PhD Scholarships for Clinician Researchers

This Scholarship aims to recognise and develop clinician researchers of SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC), to support the growth of research capabilities in priority areas of our AMC and contribute to ground-breaking discoveries.

Open to ACP faculty and clinician staff of SingHealth (doctors, nurses and allied health professionals) who are applying for a research-based PhD programme in a local university.

Applicants applying for PhD programme in AY2025

REGISTER your interest with us and we will send you more updates!

We will assist in linking you up with the Duke-NUS Centre for Clinician-Scientist⁺ Development (CCS⁺D) for Individual Development Plan (IDP) enrolment in the preceding year of your PhD application, for discussion on project career advice about your PhD programme.

Fill up the form HERE.

Funding Period and Details

a.	The PhD Scholarship will fund tuition fees of the clinician's formal PhD programme for AY2024 intake at a local university, over a 4-year duration. Local universities providing research-based PhD programmes include the following: Duke-NUS Medical School PhD Programmes National University of Singapore (Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, etc.) Nanyang Technological University (Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine) Other local universities and relevant research-based PhD programmes (If you have a programme in mind, please reach out to us to check on the eligibility.)
b.	A Conditional Offer of Scholarship will be given to all successful applicants. The Scholarship funding will only be awarded after the outcomes of two rounds of NMRC Research Training Fellowship (RTF) applications.
c.	Awardees have to apply for two rounds of NMRC RTF prior to funding award of PhD Scholarships. (Note: The time duration between the two NMRC RTF applications should not exceed 12 months.)
d.	Manpower FTE support will be provided by the clinician's primary institution for a 4-year duration (standard bond terms apply for each PhD Scholarship awardee).

Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria

The PhD Scholarship for Clinician Researchers is open to:

Medical doctors/dental specialists employed to perform clinical duties in any SingHealth institutions
Nursing and Allied Health Professionals, who aspire to advance in a research career working on human clinical research or research related to biomedical sciences, may apply as well

Applicants are required to apply for a formal PhD programme (at any local universities stated above) concurrently with the NMRC RTF and SingHealth Duke-NUS PhD Scholarship.

All applicants must enrol in the Duke-NUS Centre for Clinician-Scientist⁺ Development's (CCS⁺D)Individual Development Plan (IDP) in the preceding year of their PhD application, for discussion on project career advice about PhD programme.

Each application must be applied using

i. Application Form (to be completed by applicant)

ii. Research Write-Up and Applicant CV (to be completed by applicant and discussed with Research
Supervisor and Mentor)
iii. Supervisor and Mentor template (to be completed by Research Supervisor and Mentor)
iv. Nomination Form (to be completed and endorsed by Clinical HOD, ACP Chair and SDDC Head (where applicable))

Applications that fail to comply with the requirements in any of the templates and/or incomplete applications will be disqualified and will not be reviewed.

Applications will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Suitability of applicant (aptitude, skill sets, public service ethos, publications and research track record, developmental and career plans)
Research proposal (clearly defined research topic, quality of science and potential outcomes in the respective research areas, focus on national research priority areas & areas of strategic importance to SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC)
Training environment (proposed PhD programme, Supervisor/Mentor and mentorship plans)
Applicant's research and practice environment (support from the primary institution and ACP)

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend a short interview with the review panel. Details concerning the interview will be disseminated once it is finalised.

Application is closed for 2024.
For more information, look out for the next Call for Applications in early 2025.

Please click here for more information and application materials for the PhD Scholarships for Clinician Researchers.

For enquiries, please contact: academic-medicine@duke-nus.edu.sg

PhD Scholarships for Clinician Researchers

Prof Ivy Ng

SingHealth GCEO