Research Grants

Programme Call Calendar

Responsibilities of a PI

Preparation and Submission of Proposals

Research Compliances
Please refer to the research compliances link above for the forms.

Types of Compliances Details
Risk Assessment - NUS OSHE This clearance is required for lab-based projects. Online applications can be made through the OPRAS system via OSHE website. Afterwhich the PI is to print out the hardcopy of the risk assessment form with the PI's signature and HoD's signature and the form is to be forwarded to Science Dean's Office (Research) for processing before formal approval can be given by OSHE.
Declaration form - NUS OSHE This form must be completed for non lab-based projects. Completed form has to be submitted to Science Dean's Office (Research), which will then send it to OSHE. The form can be downloaded from OSHE website.
Clearance for Human Subjects - NUS IRB This clearance is required for human subject projects. The application form can be downloaded from IRB website and submitted directly to IRB with a copy of the form to be sent to Science Dean's Office.
Clearance for Animal Use and Care - NUS IACUC This clearance is required for projects that need any form of animal use or care.The application form can be downloaded from IACUC website and submitted directly to IACUC with a copy of the form to be sent to Science Dean's Office.
Conducting research in Malaysia Staff who wishes to conduct research in Malaysia is required to seek approval from the Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister's Department of Malaysia before doing so. Failure to do so would constitute a violation under the "Regulations for the Conduct of Research in Malaysia". Please go to the Malaysia Economic Planning Unit website to download information paper on the rules for conducting research in Malaysia.
Conducting research in Thailand Staff who wish to conduct research in Thailand are required to seek approval from NRCT before doing so. Please visit National Research Council, Thailand (NRCT) for the application forms and regulations.
Conducting research in other countries Staff who wishes to conduct research outside Singapore should check and ensure that necessary approvals from the relevant authorities from the respective countries have been obtained.

Academic Research Fund, Ministry of Education (ARF, MOE)

Types of Grants Description
FRC Grants (Tier 1) These are grants with total project value of below $180,000 and are awarded by the Faculty Research Committee (FRC).
URC Grants (Tier 1) These are grants with the total project value of above $180,000 and below $500,000. They are awarded by the University Research Committee (URC).
ARC Grants (Tier 2) These are grants with the total project value of $500,000 and above. They are awarded by the Academic Research Committee (ARC).

Research Collaboration Agreement (RCA)
If your project involves External Collaboration and/or External Funding, please forward the completed Schedule 1 Form and/or draft Project Agreement, and send it along with other supporting documents to ILO directly at ilobox4@nus.edu.sg with a copy to Science Dean's Office for development a Research Collaboration Agreement (RCA) or Contract Research Agreement (CRA) with the external collaborator(s). More details about RCA could be found at http://www.nus.edu.sg/ilo/faculty/sponsoredresearch.html

Revised Workflow for Research Account Creation - for proposals involving external collaborators

The revised workflow will allow research accounts to be created for projects which have cleared other required compliances pending finalization of RCA, on the condition that the PI undertakes and ensures that no work involving external collaborators will commence until the RCA has been finalized by ILO. 

 

This will speed up the account creation process while providing more time for ILO to work with the PI and the external parties to develop the RCA. 

 

The revised workflow will be implemented with immediate effect.

 

Implementation details

 

PIs would need to declare at the proposal application stage (using the Grant Endorsement Form) on whether the project involves external collaborators.

 

If the project involves collaboration with external parties, and PI wishes to open an account immediately, PIs can request for account creation by signing the "Statement of Undertaking" to undertake that they will not commence collaboration with their collaborators prior to finalization of RCA or approval from ILO.  Please use the template for "Statement of Undertaking".  The signed Statement must be forwarded to ILO, with copies to Department, Faculty/RIC and DRA, ODPRT. 

 

PIs and Department must ensure that RCA has been signed or approval from ILO has been obtained before engaging any research work with external parties. 

 

Currently, similar arrangement has already been practiced at the working level on a case-by-case/urgent basis with undertaking from the PIs. With the current revision, this will be a formalized procedure to be adhered to for all research grants.

