A sports team, a company, a nation: no matter the scale, any organisation is only as good as the people it consists of. If an organisation hopes to make a big impact on the world, it needs not only to bring the best people in, but to also give them what they need to flourish.
“As Singapore’s lead public sector agency for research and development (R&D) in science and technology, A*STAR has a specific mission: to tackle the national challenges in these two areas that Singapore faces,” said Andy Hor, Deputy Chief Executive of A*STAR’s Research Office.
From carbon neutrality to an ageing population, complex challenges demand the ingenuity of talented minds. Hor added that beyond domain expertise, A*STAR looks for talent in a diversity of research experience, from senior leaders to young promising researchers; in excellence in basic science as well as in translational work; and in the potential for innovation and entrepreneurship.
But what does A*STAR offer in return? As one member of Singapore’s research, innovation and enterprise (RIE) ecosystem, A*STAR stands alongside world-class institutes of higher learning, multinational industries and other organisations in a similar search for the right people.
“First, we offer an environment for researchers to grow their science and develop their own scientific identity,” said Hor. “Second, with over 17 research institutes covering all major biomedical, natural, physical and information sciences, this is also a place for collaboration with people outside one’s expertise. Finally, we create pathways for one’s science to make an impact; we provide opportunities to work on real-world problems in partnership with industry, academia, public agencies and other performers of the RIE ecosystem.”
Today, the agency is home to a thriving community of over 6,000 people of diverse skillsets and passions for discovery and innovation. Through a range of programmes and initiatives, A*STAR aims to keep growing this community, attracting and developing the R&D talents that Singapore needs to push research frontiers and support its future enterprises.
A beacon for talent
From the beginning, A*STAR has placed talent development at the heart of its mission, offering robust scholarship programmes to build a pipeline of scientific leaders.
“Since 2001, A*STAR has nurtured over 1,800 Singaporean PhD and postdoctoral talents through its scholarships and fellowships,” said Chay Wah Tay, Executive Director of the A*STAR Graduate Academy (A*GA). “As of 31 March 2024, 1,319 scholars and fellows have completed their PhD or postdoctoral training, and are contributing to the RIE ecosystem in diverse and impactful roles.”
A*GA engages Singapore’s youth through initiatives such as the A*STAR Science Awards, aimed at students in upper secondary schools, junior colleges and polytechnic institutes with a keen interest in STEM fields. Broad-based outreach programmes such as the Singapore Science Festival cultivate excitement for STEM careers while highlighting strategic research areas where young talent can make a difference.
As these young scientists bring their aspirations and inclinations into different career stages, A*STAR offers them a range of National Science Scholarships (NSS) that support through-train Bachelor of Science to PhD (BS-PhD), Masters and PhD paths.
“These scholarships are highly competitive, offering scholars access to attractive career pathways in A*STAR and beyond, supported by our strong connections across the public and private sectors,” Tay added. “In 2024 alone, 79 scholarships and fellowships were awarded.”
To further support local undergraduates, A*STAR launched the A*STAR Research Internship Award (ARIA) in 2020. “ARIA offers more than just research experience,” said Tay. “It provides exposure to industry-relevant and translational research work, networking with researchers of multidisciplinary and industry backgrounds, and a deeper understanding of A*STAR’s pivotal role in driving innovation.”
With an eye on increasing the diversity of Singapore’s R&D talent pool, A*GA also offers awards such as the Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA) for international undergraduates pursuing doctoral research at top local universities. These include Nanyang Technological University; the National University of Singapore; the Singapore University of Technology and Design; the Singapore Management University; and the Singapore Institute of Technology.
“Additionally, initiatives like the A*STAR Research Attachment Programme (ARAP) and the Singapore International Pre-Graduate Award (SIPGA) provide unique research opportunities for international students at various levels, enabling them to collaborate with our world-class research institutes,” Tay explained.
The agency’s ability to attract local and international talent is further strengthened through additional resources provided by national schemes such as the National Research Foundation Fellowship (NRFF) and Investigatorship (NRFI) awards. According to Andy Hor, “These schemes allow us to appeal to top global researchers and aspiring scientists to advance their research interests further with us.”
Talent voices: A*STAR NSS scholars
Caroline Wee, Principal Scientist II
A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (A*STAR IMCB)
What brought you to A*STAR?
I learned more about A*STAR while seeking opportunities after junior college. My internship at A*STAR IMCB was my first taste of research; science went from being just textbook learning to being at the forefront of novel discovery. I enjoyed research so much that I applied for an A*STAR scholarship.
How has A*STAR supported your career development?
A*STAR has given me opportunities that early-career scientists don’t normally get: for example, the autonomy to explore research directions beyond my original training, and the chance to lead large interdisciplinary grant proposals and projects.
What’s a line of work that A*STAR made possible for you?
