SingHealth Duke-NUS HSR Apprenticeship ProgrammE (SHAPE) Fellowship

Objective

The SingHealth Duke-NUS HSR Apprenticeship ProgrammeE (SHAPE) Fellowship is proposed as a strategic initiative to build a pipeline of clinician and non-clinician researchers who can lead innovations in healthcare delivery, policy, and system design. The fellowship will provide dedicated training, mentorship, and research time to develop the next generation of leaders in health services research, ensuring that healthcare systems are patient-centred, cost-effective, and sustainable. 

Modern healthcare faces complex challenges such as rising chronic disease burden, aging populations, escalating costs, and the need for integrated, value-based care. Addressing these requires not only clinical excellence but also robust research into the organisation, financing, and delivery of health services. 

While Singapore and the region have a growing cadre of health services researchers, there remains a gap in: 

• Structured career pathways for aspiring Health Services and Systems Research (HSSR) leaders
• Opportunities for protected research time for clinicians
• Cross-disciplinary training that integrates clinical insight, data science, policy analysis, and implementation science (IS) 

The proposed fellowship aims to address these gaps.

Funding Details

1. 12 months

2. Components:·      

• Mentored Research Project – Fellows will undertake a high-impact HSSR project aligned with clinical priorities.·      
• Coursework & Skills Training – An initial three-month period of formal teaching in areas such as IS, program evaluation, data science, health economics, decision science and systems analytics. This foundation will be built upon existing Graduate Certificate programs in Health Services Innovation, Citizen Data Science, and the HSRC Internship Programme (“HIPERi”).·      
• Clinical-Research Balance – For clinician fellows, protected time will be secured to ensure research productivity without compromising clinical obligations.·      
• Knowledge Translation & Dissemination – Guidance on publishing in peer-reviewed journals, presenting at conferences, and engaging policymakers.

3. Mentorship Model: Each fellow will be paired with a primary research mentor complementary discipline.

4. Resources & Support:·      

• Funding: Salary support (backfill for replacement), any publication fee·  
• Institutional Support: Access to data platforms, statistical support, and administrative assistance.·      
• Networking Opportunities: Engagement with local and international HSR communities.

Eligibility Criteria

• Junior Clinicians, health administrators, data scientists, or other professionals with a strong interest in HSSR.
• Demonstrated commitment to improving healthcare systems through research.
• Institutional support for participation, including protected time for research.

Submission

Completed application form (SHAPE fellowship application form (Final).docx) must be endorsed by the applicant’s Head of Department (HOD) prior to the submission to SingHealth Health Services Research Centre (HSRC) through the Research Office of the Principal Investigator (PI)’s Host Institution.

Only applications with following submissions received will be accepted: 

1. (i) A single Microsoft word document without signatures, and (ii) a single PDF document with signature.
2. Please name the application form in the following format: SHAPE Host Institution_PI’s Name Late or incomplete applications will be automatically disqualified. 

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

SingHealth Health Services Research Centre (HSRC)

Ginny Chen Zhen Zhi

Email: chen.zhen.zhi@singhealth.com.sg

Additional Information

SHAPE Fellowship (final).pdf

SHAPE fellowship application form (Final).docx

SHAPE proposal.docx