NMRC Transition Award (TA)

Objective

Transition Award aims:

• Aims to support healthcare professionals who show interest and potential to be future clinicianscientists/innovators, in building up their capability in research
• Assist these healthcare professionals in transitioning to a stable independent research position or other independent research funding, and with an enhanced probability of success in obtaining independentresearch support.
• Award recipients are expected to “differentiate” into one of the three CS tracks of TCR, HPHSR or healthtechnology.

Areas of Research

This programme is open to applications on all research areas. Applicants focusing on translation of research and innovations into healthcare in the following strategic areas will be prioritised:

• Healthy Longevity and Population Health
• Precision Health
• Epidemic Preparedness and Response
• Artificial Intelligience (AI) and Data

Funding Details

The award includes up to $307k grant support, with 30% indirect costs and and between 0.5 FTE and 0.7 FTE salary support for protected time in research over 5 years. 

For more information about the funding details, please take a look at the website here (internet accessible link).

Eligiblity Criteria

Qualificationsⁱ

1. Medical/Dental applicants should hold medical qualifications (e.g. MBBS, MD, BDS or equivalent), and with specialty training beyond medical or dental school. ⁱⁱ Those without specialty training may apply if they are in clinical practice, excluding House Officers, Medical Officers, and Residents.
2. Healthcare professionals with non-medical qualifications, such as nurses, pharmacists, optometrists and other allied healthprofessions listed on this website in clinical practice and hold PhD (or equivalent) or a postgraduate qualification (non-exhaustive list) are eligible.
3. Other applicants (e.g. non-clinically qualified or non-practising healthcare professionals) may be considered on a case-by-case basis, if the proposed work is in human clinical research (i.e., research involving direct interaction with human subjects, excluding laboratory-only studies without clinical application), and they hold PhD (or equivalent)
4. Applicants must not exceed 8 years from the last completed relevant training as follows:
   • Medical/Dental applicants: This refers to specialty training. Clinicians who completed specialty training more than 8 years agomay apply if they completed PhD not exceeding 8 years ago or are still in active PhD training. If specialty training is notapplicable, this refers to basic medical or NMRC’s approved postgraduate qualifications.
   • Healthcare professionals with non-medical qualifications: This refers to PhD or NMRC’s approved postgraduate qualification.
   • Other applicants: This refers to PhD qualification.

Appointment

Applicant must hold a primary appointment in a public healthcare institution (PHI) or autonomous university inSingapore and be salaried by the institutionⁱⁱⁱ at the point of application

Note:

ⁱ Recipients of NMRC Human Capital Awards (i.e., STaR, (Senior) CSA, (Senior) HCSA, (Senior) CIA or CIDA) and Transition Award are exempted.

ⁱⁱ Clinicians with recognised specialty training are:

• Clinicians who are accredited by the MOH Specialists Accreditation Board (SAB), Dental Specialists Accreditation Board (DSAB) and Family Physicians Accreditation Board (FPAB).
• Clinicians who do not fulfil the above but are able to demonstrate completion of specialist training in countries which do not have specialist boards/colleges and are holding consultantpositions as a specialist may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

ⁱⁱⁱ A*STAR CS scholar from the National Science Scholarship (NSS) (MBBS-PhD) or NSS (MD-PhD) schemes and fulfil the following may apply:

1. hold a primary appointment in a PHI or autonomous university in Singapore; or
2. hold a primary appointment in A*STAR and a joint appointment in the PHI/autonomous university, and the grant application is supported by the PHI/autonomous university.

The PHI/autonomous university is to consider if the applicant is able to demonstrate that he/she can act as a bridge between A*STAR and the healthcare system.The grant application must be submitted through the PHI/autonomous university as the host institution.

 Submission

All applications must be submitted and endorsed by the Host Institution's Research Director online via Research Grants Portal (RGP).

Contact Person

Ms Hiu Ai Ping

Email: aiping.hiu@mohh.com.sg

Ms Grace Lim

Email: grace.lim.jia.yi@mohh.com.sg

Additional Information

• For more information on TA, please visit NMRC's website here.  
• Please download the Application package.