Under the Brain-Body Initiative, I led an interdisciplinary clinical-preclinical project that examines how the gut microbiome regulates metabolic and mental health, fuelling new discoveries and large collaborative grant applications. Similarly, A*STAR support has taken me beyond my field into aquaculture to study stress responses in farmed fish, leading to new publications and grants.
Le Yang, Head of Department (Sensors and Flexible Electronics)
A*STAR Institute of Materials and Research Engineering (A*STAR IMRE)
What brought you to A*STAR?
I got a firsthand look into the inspiring world of research through A*STAR’s pre-university attachment programmes. I was drawn to the NSS BS-PhD programme’s unique through-train model: a seamless path from a bachelor’s degree to a PhD degree at renowned institutions.
How has A*STAR supported your career development?
The A*STAR scholarship exposed me to diverse research environments and top-tier ideas. The network of expertise I built through it continues to inform my work today. At A*STAR, I’ve been given room and support to grow not only as a scientist, but as a manager and leader.
What’s a line of work that A*STAR made possible for you?
A*STAR has provided invaluable support for my work in wearables and flexible biosensors, a field new to me. Through the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) Programmatic grant, my team has successfully developed biosensors for continuous, non-invasive monitoring of critical biomarkers with promising healthcare applications.
Zhi Wei Seh, Senior Principal Scientist
A*STAR Institute of Materials and Research Engineering (A*STAR IMRE)
What brought you to A*STAR?
I first learned about A*STAR through a research attachment at A*STAR IMRE. A*STAR’s emphasis on collaboration struck me as I believe it to be the future of science. Working with people from other disciplines offers perspectives and ideas which are often precursors to scientific breakthroughs.
How has A*STAR supported your career development?
It's allowed me to learn from the world’s brightest minds. A*STAR has also given me many upskilling opportunities through courses such as the A*STAR Advanced Managerial Development Programme (AMDP), which coached me on leadership and mentorship.
What’s a line of work that A*STAR made possible for you?
Our research on multivalent-ion batteries was made possible with the NRFF and NRFI awards. We’ve developed the first anode-free magnesium metal battery with an energy density five times higher than a standard magnesium battery. These emerging technologies can be used for long-range electric vehicles and large-scale grid storage.
Nurturing science
Once within the A*STAR ecosystem, researchers have access to other resources to support their career development along paths that suit their interests and strengths.
“Through avenues such as competitive grants, A*STAR has strengthened support systems to improve key facets of the developmental experience for early-career researchers (ECRs),” said Tay. “These systems also aid the transition of promising scholars and ECRs towards an independent career.”
Such grants include institute-specific junior investigatorships as well as the Career Development Fund (CDF), which provides ECRs with project management experience and seed funding. To date, A*STAR has funded 264 CDF projects, from which 62 principal investigators have gone on to secure external funding grants such as the Industry Alignment Fund – Industry Collaboration Project (IAF-ICP), and the Open Fund – Young Individual Research Grant (OF-YIRG).
The CDF gave Joe Poh Sheng Yeong, Group Leader (Integrative Biology for Theranostics) at A*STAR IMCB, a chance to take his expertise in cancer research to a different field: COVID-19. Awarded in mid-2020 during the pandemic’s onset, Yeong’s CDF project meant he could apply spatial technologies normally used to study cancers to an emerging virus of global concern.
“Through our work, we made discoveries that have now become recognised aetiologies of long COVID, such as how the SARS-CoV-2 virus can persist in human tissues even after a year of negative PCR swab testing,” said Yeong.
Yeong has since returned to cancer research, applying his experience from the COVID-19 project to studies on virus-driven cancers. “A work in this area has received an R01 grant from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH),” Yeong added.
In addition to seed funding, Tay noted that young researchers at A*STAR are encouraged to participate in symposia and ideation seminars that develop their scientific communication skills, provide exposure and grow their international networks.
“A*STAR scholars also have the opportunity to join our industry partners or take on diverse positions in the wider RIE ecosystem after spending their first two years in an A*STAR research institute,” Tay added.
Jay Shin, Senior Group Leader (Regulatory Genomics)
A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore (A*STAR GIS)
You were previously based with Japan’s RIKEN as a senior researcher for many years; what drew you to A*STAR?
Having spent many rewarding years at RIKEN, I was drawn to Singapore and A*STAR by the opportunity to take my work to the next level through a dynamic R&D ecosystem. At RIKEN, I had the support to explore my passion: deciphering the human genome with single-cell technology. It’s a complex task that requires not only intensive research, but multidisciplinary collaboration beyond fundamental science. Tapping into a wide range of expertise at A*STAR, my perspectives toward science have broadened. It excites me to learn what else I can do with what I know.
How has A*STAR supported your career development?
