A*STAR MedTech Innovation Development and Acceleration Scheme in Diagnostic and Digital Health – MIDAS (Dx)

Objective

The MedTech Innovation Development and Acceleration Scheme in diagnostic and digital health (MIDAS (Dx)) is an upstream funding scheme designed to seed and de-risk high quality early-stage innovation at Technology Readiness Levels 2 to 3 (TRL 2–3). MIDAS (Dx) supports researchers and clinicians in translating strong science into clinically relevant, market-driven projects that are positioned for downstream productization and adoption. 

Despite strong research and clinical insight, many promising diagnostic and digital health concepts face a gap at the earliest stages of translation—where uncertainty around feasibility, clinical utility, regulation, and adoption limits progress and investability. 

MIDAS (Dx) addresses this gap by embedding industry‑oriented review, active project stewardship, and productization discipline from the outset, enabling teams to generate credible proof‑of‑concepts evidence relevant to real clinical and care settings. 

For this year’s call, the grant scope is ‘Advancing Neurodegenerative Diseases Care’. 

Definitions of TRL 2 and TRL 3

TRL 2 - Technology Concept Formulated

• Scientific principles have been observed and a potential application has been identified.
• Initial hypotheses, concepts, biomarkers, algorithms, platforms, or technological approaches have been formulated.
• Preliminary supporting data may exist, but the solution remains largely conceptual and requires further validation. 

Examples:

• Identification of a novel biomarker with preliminary evidence suggesting potential diagnostic value.
• Development of a disease prediction algorithm based on retrospective datasets.
• Conceptualisation of a new digital health platform addressing an unmet clinical need. 

TRL 3 - Experimental Proof-of-Concept

• Critical functions or components of the technology have been demonstrated experimentally.Feasibility and proof-of-concept studies are conducted to establish technical viability.
• The technology remains pre-clinical and has not yet undergone extensive validation in operational settings. 

Examples:

• Analytical validation of a biomarker assay using laboratory samples.
• Prototype development and preliminary testing of a digital health solution.
• Initial proof-of-concept studies demonstrating performance of a novel diagnostic platform.

Funding Details

Up to S$0.5 million per project (inclusive of indirect costs) per project for a duration of 12 – 18 months.

Eligibility Criteria

Lead Investigator and all Co‑Investigators must meet the following criteria:

• Hold a primary appointment at a Singapore publicly funded research institution or Institute of Higher Learning (IHL);
• Lead or be part of a laboratory or research programme conducting research in Singapore;
• Have a demonstrable track record of research leadership, e.g. coordinating research activities, mentoring teams, and delivering high-quality outcomes.

Submission

Step 1: Register Your Application

1. Interested applicants are to complete the online registration form here.
2. During registration, applicants will be required to provide general proposal information, including the Proposal Title, Lay Abstract, and Requested Budget.
3. Upon successful registration, an Application ID (e.g. MIDASYYMMDDxxxx) will be automatically generated and sent to the applicant via email from automation@dxdhub.sg. This Application ID must be used to label the submission package in Step 2. 

Step 2: Prepare and Submit Your Application Package

1. Applicants are to compile all application materials into a single compressed (.zip) folder labelled with auto-generated Application ID (e.g. MIDASYYMMDDxxxx), and submit via email to MIDAS@dxdhub.sg. Submission must include the following documents in the specified formats:

• Proposal application form — MS Word format
• Proposal budget sheet — MS Excel format
• HI's Director of Research (DOR) endorsement — PDF format

Contact Person

Email: MIDAS@dxdhub.sg

Additional Information

MIDAS's website

Application package - MIDAS Dx

20260611 MIDAS Dx Roadshow Deck_Disseminate