 

Exceptions

 

The above arrangement is not applicable for fee-for-service projects; i.e. those governed by CRAs, or projects which will be funded directly by external collaborators, industry sponsors or MINDEF.  For such research projects, funding details, deliverables and Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) usually need to be negotiated and finalized in the research agreements.


Start-up Grants
Start-up grants are the first grants given to newly recruited academic teaching staff and are awarded by the Faculty Research Committee (FRC). They are funded by DPRT office. In the application for start-up grants, please note that purchase of IT equipment from start-up grant is generally not allowable. PI has to give very strong justifications as to why he is asking for IT equipment in his proposal.
Documents needed for application of Start-up grant are the Application form, Curriculum Vitae and Research Compliance forms. PI is to apply for the relevant research compliances via the links provided below under Research Compliances. Research Compliances approvals must be obtained before the account creation and commencement of the project.
Upon receiving approval for the Start-Up Grant, PI is to complete the 'Grant Pre-Acceptance cum Budget Phasing Form' to indicate acceptance and forward the signed copy to Science Dean's Office for processing.
The PI is to use the Start-Up Grant Variation Form for varying amounts between EOM, Equipment and OOE. Please note that variation from EOM to other categories is generally not allowed. If the PI would like to do a variation from EOM to other categories, he has to provide very strong justifications for Vice Dean Research Approval. The purchase of IT equipment from start-up grant is generally not allowable. If the PI intends to purchase IT equipment or computer softwares not previously asked for in the proposal, he is to do a variation specifying very strong justifications as to why the IT equipment or computer software is needed.
PI is to use the Start-Up Grant Amendment Form for extending the completion date of the project. The maximum extension period is capped at 6 months, unless there are compelling reasons otherwise.
The Final Report is to be submitted at the end of the project. PI must submit a softcopy (MSWord) and one original hardcopy through HOD within 60 days from the actual project completion date to the Vice-Dean (Research) Office for endorsement.

Self Funded Research Projects

Self-funded research projects/initiatives refer to research activities
or projects funded at the Faculty level, using Faculties' own source of
funds.  Examples of such projects will be projects that are self
financing, or funded by faculty contingency funds, or by donation funded
to the Faculty.

 

New guidelines for Creation of R-accounts for Self-funded research
projects

ODPRT has agreed to delegate authority to create, activate and manage
R-accounts for self-funded research projects to the Faculties/Schools'
FRC.  Faculty/School can liaise directly with OFS for creation of
R-accounts for such projects funded from their own source of funds and
the FRC will be the approving authority for these research projects.

 

1. Creation of self-funded R-accounts:

Authority is delegated to the FRC to approve creations of such
R-accounts. FRC would have to justify should any queries be raised.

 

2. Activation of self-funded R-accounts:

FRC may delegate the authority to the Department to activate, convey and
administer these R-accounts. However, activation of the project accounts
can only be made when the proper documents are received and the research
compliance requirements are met.

 

Procedure for Creation and Activation of R-accounts for Self-funded
research projects

 

PIs are required to make use of the cover page template with compliances
checklist (available in Annex A) to request for creation R-account for
self-funded research projects.

 

Faculties and Departments would also be required to copy DRA in their
requests to OFS for creation and activation of their self-funded
R-accounts.

 

FRC and Department should ensure the following documentations are
available and compliance requirements are adhered to prior to activation
of project accounts of self-funded projects:

 

i.        Research Proposal/Write-up on the proposed research with
budget information (using Application for Self Funded Research Projects
Form);

 

 ii.        Research Collaborative Agreement (RCA) or consent from
Industry Liaison Office (ILO) if external collaborators are involved;


iii.        Risk declarations / Risk assessment approval from Office
of Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE);

 

iv.        Clearance/Approval from Institutional Review Board (IRB)
and NUS Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), where
applicable; &

 

 v.        Approval/Permit for research to be done outside
Singapore, where applicable.


Other Grants

Research Project Account Creation

Project PIs' Self-Virements for Tier 1 and Internal Grants

Project Completion

Funding Opportunities for New PIs

Research Funding Opportunities

Awards, Fellowships & Other Resources
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