The ExxonMobil-NUS Research Fellowship for Clinicians

The ExxonMobil-NUS Research Fellowship for Clinicians sponsored by the ExxonMobil Scholarship Fund, is a local fellowship for clinicians who wish to pursue research training in Singapore. The objective of the Fellowship is to recruit and nurture a promising cadre of clinician scientists in Singapore actively involved in translational research by ensuring protected time for awardees to learn, undertake and develop a passion for research activity and administration.

 

Award

Option 1

  • 20% protected time (up to $2,500 per month or $30,000 per year)
  • $70,000 grant funding to support awardee research project

Option 2

  • 40% protected time (up to $5,000 per month or $60,000 per year)
  • $40,000 grant funding to support awardee research project

Funding obtained from protected time can also be used to cover 1-2 months of your pay to allow you to spend 100% of your time during this period in the laboratory. Please discuss with your Head of Department on the above options before submitting the application.

 
Eligibility Criteria
  • Senior Resident/MO to Consultant level
  • Singaporean or Singapore PR
  • Not a talent award awardee
  • Must commit 20% or 40% of time to research
  • Attached to a basic science laboratory/research facility for a period of 1 year
  • Supervisor/mentor must be academic staff from NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
 
Submission Requirements
  1. Application Form with digital photo
  2. Curriculum vitae and career history in reverse chronological order
  3. Certified true copies of awards / prizes and certificates (if any)
  4. One-page statement on why you want to pursue this area of study
  5. (Up to) Four-page description of Intended Research Project
  6. Two letters of recommendation
  7. Mentor/Supervisor’s letter of support
  8. One-page plan of use of protected time requested
  9. Potential deliverables from use of this protected time
  10. Any other relevant documents you feel will strengthen your application
 
To apply
  • Download the application form here.
  • E-mail the completed application form to Ms Wee Yu Ting at yt.wee@nus.edu.sg.

NUHS Clinician Scientist Programme (NCSP 3.0)

To nurture promising young clinicians, NCSP3.0 is now launched to support growing talent with seed funding to embark on their research, build their research portfolio, with aims of eventually competing and clinching a national level competitive research grant or talent award, en route to a successful clinical academic research career. The next NCSP3.0 Grant Call will open on 1 May and 1 Nov, every year until 2027.

 3-Year Award

  • Total Funding: $350K, components include:
    • Grant Funding: Manpower, Equipment, Consumables, Training, & Overseas Travel
    • Salary Backfill: Up to 0.8FTE
    • Award to Mentor*: Up to $40K
  • PI has the flexibility of allocating the $350K among the 3 components with the above cap.
  • The start of the grant may be delayed by up to 6 months from the recommended start date, but the grant duration will remain unchanged.
  • The review panel reserves the right to adjust funding quantum or award partial funding component to selected awardees.
  • PIs may face a cessation of funding if their progress is found inadequate.
  • Upon successful award of the NMRC Talent Award (i.e. TA and above), funding from NCSP will cease. This applies to all 3 components of the award – research grant, salary backfill and mentor award.
 
Eligibility Criteria
  • All locally registered NUHS clinicians from Alexandra Hospital, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, National University Hospital, National University Polyclinic, NUS Medicine, NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, NUS Faculty of Dentistry, NUS Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies.
  • Senior Residents entering NUHS employment, Associate Consultants or Consultants.
  • Applicants who are locally registered health science or healthcare professionals with non-medical degrees – such as nurses, pharmacists and other allied health professions listed on MOH’s website – who are in clinical practice and are either PhD holders or currently pursuing a PhD, are eligible to apply.
  • Faculty on NUS tenure-track will not be eligible for NCSP grant. Any exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • NCSP project can either be included as part of the PI’s PhD project or serve to enhance their PhD project.
  • Previous NCSP award recipients may apply for a renewal for a period of up to a further 3 years. Renewals are subject to rigorous evaluation, requiring recipients to undergo yearly reviews.
  • Committed to fulfill the following KPIs:
    • Complete formal research training:
      • Successful application or completion of MBA/MPH/MCI/PhD/MSc(Nursing)/PhD(Nursing).
    • Progress in research career over a 5-year period, as demonstrated by at least one of the following: 
      • Progress to National CS, secure NMRC Talent Awards (i.e. minimally a TA)
      • Secure NMRC Competitive Grants* (i.e. NIG, CS-IRG)
    • Ensure successful publication:
      • At least 1 publication in the NUSMed Journal Whitelist (first author) within 1-year post grant end date.
        1.  
Submission Requirement
  • NCSP 3.0 Application Form
  • Mentor’s signed letter of support
  • Any other relevant documents you feel will strengthen your application
  • Please submit the completed application form, along with the necessary documents as stated in the form to April Sim at aprilspy@nus.edu.sg, with the subject stating ‘NCSP Application – <Your Name>_<Hosting Institution>’.
 
