NRF Central Gap Fund

Closes On

30 Jun 2025

Funding Source

External

PI Salary Support

ACP/SDDC Affiliation

No ACP/SDDC affiliation required

Funding Per Grant Amount

S$ 2,000,000

Qualification

Not Specified

Academic Appointment

Funding Period

2 years

Citizenship

Foreigner / S / PR

Call Opens

01 Jan 2024

SMC/SDC Registered

Objective

The National Research Foundation (NRF) Central Gap Fund ("Central Gap") aims to support the translation of research outcomes into useful products, processes and services that generate economic and societal benefits. The scheme provides a national-level platform to resource impactful projects and encourage collaboration across public research performers and/or industry.

Projects from any area of science and engineering are eligible. However, only projects that aim to develop technologies of high impact and significant value for Singapore will be considered. Projects must aim to develop early technologies into working prototypes or functional processes that are closer to market, with the aim of demonstrating clear market need, so as to attract private sector investments and/or commercialisation receptacles to bring the technologies to full commercialisation or use.

For public hospitals, public health institutions and National Specialty Centres, the National Health Innovation Centre (NHIC) will act as the Innovation and Enterprise Office (IEO) for the purpose of managing Central Gap projects.

Funding Details

The Central Gap provides funding support for up to S$2 million (inclusive of 30% Overheads) for a period of up to 2 years. Projects of larger quantum may be considered on a case-by-case basis, and if awarded, will be subject to appropriate stage-gating.

Projects that had previously received translation funding from the Host Institution (HI) and/or Innovation and Enterprise Office (IEO), the co-funding requirement may be waived. Otherwise, co-funding support is necessary and as follows:

For projects with approved qualifying costs less than or equal to S$500K: The IEO/HI and Central Gap will equally co-fund the qualifying costs.
For projects with approved qualifying costs greater than S$500K: The IEO/HI will co-fund S$250K, and Central Gap will support the remaining qualifying costs.

Eligibility Criteria

S/N	Eligibility Criteria
1	Applicants should be from: Publicly-funded research performers and government-linked entities are eligible to apply. Entities such as local public hospitals, public health institutions and National Specialty centres are welcome to apply. Please find the full list of eligible entities in the PDF ‘0. Central Gap Fund Application Guidelines_RIE2025’ within the zipped file. Applicants outside of the above list will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
2	Project Team should comprise the following: Project Lead who has the experience in leading translation/gap-funded projects and encourage collaboration with complementary projects with other institutions, if necessary. Researchers or scientists with relevant technical expertise and experience, and who are involved in the original research project. An experienced business management/development person or equivalent, or access to shared mentoring resources that the team can tap on. (This person can be from an eligible entity, sourced from outside or by NHIC.)
3	Types of Projects: Must be translational research. Must have real market demand or social/societal need. Expected outcomes must have significant economic and societal impact on Singapore.

Submisson

Before submission:

Applicants are to first send the '1a. CGF Application Form A 4.0_RIE2025' and '1b. CG Pitch Deck template' to SingHealth Intellectual Property SingHealth Intellectual Property (SHIP - as the Industry & Enterprise (IEO) Office for SingHealth cluster institutions) SHIP@singhealth.com.sg through Host Institution's research office by 28 April 2025 (Monday) for preliminary assessment. Please note that late submissions will not be accepted for review by SHIP.
SHIP will then send the feedback to the applicants for revision (if any).

Upon submission:

Interested applicants are to submit the following completed documents via email to IEO (i.e. NHIC) at grant@nhic.cris.sg for assessment and endorsement to NHIC by 19 May 2025 (Monday). Please CC SHIP (SHIP@singhealth.com.sg) in the loop when submitting the finalized documents to NHIC.

Application Form A
Business Plan
Budget Form B
Pitch Deck (3 slides)
Any letters of interest/intent/support

All submissions have to be endorsed and submitted to NRF by 30 June.

SingHealth PIs are to please refer to your respective Institutional Research Administrators for guidance on internal deadlines and submission procedures set by your institutions.

Contact Person in NHIC

NHIC is the designated Central Gap IEO for public hospitals, public health institutions and national specialty centres. Please contact NHIC Project Grant Submission grant@nhic.cris.sg for matters related to NRF Central Gap.

Contact Person in SHIP

Email: SHIP@singhealth.com.sg

Additional Information

Application Guidelines and Forms_v2.zip
For more information, please visit NRF's website here.