The Wang Gungwu Fellowship, officially the Wang Gungwu Visiting Fellows Programme, is a two- to six-month research residency at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. It is for postdoctoral researchers and mid-career policymakers of any nationality who study how big-power rivalry, especially between the US and China, affects Southeast Asia. Fellows get a fixed monthly stipend that includes a housing subsidy, a return economy air ticket, an office and full use of the ISEAS Library.
The call for the 2027 intake has closed. ISEAS first set the deadline at 4 August 2026, then moved it to Friday 28 August 2026 in a brochure updated on 6 July 2026. If you are aiming for the 2028 intake, work towards 28 August 2027 and keep an eye on the ISEAS fellowships page from mid-2027.
Wang Gungwu Fellowship 2027 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official name | Wang Gungwu Visiting Fellows Programme (WGW VFP) |
| Host | ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, 30 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore |
| Named after | Professor Wang Gungwu, former chairman of the ISEAS Board of Trustees |
| Length | Minimum 2 months, maximum 6 months, subject to ISEAS approval |
| Residence | You must be in residence at ISEAS for the whole fellowship |
| Stipend | Fixed monthly amount including a housing subsidy. ISEAS does not publish the figure. |
| Travel | Round-trip economy airfare between your home country and Singapore |
| Facilities | Office, computer, IT services and ISEAS Library access |
| Nationality | Open to all |
| How to apply | Online FormSG application, plus two reference letters emailed by your referees |
Wang Gungwu Fellowship deadlines
| Intake | Deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2028 intake | 28 August 2027 | Not yet open |
The 2028 date is this year’s deadline moved forward one year (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens). Only shortlisted candidates hear back, and they are invited to an interview. ISEAS does not publish a results date.
Is the Wang Gungwu Fellowship fully funded?
It covers the main costs of a short research stay: a monthly stipend with housing built in, your flights and a place to work. Because ISEAS does not state the stipend amount, I would not call it fully funded until you see an offer. Ask ISEAS for the monthly figure at interview stage and compare it with Singapore rents before you commit to a six-month stay with family.
In earlier rounds ISEAS also said it would consider partial or full cost-sharing proposals, for example if your own university or government continues to pay you. The current 2027 pages do not mention this, so raise it in your application only if it applies to you.
Research areas ISEAS wants to fund
Your proposal needs to fit at least one of these themes and have clear policy relevance for Southeast Asia:
- Developments in US-China relations and their impact on Southeast Asia.
- Asia-Pacific security, such as the South China Sea and China-ASEAN relations.
- Global and regional economic cooperation, such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
- The rise of China and its effect on Southeast Asian communities.
- How countries use digital media and technology to shape perceptions in Southeast Asia.
Recent fellows show the range. ISEAS has published interviews with Dr Du Yue (2024, Regional Social and Cultural Studies) and Dr Deasy Pane (2025, Regional Economic Studies), which are worth reading to see the kind of project that gets through.
What fellows must deliver
- Write for the ISEAS Perspective and ISEAS Fulcrum publications in your research area.
- Present your findings at an in-house ISEAS seminar during the fellowship.
- Possibly meet Professor Wang Gungwu, where this can be arranged.
These outputs are short policy pieces. If your plan is to finish a book manuscript in silence, this programme is a poor fit.
Who can apply for the Wang Gungwu Fellowship
| Applicant type | What ISEAS asks for |
|---|---|
| Postdoctoral researchers | A completed PhD, with research experience and publications |
| Mid-career policymakers | A PhD is not required if your CV shows an appropriate level of professional experience and research interest |
| Everyone | A policy-relevant project on Southeast Asia in one of the five areas, and availability to live in Singapore for the full 2 to 6 months |
The programme is not for students. Some listings tag it for undergraduate and master’s applicants; nothing on the ISEAS pages supports that.
How to apply for the Wang Gungwu Fellowship
- Pick your research area: match your project to one of the five themes and write down the policy question it answers.
- Prepare your documents: a CV and a research proposal stating your topic, method, timeline, intended outputs and how many months you want (2 to 6).
- Line up two referees: academic or professional, who can send letters before the deadline.
- Submit through FormSG: complete the application form and upload your supporting documents through the FormSG link on the ISEAS programme page.
- Have each referee email their letter: to development@iseas.edu.sg with the subject line “Application for ISEAS Wang Gungwu Visiting Fellows Programme 2027 – [Reference Letter for First Name and Last Name]”, updated to the year of the call you apply in.
- Wait for an interview call: only shortlisted applicants are contacted.
Older guides tell you to email the whole application to ISEAS with a cover letter and a three-page, double-spaced statement. The current call uses the FormSG form instead, and the form itself sets what you upload, so follow it rather than the old email method.
Preparing for the 2028 intake step by step
Ten months is a comfortable runway for this fellowship if you use it. A sensible plan, working back from 28 August 2027:
- Now to January 2027: read recent ISEAS Perspective and Fulcrum pieces in your area. You will be writing for these outlets, so learn their length, tone and the questions they already cover.
- February to April 2027: settle on one policy question and draft a two-page proposal. Show it to a colleague who works on Southeast Asia.
- May 2027: ask your two referees. Give them your draft proposal, your CV and the exact email subject line ISEAS asks for, so their letters arrive correctly labelled.
- June to July 2027: watch the ISEAS fellowships page for the new call and brochure. Check whether the research areas, form or deadline have changed.
- Two weeks before the deadline: submit through FormSG, then confirm with each referee that their letter has gone to development@iseas.edu.sg.
