laundry, toiletries, recreation, etc.) | 400 – 500 | |
| Total Estimated Cost of Living | 1,400 – 2,000 | |
* These rates are only applicable to awardees starting their PhDs from January 2024 onwards. Terms of award are reviewed periodically, and prevailing terms apply to SINGA awardees starting their PhDs from January 2024 onwards.
† Priority for on-campus accommodation is usually given to first year students.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
- Browse PhD Research Projects
Go to Research Areas to browse the projects you are interested in. - Documents Required
Do prepare the following documents in advance before applying.
Note: Do NOT mail any hard copy documents to SINGA Office. All necessary documents are to be submitted online.a. Valid Passport
b. A recent passport-sized photo (in .jpeg or .png format) - Transcripts & Reports
ALL transcripts need to be in English translation
Mandatory
- Bachelor’s and/or Master’s academic transcripts.
- Bachelor’s Degree certificate(s) / scroll(s) or a letter of certification from the university on your candidature if your degree certificate / scroll has not yet been conferred.
- 2 recommendation reports (to be completed and submitted online by the referees).
- Applicants applying to NUS supervisors/projects are required to submit your GRE scores in your SINGA application form.
- For all other applicants, you may be requested by the university to submit satisfactory GRE scores as part of the university admission requirement.
- The submission of IELTS / TOEFL / SAT I & II / GATE results is optional and may be requested later by the university for admission.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please read the important information below.
- Please ensure that the information you provide during account registration in the application portal is accurate, as the information will be used for verification upon your first log-in.
- Please ensure that you apply for the correct scholarship – “Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA)” – in the application portal after logging in.
- Please do NOT mail any hard copy documents to the SINGA Office.
- Please submit your applications as early as possible. This will provide ample time for your referees to submit their online recommendation reports before the application deadline, as only applications with 2 recommendation reports will be processed.
- Please check and ensure that all data you have entered in the online application form is correct and accurate before you submit the application. Amendments to the application will NOT be possible after it is submitted.
Apply SINGA via this link now!
Submission deadline for January 2025 intake: 1 July 2024 (2359hrs GMT +8 Singapore Time)
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified within 12 weeks from the application closing date.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)
Click here for more frequently asked questions.
Please contact us at singa_enquiries@hq.a-star.edu.sg if you have further queries.