Scholarships·East & Southeast Asia· 8 min read

Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA): Funded PhD Guide

SINGA explained: a funded PhD award offered with Singapore's autonomous universities — the research-first model, its science and engineering focus, and how to check its current status.

Last updated 15 July 2026

Key facts

Award: Funded PhD (research degree) — not a taught master's
Fields: Science and engineering oriented — confirm your area is in scope
Partners: A*STAR with Singapore's autonomous universities (NUS, NTU, SUTD, SMU) — confirm the current list
Status: In flux — A*STAR's current listings show no standalone SINGA page; verify before applying
Route: Confirm the current application route with A*STAR / the partner university
Duration & stipend: Defer to the official source — verify current terms

What SINGA is

The Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA) is a funded PhD award for international students who want to do research in Singapore. It has been offered by Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) together with the country's autonomous universities — the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Singapore Management University (SMU), with other institutions cited as partners in some cycles.

SINGA is a specific, named route — not the same as applying for a PhD place unfunded, and not the same as the separate scholarship schemes those universities and A*STAR also run in their own names. It offers a structured, funded pathway into a doctoral program in research. For all coverage figures, partners and current terms, defer to the official sources below and verify before you rely on anything here.

Check its current status and route before you plan around it

Read this section before anything else. Award structures change, and SINGA's is in flux. At the time of writing, A*STAR's published scholarship listings do not show a standalone SINGA page — its former page is no longer reachable, and SINGA does not appear on A*STAR's current scholarships or international-awards listings. Meanwhile, NUS Graduate School publishes an 'NUS-SINGA' award page, which suggests the award may now be presented through the partner universities rather than as one central scheme.

We are not going to guess what that means for the current cycle, and neither should any summary you read elsewhere. Before you invest time: confirm directly with A*STAR and with the specific partner university whether SINGA is open, who administers it now, which route you apply through, and what the current deadline is. Treat any third-party page — including this one — as orientation only. If a source states a confident deadline or stipend for SINGA without linking a live official page, do not trust it.

Who it suits: research-first, not coursework

SINGA is for people who want to be researchers. It funds a PhD, which is a multi-year original-research degree culminating in a thesis, not a taught master's or a short course. That makes it a strong fit if you already know you want to commit to deep, supervised research and, typically, an academic or R&D-oriented path.

If your goal is a one-year taught master's or a professional conversion program, SINGA is not the vehicle — a taught-program scholarship or a university award would be. Being honest about this upfront saves a misdirected application. The award suits a genuine research motivation more than a general wish to study in Singapore.

It is science and engineering oriented — check your field first

This is the point most summaries blur. SINGA has not been a general, all-disciplines award: it has been oriented to science and engineering research, with its stated areas centring on biomedical sciences and the physical sciences and engineering, in line with A*STAR's research remit. It is not a route for the humanities, most social sciences, law or the arts.

So check your intended research area against the official eligible fields before you write anything. If your field sits outside the award's scope, a university-run scholarship or a departmental funded position is the more realistic route — see the related guides below. Because the eligible fields are defined by the program and can change, confirm the current scope officially rather than assuming your area is covered.

The supervisor / research-area-first model

SINGA runs on a research-area and supervisor-first logic. Your PhD is defined by a research topic and a supervisor (or supervisory team) at one of the partner institutions, so your application is strongest when you can point to a research area — and ideally potential supervisors or groups — that match your background and interests.

Explore the research areas and faculty across the A*STAR research institutes and the partner universities before you apply, and shape your research interests and statement around a real, feasible direction. You are not just applying to a country; you are proposing to join a research community. Check the official pages for how supervisor matching works in the current cycle.

What a funded PhD offer generally includes

A funded PhD award, as this type of scheme is generally structured, is designed to let you focus on research rather than on paying your own way — typically bundling tuition support with a monthly living stipend and, sometimes, additional allowances. The precise components, amounts and duration are set by the program and change over time.

For that reason, do not fix any number in your mind from a summary — and be especially wary of figures quoted on third-party 'scholarship listing' sites, which are frequently stale. Read exactly what the award covers — tuition, stipend, any settling-in or other allowances, and for how long — on the official page for the current cycle, and treat the award letter, once offered, as the definitive statement of your funding. This is general information, not financial advice.

Verify terms and avoid impostor agents

SINGA's profile makes it a target for impostors, and the current uncertainty about its status makes that worse: when an official page is hard to find, scam sites fill the gap. Apply only through the official route you have confirmed with A*STAR or the partner university, and be cautious of any 'agent', consultant or message promising guaranteed selection, a paid supervisor 'introduction', or a fast-track for a fee.

No legitimate scholarship guarantees an award, and none requires you to pay a third party to apply. Verify the current terms, status, eligibility and deadlines on official sources, keep control of your own application and documents, and treat any guarantee-for-payment or upfront-fee offer as a scam.

Frequently asked questions

Is SINGA still open, and who administers it?

Confirm this directly before planning around it. At the time of writing, A*STAR's published scholarship listings do not show a standalone SINGA page and its former page is unreachable, while NUS Graduate School publishes an 'NUS-SINGA' award page — which suggests the route may now run through the partner universities. Check the current status, administering body and application route with A*STAR and your target university.

Is SINGA only for science and engineering?

Broadly yes. The award has been oriented to science and engineering research, centring on biomedical sciences and the physical sciences and engineering, in line with A*STAR's research remit — it is not a general all-disciplines award. Confirm whether your intended research area is covered on the official page before applying.

Is SINGA the same as a university scholarship at NUS or NTU?

No. SINGA is a distinct, named award offered with Singapore's autonomous universities as partners. Those universities, and A*STAR, also run their own separate scholarship schemes under their own names. Compare each on its official terms.

Do I need to find a supervisor before applying?

SINGA is research-area and supervisor-oriented, so identifying research areas and potential supervisors that fit you strengthens your application. Check the official pages for exactly how supervisor matching works in the current cycle.

Does SINGA cover tuition and living costs?

As a funded PhD award, it has been structured to cover tuition and provide a living stipend, and may include other allowances. The precise components, amounts and duration are set by the program and change over time — verify them on the official page for the current cycle and in your award letter, and disregard figures quoted by third-party listing sites.

Official sources

This guide explains the process and is for guidance only. Eligibility, dates, fees and rules change every year — always confirm the current details on the official site before you act.

Verified against: A*STAR Graduate Academy — Scholarships (official); A*STAR Graduate Academy — International Awards (official); NUS Graduate School — NUS-SINGA Scholarship (official); NUS Graduate School — Scholarships (official).

Last verified: 15 July 2026.