Hong Kong – Singapore Joint Call for Proposals

Background

The Hong Kong–Singapore Joint Call for Proposals is jointly launched by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) and Agency for Science, Technology and Research Singapore (A*STAR) to promote and strengthen research collaboration between Singapore and Hong Kong through integrated joint research projects. 

This Call supports collaborative research in the following areas: 

• Artificial Intelligence for Smart Cities of Tomorrow
• Science for Energy and Environmental Sustainability
• Translational Immunology and Emerging Diseases 

For more information, please refer to the ‘1. Hong Kong-Singapore Joint Call for Proposals-Guidelines 2026’ PDF.

Eligibility Criteria

• Each joint application must involve one Singapore-based and one Hong Kong-based PI.
• Two identical copies of a proposal must be submitted to both A*STAR and RGC (i.e. 1 copy submitted to A*STAR by Singapore-based PI and 1 copy submitted to RGC by Hong Kong-based PI respectively).
• The proposed project must be jointly developed by Singapore-based and Hong Kong-based research teams.The joint proposal must be written in English and must comply with instructions in the application form. 

Eligible Researchers for A*STAR Support: 

• Singapore-based PIs are eligible to apply if their primary appointment is 75% or more in a local publicly funded research institution.

Funding Details

Singapore-side:

Funding will be awarded in two phases:

Note: Up to 10 projects may be supported in Phase 1, with up to 3 projects selected for Phase 2. All funded projects under Phase 1 are required to submit a progress report to facilitate the selection of projects for Phase 2 funding.

Submission

1. Applications must be submitted online by 20 October 2026 (Tuesday) (SGT) for Singapore-based PI. 

• A joint proposal must be written in English and must comply with instructions in the Joint Application Form.
• Identical copies of the proposal must be submitted to A*STAR and RGC by the Singapore-based PI and Hong Kong-based PI respectively. In addition, Hong Kong-based PIs must also submit the same proposal, written in English, to RGC.
• Singapore-based applicants must submit the completed, endorsed application form, along with the ‘3.for-singapore-applicants-inputs-only_budget-milestones-and-kpis-template’ Excel to A*STAR via A*STAR’s Integrated Grant Management System (iGrants) system. 

2. For Singapore-based PIs, applications must be endorsed by the applicants’ Host Institution(s), prior to submission.

Notes:

• Applicants are advised to submit their proposals through the online systems early as additional details may be requested during the online submission.
• Applications that are submitted after the deadline will not be taken into consideration for review and assessment. 
• Applications received by A*STAR but not submitted to RGC (and vice versa) will automatically be considered ineligible.
• All SingHealth PIs are to approach their respective institutional RDOs for internal deadlines and submission procedures before submission.
• Announcement of results are expected to be out tentatively around May 2027. Expected Project start date is August 2027.

Evaluation Criteria

The following general evaluation criteria will apply to each application:

1. Capability of PIs   

• Research leaders should be able to lead and take responsibility for the entire team strongly. A sufficient collaborative system should be planned that can contribute greatly to the achievement of the research objectives as leaders.

2. Expected scientific results

• The expected achievements from the proposed research should be eminent, creative and at an internationally recognized standard.

3. Expected economic and social impact   

• The expected outcomes from the proposed research should attempt to produce a significant impact on the development of future science and technology or to create innovative technological seeds that can contribute to the creation of new industries in the future. 

4. Synergy effects of international collaboration

• The expected achievements from the proposed research should be produced through essential collaborative research rather than a combination of individual research projects.
• The exchange plan is clearly planned, and organic ties are expected to be fostered.

5. Consistency with the research field of this grant call and feasibility of implementation (given proposed plan, participants, budget, facilities, means of cooperation, etc.)

• The proposed methodology should be feasible, with well-defined research and exchange milestones from both sides and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) (from the Singapore side).
• Research objectives must be matched to the research field of this grant call. Plans, and deliverables must be clearly described, and technical challenges must be properly addressed.
• Teams highlight the novelty of their approaches or methodology based on providing the clues necessary to demonstrate the feasibility of the research concept.

Contact person 

For enquiries on Hong Kong - Singapore Joint Call for Proposals, please email to oga_bilats @a-star.edu.sg  (for Singapore-based applicants).

Additional Information

Please refer to A*STAR’s website here or the following attachments.

1.  Hong Kong-Singapore Joint Call for Proposals-Guidelines 2026
2.  Hong Kong-Singapore Joint Call for Proposals-Application Form 2026
3.  for-singapore-applicants-inputs-only_budget-milestones-and-kpis-template
   
4.  ASTAR TnCs 2020 
5.  ASTAR Guidelines 2020
6.  Milestone n Benchmark setting guidelines