Grant Call

NCSP 3.0 Grant Call will tentatively open on 1 May and 1 November every year until 2027.

Timeline for May 2026 Grant Call

  • Open for submission: Interested candidates to submit their applications from 1 May 2026 – 1 July 2026. Please use application form dated May 2026. Applicants who submit their proposal using the old application forms will not be considered.
  • Oral Presentation: You are required to attend an oral presentation, if shortlisted. We will notify you of the session details 1 week before the presentation. Applicants who are invited but unable to attend the oral presentation will not be considered. Oral Presentation Sessions:
    • 12 August 2026, Wed, 2pm – 5pm
    • 13 August 2026, Thu, 2pm – 5pm
  • Outcome: Announcement will be made by 24 August 2026. Award letter will be issue before 1 September 2026.

* The above timeline is indicative.

 
NCSP Grant Finance Regulations – For Research Grants under PI *
  1. PI are required to keep their expenses within allocated budget for each financial year under their Research Grant. Any excess in overspent amount will not be reimbursed.
  2. PIs are expected to utilize at least 95% of the research grant by end of grant.
  3. Any variation of the budget or extension should be submitted for review and approval. Please refer to the following regarding timeline for variation/extension requests.
    a. Budget variation within research grant is permissible with the approval from HOD and mentor. Any budget variation is subjected to review and approval by the CS Academy Head. Not more than 2 budget variations are allowed for the entire grant period (including those in extension requests). 
    b. Project extension request is capped at 12 months and such approvals are limited to 2, subjected to review and approval by the CS Academy Head. No extension will be considered upon receipt of any NMRC competitive grant. Please submit extension requests at least 6 months before project end date.
  4. PIs who allocated overseas travel expenses for conferences must be a speaker or presenting a poster at the conference on a topic relevant to the research project under the award. Please submit proof as speaker or the abstract when you claim conference expenses under your research grant.
  5. Virement of funds into overseas travel vote is not allowed.
  6. For clinical trials, PIs are encouraged to approach Investigational Medicine Unit (IMU) for clinical trial management (if required), e.g., budgeting and costing preparation/negotiation for trials/observational study, or to factor study monitor, database cost, mode of randomisation, etc. Please contact imu@nuhs.edu.sg.
  7. Tuition fees are not permitted under NCSP grants.
  8. PI is required to provide an update annually by submitting the progress or final report. The funding will be withdrawn if the progress is deemed unsatisfactory. NUHS CS Academy reserves the right to reject variation/extension requests and will not process NUHS quarterly claims until the report is submitted.
 
NCSP Grant Finance Regulations – For Mentor Award *
  1. Mentors are required to keep their expenses within allocated budget for each financial year. Any excess in overspent amount will not be reimbursed.
  2. EOM Related Expenses:
    a. Allowable – EOM cost and related benefits for research manpower.
    b. Not allowable – Salaries of Lead PI/ Investigators /Collaborators/ general administrative support staff, Research scholarship / stipend top-up for existing post-graduate scholarship holders, Undergraduate stipend and tuition support, and Unconsumed leave, etc.
  3. Equipment Related Expenses:
    a. Allowable – Equipment for mentor’s lab.
    b. Not allowable – General infrastructure, general purpose IT and communication equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fittings.
  4. OOE Related Expenses:
    a. Allowable – Research-related consumables, services, software and courses/trainings
    b. Not allowable – Expenses that are not directly related to research. Examples include entertainment & refreshment expenses, catering, staff retreat, overhead expenses such as telephone charges and/or internet charges, etc.
  5. Overseas Travel Related Expenses:
    a. Allowable – Conference and training expenses for NCSP project and research team. Only economy fare is reimbursable.
    b. Not allowable – Non-NCSP-related travel expenses will not be approved.

* CS Academy has the right to reject any claims which are deemed not research-related.

 
Frequently Asked Questions
  • For FAQ, please refer to the document here.
  • For the list of NUHS non-fundable direct cost, please refer to the appendix here.
 
Application
  • Download the application form here.
  • Download the flyer for May 2026 Grant Call here.
  • E-mail the completed application form to Ms April Sim at aprilspy@nus.edu.sg.