Singapore is committed to invest in R&D as a driver for economic growth and as a foundation for our long-term competitiveness. In line with the commitment to advance Singapore’s pursuit for quality research, NRF adopts a two-pronged strategy to promoting R&D in Singapore – the “top-down” and the “bottom-up” approaches (as seen in the diagram below).
Top-down approach
In the top-down approach, strategic areas of research were identified in which to build up core R&D capabilities. These are areas that Singapore has a unique competitive edge to gain a leadership position. There are currently three Strategic Research Programmes. The RIEC and NRF will continue to explore other emerging areas beyond these three programmes and opportunities for synergy and cross-disciplinary research at the interfaces between the three research areas.
Bottom-up Approach
To complement the directed top-down approach for strategic research programmes, NRF has also implemented several initiatives and programmes to attract, develop and nurture a significant concentration of research talent to sustain a critical mass of advanced research activity into the long term. This broad-base bottom-up approach will broaden and deepen Singapore’s research capacity and capabilities. It will not only provide a mechanism for Singapore to identify new strategic areas of focus for Singapore’s continued competitiveness, but also a suitable vehicle for attracting, nurturing and anchoring research talent. The abundance of career opportunities in R&D will encourage more to pursue advanced higher education and this in turn adds to the pool of research talent. These initiatives and programmes include the following:
- Competitive Research Programme (CRP) Funding Scheme
The CRP Funding Scheme provides funding for high impact research based on a broad-based competitive process. Competition is achieved through periodic calls for proposals and funding provided to the best proposals evaluated against scientific merits, potential impact and its contribution in building up research talent.
- Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise (CREATE)
CREATE fosters joint research programmes between the world’s top research universities and Singapore-based research institutions. It serves as a platform to attract and nurture a cadre of extraordinary scientists whose discoveries and innovations could generate new growth opportunities for Singapore.
- Research Centres of Excellence (RCEs)
The RCEs are long term investments, involving careful selection of world-class talent. It serves to attract top academic research talent and retain them in Singapore to develop research excellence in our universities in selected areas of focus which are of strategic relevance to Singapore. The RCEs will build upon the prevailing academic strengths of Singapore universities.
