17 Students Awarded START Scholarships this Year

1. 17 Singaporeans were awarded scholarships at the 6th Singapore Teaching and Academic Research Talent Scheme (START) award ceremony, which was held virtually on 21 September 2020.

2. At the ceremony, the award recipients engaged in a dialogue with Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Education, and University leaders on a wide range of topics such as the contribution of research to the wider community, the expansion of education technology, as well as the importance of interdisciplinary education and research. The list of this year's award recipients are in the Annex.

3. As future academics in the Autonomous Universities (AUs), START awardees will play an important role in influencing and shaping how future generations of Singaporeans tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow, through their research and teaching.

4. START supports young Singaporeans interested in pursuing an academic career at the AUs. The scheme also helps the AUs strengthen their pool of academic talent in both research and teaching, by providing a suite of scholarships and awards in partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

5. START provides undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships at local and overseas institutions. For those who have completed their PhD and/or post-doctoral training, the START Early Career Award allows aspiring academics to gain valuable teaching and research experience. This will help them establish a competitive portfolio for their future application as faculty members, by supporting their stipends and research grants. Lastly, the Inauguration Grant aims to attract Singaporean academics who are ready to be appointed as Assistant Professors on the tenure track.