A*STAR with NUS, NTU, SUTD, SMU and SIT
Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA)
Singapore's main PhD award for international students, run by A*STAR with the five partner universities. You research at an A*STAR institute or a university lab and the degree is conferred by the university. There is no service bond.
Application round
For the August 2027 intake, applications are open from 2 June to 1 December 2026. The January intake takes applications from 2 December to 1 June.
The IELTS requirement
SINGA doesn't set an IELTS score of its own, but you must meet the English requirement of the university that admits you, and the university application runs alongside the SINGA one. NTU and NUS PhD admissions commonly ask for IELTS 6.5 (or TOEFL) from applicants whose degree wasn't taught in English, so plan to have about 6.5 before the deadline. Thai graduates of English-taught programmes may be exempt; check with the university.
Where is your IELTS score now?
Your university sets the IELTS score for this scholarship. Take the free level test to get an estimated band for each skill before you apply.
What it covers
- Full tuition fees for four years
- A stipend of S$2,700 a month, rising by S$500 a month after you pass the PhD qualifying examination
- A one-off settling-in allowance of S$1,000
- A one-off airfare grant of S$1,500
Who can apply
- International student (not a Singapore citizen or permanent resident), any nationality
- Excellent bachelor's and/or master's results
- A strong interest in research leading to a PhD or EngD in science or engineering
- Degrees: PhD at NUS and NTU; PhD or EngD at SMU and SUTD; EngD at SIT
- You apply on the SINGA site and also through the university's own graduate admissions portal (for NTU, the GRAS portal)
Key facts
- Provider
- A*STAR with NUS, NTU, SUTD, SMU and SIT
- Where you study
- Singapore
- Study level
- PhD
- Funding
- Fully funded
- Application round
- Opens June 2, 2026 · Closes December 1, 2026
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We checked these details against the provider's official page on November 1, 2026. Rules and dates change every round, so confirm them there before you apply.
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