How to write the research proposal
ISEAS does not publish a page limit or template for the 2027 call on the pages I checked; the FormSG form sets what you upload. Whatever the format, a short visiting fellowship is judged on whether your project is focused, relevant to policy in Southeast Asia, and achievable in the months you request. A structure that works:
- The question: one sentence naming the policy problem and the countries involved.
- Why now: what has changed recently that makes the question urgent for governments or businesses in the region.
- Fit with ISEAS: which of the five research areas it belongs to, and why being in Singapore, with the ISEAS Library and researchers, helps.
- Method and sources: interviews, datasets, archives or media analysis you will use, and what you have already collected.
- Outputs and timeline: month-by-month plan ending in specific Perspective or Fulcrum pieces and the in-house seminar.
A sample opening, for illustration only: “When a Southeast Asian government buys network equipment from a Chinese firm and cloud services from an American one, who decides where its citizens’ data lives? This project follows that decision through procurement records and interviews in two ASEAN ministries.” It poses a sharp question, names a method and points to policy. If you cite figures in your real proposal, make sure you can source each one.
Eligibility edge cases
- PhD candidates close to submission: the programme names postdoctoral researchers. ISEAS does not say whether a near-complete PhD counts, so ask before applying rather than assuming.
- Think-tank analysts, journalists and civil servants: the mid-career policymaker route allows applicants without a PhD if the CV shows the right experience and research interest. Make that experience easy to see.
- Researchers already in Singapore: the programme pays airfare from your home country and requires residence at ISEAS. ISEAS does not publish a rule for applicants already based in Singapore; ask the programme contact.
- Projects outside the five themes: they are unlikely to be funded under this programme. ISEAS runs other fellowships, so check the wider fellowships page.
What happens after you apply
ISEAS reviews applications after the deadline and contacts only shortlisted candidates for an interview. Use the interview to show that your project can produce publishable policy pieces within the stay, and ask about the monthly stipend, start dates and any pass you need to work in Singapore. ISEAS does not publish a results date or the number of fellows it takes each year. Successful fellows then agree the start date and length with ISEAS, within the 2 to 6 month range.
Costs the fellowship may not cover
- Rent above the housing subsidy: Singapore rents are high, and the subsidy is built into a stipend whose amount ISEAS does not publish.
- Family costs: airfare is described for the fellow. Nothing on the ISEAS pages mentions support for a spouse or children.
- Health insurance: the ISEAS pages do not list it as a benefit, so arrange cover for your stay.
- Fieldwork travel: trips to other Southeast Asian countries during the fellowship are not listed as covered.
- Lost salary: if your employer will not keep paying you, the stipend has to cover your living costs alone.
Common mistakes
- Proposing a broad academic project with no policy question or no link to Southeast Asia.
- Emailing the whole application to ISEAS, as older guides say, instead of using the FormSG form.
- Referees using the wrong subject line or the wrong year, so their letters are not matched to your file.
- Asking for six months when your plan only fills three. Match the length to the outputs.
- Ignoring ISEAS’s own publications, then proposing a topic its researchers covered last year.
Wang Gungwu Fellowship compared with similar fellowships
| Fellowship | Where | Length and pay | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wang Gungwu Visiting Fellows Programme | ISEAS, Singapore | 2 to 6 months; monthly stipend with housing subsidy (amount not published), return airfare | Postdocs and mid-career policymakers on Southeast Asia and big-power rivalry |
| KWI International Fellowships | Essen, Germany | 6 months; €3,000 a month | Early-career postdocs in the humanities and social sciences |
| Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship | Cambridge, USA | Academic year; $78,000 stipend plus $5,000 for project costs | Established scholars, scientists, writers and artists |
| International Youth Library fellowships | Munich, Germany | 6 weeks to 3 months; €1,300 a month | Researchers on children’s and youth literature |
If you also want a degree or longer study in Singapore, see our guides to NUS scholarships and studying in Singapore without IELTS.
Who should apply, and who should not
I would apply if you hold a PhD or have solid policy experience, work on US-China relations, regional security, economic cooperation, China’s influence or digital media in Southeast Asia, and like writing short, readable policy pieces. A few months in Singapore with an office and a strong regional library is a real boost to that kind of work.
I would skip it if you are a student, if your research is not about Southeast Asia, if you need to bring a family on a known budget, or if you want quiet time to finish a book. The KWI or Radcliffe fellowships in the table above may suit you better.
FAQs about the Wang Gungwu Fellowship
Is the Wang Gungwu Fellowship fully funded?
It pays a monthly stipend that includes a housing subsidy, a return economy ticket to Singapore and gives you an office and library access. ISEAS does not publish the stipend amount, so check the figure in your offer.
Can I apply for the Wang Gungwu Fellowship without a PhD?
Yes, if you are a mid-career policymaker whose CV shows enough professional experience and research interest. Academic applicants are expected to be postdoctoral researchers.
How long is the Wang Gungwu Visiting Fellowship?
Between two and six months, subject to ISEAS approval, and you must live in Singapore for the whole period.
When is the Wang Gungwu Fellowship deadline?
The 2027 intake closed on 28 August 2026. The deadline, for the 2028 intake, is 28 August 2027.
Sources and updates
Eligibility, length, benefits, research areas, outputs, past fellow interviews and the contact person come from the ISEAS Wang Gungwu Visiting Fellows Programme page. The 28 August 2026 deadline, the FormSG application and the referee subject line come from the ISEAS recruitment brochure dated 6 July 2026 and the programme notice on the ISEAS front page. The original 4 August 2026 deadline appears in the April 2026 call as listed by Fundit. The earlier cost-sharing note comes from the ISEAS fellowships listing for the 2025 intake. Checked on 24 October 2026. I will update this page when ISEAS publishes the 2028 call.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
