A*STAR (the Agency for Science, Technology and Research) is one of Singapore’s two principal national research bodies, alongside the National Research Foundation (NRF). For a research administrator or a prospective grantee or scholar, the practical question is usually narrower than “what is A*STAR”: it is “which A*STAR program funds this project or this student, and how does it differ from what NRF funds.” This guide answers that, covering A*STAR’s structure only as far as it explains how its funding and scholarship programs are organized, then walks through the current external-facing funding schemes and scholarship programs, and how they relate to A*STAR’s own postdoctoral fellowship, which has its own dedicated guide.
What A*STAR is, and why its structure matters for funders and applicants
A*STAR is a statutory board under Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). Unlike NRF, which sets national research, innovation and enterprise (RIE) policy and strategic funding at a whole-of-government level, A*STAR both performs and funds its own research through its own network of research institutes. A*STAR’s institutional lineage traces back to the National Science and Technology Board, established in 1991; the agency was renamed A*STAR in 2002. NRF was established separately in 2006. The two bodies are linked at the governance level — A*STAR’s Chairman sits on the NRF Board, and A*STAR co-leads a number of NRF- and RIE-funded programmes — but they are distinct organizations with distinct funding remits. See the NRF Singapore funding overview for the policy-setting side of that relationship.
Operationally, A*STAR’s research is organized under two research councils: the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC), which covers bioprocessing, genomics, molecular and cell biology, bioengineering and related biomedical fields, and the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC), which covers physical sciences and engineering fields such as semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and sustainability technologies. Research institutes and centres under these two councils are based mainly across A*STAR’s two adjoining research campuses, Biopolis (biomedical sciences) and Fusionopolis (physical sciences and engineering). This structure matters practically because A*STAR’s funding calls and scholarship tracks are typically framed around these disciplinary groupings — knowing whether a project or field of study sits under BMRC or SERC is often the fastest way to find the right program on A*STAR’s own site.
A*STAR funding programs for external and collaborative research
A*STAR’s funding opportunities are aimed primarily at industry-linked and collaborative research rather than at unsolicited, investigator-initiated grants in the style of a typical national funding council. Programs and calls change over time, so treat program names below as current examples of the categories A*STAR funds, and always confirm live details — open/close dates and eligibility — on A*STAR’s own funding-opportunities page and its iGrants portal before applying.
- Industry Alignment Fund – Industry Collaboration Projects (IAF-ICP): A*STAR’s standing, ongoing mechanism for supporting collaborative research between industry partners and A*STAR’s research institutes, aimed at translating research capabilities into industry-relevant outcomes. Unlike the time-limited calls below, IAF-ICP runs on a rolling basis.
- Time-limited joint and thematic grant calls: A*STAR periodically opens calls tied to specific themes or bilateral research partnerships — for example, joint international collaboration calls run with overseas funding agencies, and thematic calls tied to national priorities (such as early-childhood or therapeutics-development themes). These calls open and close on fixed windows, typically a matter of weeks, and are announced on A*STAR’s funding-opportunities page rather than staying permanently open.
- AME programmatic funds: Funding administered through A*STAR’s Science and Engineering Research Council structure (historically associated with the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering, AME, domain) that supports larger, strategically directed research programmes rather than single investigator-initiated projects.
- Career Development Fund: A*STAR also funds researcher career-development awards aimed at supporting early- and mid-career researchers within its own institute network, distinct from the external-collaboration funding above.
Because A*STAR’s grant calls are administered through its iGrants portal and change on a rolling basis, a research administrator tracking A*STAR opportunities for a department or institution should treat A*STAR’s own funding-opportunities listing as the authoritative, current source rather than any single external summary, including this one.
A*STAR scholarship programs
Separately from its research-funding programs, A*STAR runs a set of scholarships aimed at building Singapore’s research workforce, spanning undergraduate through PhD level. The two flagship graduate-level scholarships are:
- National Science Scholarship (PhD): Awarded to outstanding students pursuing a PhD-track research career. Non-Singaporean scholars are generally required to obtain Singapore Permanent Resident status before commencing their studies under this scholarship.
- A*STAR Graduate Scholarship (AGS): Funds up to four years of PhD or Engineering Doctorate (EngD) study at a Singapore university, across several tracks (including STEM, semiconductors, quantum, and computing at time of writing — confirm current tracks on A*STAR’s scholarships page, as the specific track lineup is periodically revised). Non-Singaporeans who are not Singapore Permanent Residents typically incur a three-year service commitment with a Singapore-based company after completing the scholarship.
A*STAR also offers undergraduate-level scholarships and a separate scholars/alumni track; see A*STAR’s own scholarships portal for the current full list, as program names and eligibility details are reviewed periodically. Across A*STAR’s graduate scholarships, scholars typically receive full tuition sponsorship plus a monthly living allowance, and the application cycle — from a complete application to a decision — commonly runs around five months, so applicants should plan well ahead of an intended start date.
A*STAR’s scholarships fund a scholar’s degree — tuition and living costs while studying, in exchange for an eventual service commitment or research placement. This is a different funding relationship from the A*STAR International Fellowship (AIF), which is a postdoctoral research fellowship for researchers who already hold a PhD, funding an independent postdoctoral research track rather than degree study. If you already hold a doctorate and are looking at A*STAR for a fellowship rather than a scholarship, see that dedicated guide for AIF’s two tracks, eligibility, funding levels, and service-obligation terms in full.
How A*STAR funding fits alongside NRF
Research administrators comparing Singapore’s funding landscape should keep the division of labor in mind: NRF sets national research, innovation and enterprise strategy and funds cross-agency, whole-of-government priority programmes (including Singapore’s RIE five-year plans), while A*STAR performs and funds mission-oriented research through its own institutes and offers the scholarship and fellowship programs above to build the researcher pipeline that supports that mission. A single large national initiative may therefore involve both bodies — NRF setting the strategic funding envelope, with A*STAR institutes as a performing partner or co-funder on the ground. For the policy and strategic-funding side of this picture, including RIE plan funding, see the NRF Singapore funding overview.
Frequently asked questions
Is A*STAR a government ministry?
No. A*STAR is a statutory board — a public-sector body established by statute with its own governing board and operational autonomy — under Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), not a ministry itself.
What is the difference between an A*STAR scholarship and the A*STAR International Fellowship (AIF)?
A*STAR’s scholarships (such as the National Science Scholarship and the A*STAR Graduate Scholarship) fund degree study, typically PhD or EngD study, for students who have not yet completed a doctorate. The A*STAR International Fellowship is a postdoctoral fellowship for researchers who already hold a PhD, funding an independent research track after the doctorate rather than the doctoral study itself.
Do A*STAR scholarships and fellowships come with a service obligation?
Many do, particularly for non-Singaporean, non-Permanent-Resident recipients — for example, the A*STAR Graduate Scholarship typically carries a three-year service commitment with a Singapore-based company for that group. Exact terms vary by program and by a recipient’s citizenship/residency status, so confirm the specific obligation attached to the individual scholarship or fellowship before accepting an award.
Where do I find current, open A*STAR grant calls?
A*STAR posts current funding opportunities, including time-limited joint and thematic calls, on its own funding-opportunities page, with applications handled through its iGrants portal. Because calls open and close on rolling and fixed windows respectively, check that listing directly rather than relying on a static summary for exact dates.
Is A*STAR the same as NRF?
No. They are distinct statutory bodies with linked but different roles: NRF sets national research strategy and funds priority programmes at a whole-of-government level, while A*STAR performs and funds research through its own institutes and runs its own scholarship and fellowship programs. See the NRF Singapore funding overview for detail on NRF’s remit.
