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Objective

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Grant (TCMRG) was established by MOH to encourage local collaborative research in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It seeks to harness TCM principles and scientific research methodologies and expertise to promote the translation of TCM knowledge into better care and improved health outcomes on a sustainable basis, and to enhance the role of TCM in policy and practice in Singapore.

The TCMRG serves the following objectives:

• To help public and healthcare professionals understand which TCM therapies have been proven to be safe and effective, empowering public to make informed decisions about TCM treatments;

• To assist policy makers by providing clinically proven treatments to serve the healthcare needs of the public;

• To improve healthcare services through a more holistic approach, increasing accessibility to more evidence based treatment options.

Priority would be given to research projects which address the strategic areas and priority themes (listed below in no order of importance). While priority is given to research projects which address the strategic areas and priority themes, proposals whose topics do not fall within these areas and themes may still be submitted for consideration. Proposals with collaboration between clinicians/researchers in public healthcare institutions and TCM Voluntary Welfare Organizations (VWOs)*, and/or private TCM schools or companies, participating as collaborators will be accorded with higher priority.

1. Asthma control

2. Cost effectiveness studies, health-related quality of life studies, health promotion

3. Diabetes control

4. Health benefits for the elderly through traditional Chinese exercise (e.g.太极 taiji and 八段锦 baduanjin)

5. Health benefits for the elderly through traditional Chinese manipulative therapies (e.g. 推拿tuina)

6. Hypertension prevention/control

7. Obesity

8. Pain management, focusing on joint pain

9. Post stroke rehabilitation

10. Skin conditions: e.g. atopic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis

11. Substance abuse (alcohol/smoking cessation)

12. Women's Health: e.g. menopause, infertility and menstrual problems

Funding Details

Funding per project is capped at S$750,000 (inclusive of indirect costs, capped at 10% of eligible funding amount) over a period of 3 years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Principal Investigators (PIs) must be from local public healthcare or academic institutions (i.e. Clusters/ Restructured Hospitals & Institutions, Universities, HPB, or HSA)1.

• TCM practitioners, fully registered with the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board, preferably with more than 10 years of clinical experience, may lead in project teams as PIs for studies that do not involve clinical trials and/or laboratory services e.g. observational or case description type studies.

• Applications must be endorsed by the institutional heads (CEO or equivalent), to ensure institutional support, ownership, and oversight for the projects. The PIs, together with their Project Teams, are responsible for the planning, direction, and execution of their proposed projects.

• Projects which are currently already receiving support from other sources of funding will not be eligible for TCMRG funding.

• VWOs are not eligible to apply. TCM VWOs, private TCM schools or companies are, however, strongly encouraged to collaborate with public institutions on relevant projects, so long as the PIs are from public institutions.

For more details on the eiligibility criteria, please visit MOH's website here (internet accessible link).

Submission:

• 2 softcopies of the application [1 PDF (with all signatories) and 1 WORD document] must be submitted to MOH_TRAC_Secretariat@moh.gov.sg, cc ng_jin_ju@moh.gov.sg and tan_kok_hsien@moh.gov.sg through your Host Institution's Research offices latest by 31 May 2019, 5pm.

• 1 endorsed hardcopy (with original signatures) must be submitted through your Host Institution's Research offices by 7 June 2019, 5pm to the following address:
  
  TRAC Secretariat
  Manager (PCC Div / TCM Branch)
  Ministry of Health
  College of Medicine Building
  16 College Road
  Singapore 169854

Note: 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

1. Ms Ng Jin Ju

Tel no: 6325 1253

Email: Ng_jin_ju@moh.gov.sg

2. Mr Tan Kok Hsien

Tel no: 6325 3426

Email: Tan_kok_hsien@moh.gov.sg  

OR

Email: MOH_TRAC_Secretariat@moh.gov.sg

Additional Information

• Terms and Conditions [TCMRG ad-hoc GC for Covid-19].pdf

• Guidelines [TCMRG ad-hoc GC for Covid-19].pdf

• Application Guide [TCMRG ad-hoc GC for Covid-19].pdf

• Application Form [TCMRG ad-hoc GC for Covid-19].docx

• For more information on TCMRG, please visit MOH's website here (internet accessible link).