Features

At the 2013 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Scholarship Award Ceremony held on 16 July, a total of 137 scholarships and fellowships were awarded to promising young scientists, recognizing their achievements and helping their research ambitions to become reality.

“A talent strategy is required to support the growth of Singapore’s research, innovation and enterprise system, which has expanded significantly over the years,” said Lim Chuan Poh, chairman of A*STAR. “Through our scholarships, A*STAR enables young talent from diverse educational backgrounds to pursue their interest in science.”

Singapore considers research and development (R&D) key to its economic development and A*STAR continues to lead the nation’s efforts to become one of the most research-intensive and innovative countries in the world. In addition to overseeing 20 biomedical, physical science and engineering research entities, A*STAR is committed to training and maintaining a strong base of scientists to support and stimulate the local R&D community. One way that A*STAR achieves this objective is through a range of scholarships that enable local talent to pursue careers in science and technology. This year’s scholars hailed from various education pathways, including junior colleges, polytechnics and local and foreign universities.

Jeremy Wong, recipient of a 2013 National Science Scholarship, completed his undergraduate degree overseas but carried out projects at A*STAR’s Institute of Microelectronics and Centre for Quantum Technologies as a visiting researcher during his studies. After his graduation in 2011, Wong returned to work at A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research and is excited to now have the opportunity to pursue a PhD through the scholarship programme.

“The A*STAR scholarship provides the opportunity to further my studies and progress on to a career in scientific research. Through this, I hope to learn what I can and work toward my ambition of advancing the world’s technology,” says Wong.

Many past awardees have gone on to pursue rewarding research careers in both public and private sectors. One of them is Benjamin Toh who, supported by an A*STAR Graduate Scholarship, completed his PhD in infectious diseases at the A*STAR Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) in 2011. He is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at SIgN where the training he received during his PhD studies has given him the chance to lead industry collaborations with international biopharmaceutical partners.

Karen Crasta received the A*STAR International Fellowship in 2009 upon the completion of her PhD at the A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology. The fellowship enabled her to undertake postdoctoral training at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, United States, following which Crasta returned to take up an appointment as an assistant professor at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. “The fellowship provided me with innumerable opportunities and experiences that I would not have otherwise had,” attests Crasta.

Like their predecessors, the current cohort of A*STAR scholars will receive financial support, strong mentorship and opportunities for collaboration with prestigious laboratories and travel to conferences. “A*STAR congratulates this year’s awardees,” said Lim. “Looking ahead, our scholars will play a critical role in forming the core of the research enterprise to transform Singapore into a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy.”

About the A*STAR Scholarship Programmes

Established in 2001, A*STAR’s scholarship programmes have supported over 1,200 Singaporeans in their PhD studies and postdoctoral training. The National Science Scholarship allows scholars to be trained at top universities and laboratories all over the world, while the A*STAR Graduate Scholarship offers four years of PhD training for scholars in Singapore or four years of PhD training split between an overseas partner university and A*STAR labs. The A*STAR Undergraduate Scholarship supports scholars’ undergraduate education at local universities, as well as research attachments at A*STAR and overseas exchange programmes during their undergraduate studies. Recent PhD graduates who wish to undertake postdoctoral training overseas can do so through support from the A*STAR International Fellowship. The A*STAR Science Award enables local polytechnic students to explore their interest in research through internships and research projects at A*STAR research institutes. Overseas Singaporeans residing abroad can gain research experience back home through the Research Attachment for Overseas Singaporeans programme.