Since joining in 2022, I’ve had the privilege to connect with experts well beyond my field who do amazing work in polymer design, lipid nanoparticles, biomanufacturing, microfluidics and high performance computing. I’ve also met experts in cancer, stem cells, neurobiology and immunology, each bringing a fresh perspective to how single-cell technologies can integrate and advance these fields.
One of my most impactful experiences was receiving a HTCO grant from the A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs (A*STAR IDL). With A*STAR engineers, we developed a device that isolates white blood cells from microsamples in under 30 minutes, making it instrumental for rapid real-time sequencing tools that aid pandemic surveillance. I’ve also had the privilege of receiving the NRFI award, which enables me to continue advancing my research and drive meaningful scientific impact.
From scientists to technopreneurs
A*STAR talents have diverse opportunities to deliver deep impacts at the agency or in ventures beyond, as they can access development initiatives that grow their skills not just in research, but in innovation and entrepreneurship. At A*STAR Innovation and Enterprise (I&E), the Venture Creation and Growth (VCG) group is dedicated towards supporting those looking to develop A*STAR intellectual property (IP) into solutions desired by the wider market.
I&E Deputy Director Anthony Chong noted that A*STAR’s research has two well-known goals: to grow Singapore’s economy and job market, and to enhance lives by improving societal outcomes. “These goals define the area of deeptech startups we’re in,” said Chong. “As such, the A*STAR Spinoff Policy provides transparent guidelines for A*STAR staff who wish to build new ventures that harness the agency’s IP to that end.”
In line with that policy, VCG’s A*StartCentral (A*SC) is an open innovation platform that aims to nurture technopreneurs and promote the growth potential of A*STAR spinoffs through multiple ‘founders-centric’ programmes and initiatives. These include Open Mike, an initiative that enables A*STAR staff to deliver three-minute elevator pitches on venture ideas for spinoffs to A*STAR management.
“Open Mike was created to surface talents and ideas in a non-curated and unfiltered form,” Chong explained. “In its five runs to date, it has received almost 60 pitches, through which nine teams have raised nearly S$9 million in funding to grow their ventures.”
To connect with mentors and business experts who can validate the market and investment appeal of proposed solutions, A*STAR talents can join A*SC’s Essentials Bootcamp, a 20-week venture building programme. Its past attendees and spinoffs include the founders of CareCam, a spinoff from the A*STAR Institute of Infocomm Research (A*STAR I2R) that is transforming healthcare with its 3D Gait app.
“For colleagues who may want to learn more about venture building before committing to the whole duration of the Essentials Bootcamp, we have the Level Up Competencies Kit (LUCK): an eight-module programme that provides an overview and introduction to venture building,” Chong added.
Spinoffs at a glance
Myrmidon Laboratories: Founded by Gabriel Yee, Edmund Heng and Wee Ping Heng from the A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (A*STAR SIMTech) to develop next-generation robotics technologies. Kickstarted via Enterprise SG’s Startup Founders Grant, with A*SC as the spinoff’s Accredited Mentor Partner (AMP).
ImpacFat: Founded by Shigeki Sugii, a Principal Investigator at A*STAR IMCB and the A*STAR Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (A*STAR SIFBI), ImpacFat aims to commercially produce cultivated fish fats for alternative protein products.
More interviews with other A*STAR spinoff founders can be found at One North Stories, a podcast series featuring voices from Singapore’s deeptech ecosystem.
Making waves beyond
Underlying A*STAR’s talent initiatives, noted Andy Hor, are the agency’s strong research themes in areas that are likely to shape future societies, such as sustainable chemistry and energy, nucleic acid therapies, quantum technologies and next-generation microelectronics.
“People come to A*STAR with a sense of mission in their careers, with the expectation of being able to contribute to specific research areas. They know that if they join us, they’re joining a sizeable workforce working on a specific problem,” Hor explained. “A clear research agenda and mission is therefore the basis for our strategies in talent attraction and development.”
Hor emphasised that the diverse talents A*STAR helps develop must be of value not just to the agency, but the national RIE ecosystem. “Whether they take on national projects and challenges from within A*STAR, or move on to industry work, academic research or policymaking, they can contribute in various ways.”
These contributions include over 18,000 scholarly outputs produced by A*STAR researchers from 2019 to 2024. In addition, while about one-third of all A*STAR scholars who have completed postgraduate studies and training still remain at A*STAR, 23 percent have moved on to industry, 14 percent to universities and educational institutions, and 8 percent to the public sector and hospitals.
“Going forward, A*STAR will place a greater emphasis on encouraging its scholars and researchers to experience the spectrum of RIE activities, and to foster networks and engagement with the RIE ecosystem,” said Chay Wah Tay. “They can look forward to advancing their careers as scientists or technologists, or venture into academia, business development, industry research, technopreneurial activities and beyond.”
