The A*STAR International Fellowship (AIF) is the flagship postdoctoral fellowship offered by Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) — the statutory board that leads Singapore’s public research and coordinates its national research funding. AIF is distinct from A*STAR’s PhD-level funding (the National Science Scholarship and A*STAR Graduate Scholarship): it funds Singaporean and Singapore-Permanent-Resident researchers who already hold a PhD to complete up to two years of postdoctoral training at a leading overseas university, research institution, or deep-tech startup, with a return-of-service obligation in Singapore afterward. This guide covers eligibility, funding structure, the two fellowship tracks, and application mechanics as published on A*STAR’s own site.
REPORTED-tier note: program mechanics for international funders change — cycle dates, allowance rates, and specific eligibility wording are set by A*STAR and subject to revision. The details below reflect A*STAR’s official fellowship page as verified at the time of writing; administrators and applicants should confirm current terms directly against A*STAR’s official AIF page before advising an applicant or building a budget.
What the A*STAR International Fellowship is
A*STAR is Singapore’s lead public-sector research and development agency, operating a network of research institutes and administering national research scholarships and fellowships through its Graduate Academy. AIF sits at the postdoctoral fellowship stage of the researcher career pipeline — after PhD completion, before an independent faculty or principal-investigator role — and is explicitly structured to send Singaporean researchers overseas for training that feeds back into A*STAR’s own research institutes on their return, rather than to fund postdoctoral work performed in Singapore itself.
Eligibility requirements
- Citizenship/residency: applicants must be Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents (SPR). A*STAR states that non-SPR applicants with an exceptional record may be considered, but must obtain Singapore citizenship before the fellowship starts.
- PhD recency: candidates must have completed a PhD within the last four years, or be a final-stage PhD student whose degree will be conferred before the fellowship begins.
- No existing bond: applicants must not hold an existing institutional service bond that would conflict with the AIF return-of-service commitment.
- Host placement: applicants must have applied for, or already secured, a postdoctoral position at a leading overseas university, research institution, or (for the Innovation track) a deep-tech startup, and must have an overseas supervisor and project proposal established before applying.
- Track-specific record: the Research track expects a strong publication record; the Innovation track expects an aptitude for entrepreneurship and innovation, with publications preferred but weighted less heavily than for the Research track.
Funding and duration
AIF funds up to two years of overseas postdoctoral training. Per A*STAR’s published terms, support includes a monthly overseas living allowance, a monthly sustenance allowance with CPF (Central Provident Fund) contribution, annual return airfare, settling-in and computer allowances, a conference allowance, and annual personal insurance. A*STAR states that exact rates vary by destination country and host institution/lab and are subject to periodic adjustment — the fellowship page does not publish a single fixed stipend figure, so applicants should confirm current rates directly with A*STAR’s Graduate Academy rather than relying on a fixed number from any secondary source.
The two fellowship tracks
AIF is split into two tracks, and an applicant chooses one at the point of application:
- AIF (Research) — a research-focused track for early-career researchers who want to deepen technical expertise, lead independent projects, and build toward a research career at A*STAR, in academia, or in industry.
- AIF (Innovation) — an innovation-focused track placing fellows in high-quality deep-tech startups to gain hands-on experience translating research into investable ventures, aimed at applicants with entrepreneurial intent rather than a purely academic research trajectory.
Application process and timeline
A*STAR runs AIF on two annual application cycles, per its published fellowship page: a first cycle opening around 1 January and closing around 1 April (interviews April–May, outcomes around mid-June), and a second cycle opening around 14 July and closing around 1 October (interviews October–November, outcomes around December). Because A*STAR describes these as recurring annual windows rather than fixed calendar dates guaranteed every year, applicants should verify the current cycle’s exact open/close dates on A*STAR’s site before planning around them.
Before applying, a candidate must independently contact and secure agreement from an overseas host supervisor to establish a project proposal — AIF does not place candidates with a host institution, applicants arrange this themselves. A candidate also needs endorsement from a proposed A*STAR research-institute supervisor and that institute’s Executive Director prior to the first interview, reflecting AIF’s structure as a bridge back into A*STAR rather than a fully independent, institution-agnostic award. Shortlisted applicants go through at least two interview rounds, including a project presentation (reported as roughly fifteen minutes) followed by a question-and-answer session.
Service (return) obligation
AIF carries a return-of-service condition: on completing the overseas fellowship, awardees are required to return to Singapore and work for A*STAR’s research institutes and/or related organizations for three years. This bond structure is a defining feature that distinguishes AIF from postdoctoral fellowships that carry no return-of-service requirement, and it should be factored into any comparison an applicant or advising research office makes against alternative postdoctoral funding.
How AIF compares to other national postdoctoral fellowships
AIF’s overall shape — competitive national funding for a fixed postdoctoral term, tied to a specific home country’s research system — parallels other national postdoctoral fellowship programs research administrators may already be familiar with, such as the NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship (Canada) or the SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (Canada). The key structural difference is direction of travel and obligation: AIF specifically funds Singaporean/SPR researchers to train outside Singapore and then requires a multi-year return of service inside Singapore, whereas many national postdoctoral schemes fund in-country research with no comparable overseas-then-return structure. Administrators advising a researcher choosing between international postdoctoral options should treat the service-bond terms, not just the funding amount, as a primary comparison point.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for the A*STAR International Fellowship?
Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents who have completed a PhD within the last four years (or are final-stage PhD students whose degree will be conferred before the fellowship starts), have no conflicting existing service bond, and have secured or applied for a postdoctoral placement at a qualifying overseas institution or, for the Innovation track, a deep-tech startup.
How much funding does the A*STAR International Fellowship provide?
AIF funds up to two years of overseas postdoctoral training, covering a monthly overseas living allowance, a monthly sustenance allowance with CPF contribution, annual return airfare, settling-in, computer, and conference allowances, and annual personal insurance. A*STAR does not publish one fixed stipend figure — rates vary by country and host institution and are subject to A*STAR’s own periodic adjustment, so current figures should be confirmed directly with A*STAR.
What is the difference between AIF Research and AIF Innovation tracks?
The Research track supports researchers building toward an independent research career, with a strong publication record expected. The Innovation track places fellows in deep-tech startups to build entrepreneurial and venture-translation experience, weighting entrepreneurial aptitude more heavily than publication record.
Does the A*STAR International Fellowship require a return of service?
Yes. Awardees must return to Singapore and work for A*STAR’s research institutes and/or related organizations for three years after completing the fellowship — a bond obligation that is not universal among national postdoctoral fellowship programs and should be weighed explicitly against alternatives.
When are the A*STAR International Fellowship application deadlines?
A*STAR has run two annual cycles — roughly January to April and July to October — but exact dates are set by A*STAR each cycle rather than fixed permanently, so applicants should confirm the current cycle’s dates on A*STAR’s official AIF page rather than relying on a previous cycle’s dates.
