A*STAR IAF - Industry Collaboration Projects (IAF-ICP)

Objective

Industry Alignment Fund - Industry Collaboration Projects (IAF-ICP) is a pan-domain grant scheme that supports public research performers in strategic R&D projects with industry. The aim is to encourage public-private R&D partnerships, with a line of sight to commercialisation/ deployment to drive economic outcomes and anchor/ deepen Innovation Mandate of industry partners in Singapore.  This grant is not an academic or manpower grant. The project would be expected to lead to actual economic outcomes such as:

• Product or process innovations introduced
• Licensing income or revenue generation
• Job creation and R&D activities
• Strengthening of local innovation ecosystem 

In RIE2030, the IAF-ICP is governed by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) as the Implementing Agencies (IAs). EDB and EnterpriseSG were identified as the key agencies responsible for driving strategic engagements and accelerating key R&D partnerships. As the Implementing Agency (IA), both agencies have been accorded the authority to make funding decisions for IAF- ICP projects.

The grant administration for IAF-ICP is supported by A*STAR’s Office of Grants Administration (OGA) as the Grant Intermediary (GI).

Public research performers considering applying for IAF-ICP funding may reach out to their institute’s Research Office, Innovation & Enterprise (IEO) / Technology Transfer Office (TTO) and/or the relevant National Platforms during the scoping stage to understand i) key industry trends, ii) market landscape, and iii) identify potential industry partners/users of their technology.

Funding Details

• There is no minimum IAF-ICP funding budget for a given proposal submission.
• Realistic quantum and duration corresponding to scope of work.
  • For projects requesting budget quantum of less than S$30M, the project evaluation timeline may take up to 4 months.
  • Projects ≥ $30m grant amounts will be subjected to a more extensive evaluation timeline.
  • Corp Lab / Corporate Lab branding is only applicable for proposals requesting grant funding ≥$15M and commit to additional Key Performance Indicators and Tracking Indicators.
• The duration of IAF-ICP projects should not exceed 36 months, although exception may be made for Corporate Laboratories (up to 60 months) on a case-by-case basis.

Eligibility Criteria

1. Lead PI, Team PI, and Co-Is are eligible to apply if they hold a primary appointment in a Public Research Institution. PI’s experience and track record will be assessed when the proposal is evaluated. 
2. IAF-ICP is open to all Public Research Institutions in Singapore. 
3. To qualify for IAF-ICP funding, Performers must seek Industry Partners who are willing to commit R&D spending (cash/in-kind) to the research project (i.e., Total Research and Innovation Expenditure (TRIE)). 
4. Tangible upfront commitments from industry partners:
   • The recommended leverage ratio of ICP funding to Qualifying TRIE is 1:1.5 for MNCs and LLEs and 1:1 for only Singapore-based SMEs and startups.
   • Proposals with at least 15% cash contribution will be considered more favourably.

Note:

• Companies are not eligible, nor will they be considered as co-applicants.
• All applications are to be submitted by Institutions - applications submitted directly by individual researchers will not be accepted.

Submission

1. Interested applicants please submit a Full Proposal, Budget and Submission Checklist to your Host Institution’s Research Office. 
2. All IAF-ICP proposal submissions must be endorsed by the Research Office and the Innovation & Enterprise Office (or Technology Transfer Office) of each participating Institution, and also include the endorsed Industry Partners’ declaration. 
3. Note: SingHealth Intellectual Property (SHIP) is the Industry & Enterprise (IEO) Office for SingHealth cluster institutions. 
4. Host Institution’s Research Office of PI is to submit Full proposal and Budget to IAF-ICP GI at IAF_ICP@a-star.edu.sg. 
5. Early discussions with EDB (proposals involving MNCs/LLEs) and/or EnterpriseSG (proposals involving local SMEs or startups) are encouraged. As this is company/account-specific, SingHealth applicants who intend to collaborate with for the proposed ICP project can share the industry partner (i.e. the company) with A*STAR (IAF_ICP@a-star.edu.sg) so that they can connect you with the appropriate point-of-contact at EDB or EnterpriseSG for early discussions.

Note:

• Please complete and submit (1) Full Proposal and Submission Checklist in editable Word format and (2) Budget in editable Excel format.
  
• Performers must ensure that Industry Partners are agreeable to the terms and conditions set out in the Full Proposal. Industry Partners will be required to provide their sign-offs in the Full Proposal.

Contact Person

IAF-ICP Implementing agency

Email: IAF_ICP@hq.a-star.edu.sg

SHIP

Email: SHIP@singhealth.com.sg

Additional Information

Please download the proposal, budget template, and Submission Checklist from zipped file found in the website here.