Objective

Transition Award aims:

• To assist budding, young clinician scientists who have just returned from formal research training, to build up their capability in research.

• To help the clinicians to transit to a stable independent research position or other independent research funding.

Applicants are expected to "differentiate" into one of the three CS tracks of TCR, HPHSR or health technology.

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 (covering both expertise in technology as well as use case areas) will be prioritised:　

• Medical Technology (MedTech), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science and Digital Health

• Epidemiology, Population Health and Implementation Science

• Precision Medicine

• Healthy and Meaningful Longevity

• Family Medicine and Primary Care

Funding Details

The award includes up to $300k grant support, with 30% indirect costs and and between 0.5 FTE and 0.7 FTE salary support for protected time in research over 4 years. 

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

Eligiblity Criteria

1. Applicants should hold a clinical qualification (e.g. MBBS, MD, BDS or equivalent), with specialty training beyond medical or dental school (including specialists, family physicians and public health practitioners)¹.

2. Applicants must have received in-depth scientific training through a PhD programme, Masters programme, or at least 2 years
   post-doctoral intensive research experience, in relevant local or overseas universities, research institutes, centres etc.

3. Applicants who are health science / healthcare professionals with non-medical degrees, such as nurses, pharmacists and other allied health professions listed on MOH’s website here in clinical practice, possess PhD or equivalent qualifications are eligible to apply. Those without PhD or equivalent qualifications, but possess relevant research track record can be considered for award on case-by-case basis.

4. Applicants working in human clinical research, including epidemiologists and biostatisticians, and whose research is clinically relevant and has potential health impact, will be considered as exceptions on a case-by-case basis².

5. All applicants must be doing research in clinical settings or doing research with clinical and healthcare applications / relevance.

6. Applicants with non-medical degrees conducting laboratory based research are not eligible.

7. Applicants should not have been an independent PI on national/international research grants. Recipients of institutional grants or NIG grants are eligible to apply. Applicants who have previously held one national grant (e.g. EDG or IRG), can apply on exceptions basis with justifications².

8. For clinicians (with MBBS/MD/BDS), the number of years after exiting from specialist training should not exceed 8 years. For non-medically trained healthcare professionals and applicants applying on exception basis, the number of years post PhD (or post basic degrees for those without PhD) should not exceed 8 years.

9. Applicant must hold a primary appointment in a local public hospital/public health institutions/national specialty centre/public university/Academic Medical Centre and be salaried by the institution.

10. Applicant must be a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident at the point of application.

11. All research must be conducted in Singapore at a public research institute, hospital/centre or medical school.

12. Applicant should not have outstanding reports from NMRC grants and other national grants.

13. Applicant may only submit one application to the human capital/talent awards (i.e. STaR, CSA, HCSA, CIA and TA) for each round of grant call.

14. Applicant is only allowed up to 2 resubmissions following an unsuccessful first submission.

Notes:

¹ Clinicians with recognised specialty training are:

1. Clinicians who are accredited by the MOH Specialists Accreditation Board (SAB), Dental Specialists Accreditation Board (DSAB) and Family Physicians Accreditation Board (FPAB).
2. 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 consultant positions as a specialist may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

² Applicants who are submitting on an exception basis are to submit their CV (with track records including publication records and grants held as PIs/Co-PIs in the past 5 years) to the Secretariat to determine their eligibility prior to submitting a full proposal.

 

Submission

All applications must be submitted and endorsed by the Host Institution's Research Director online via IGMS (internet accessible link).

Contact Person

Ms Hiu Ai Ping

Email: HIU_Ai_Ping@moh.gov.sg 

Additional Information

• Please download the 'Application Guide and Template' documents from NMRC's website here (internet accessible link).

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