Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA) 2027: Stipend, Eligibility and Deadline

The Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA) is a bond-free PhD scholarship for international students in science and engineering. It is run by A*STAR, Singapore’s research agency, with NUS, NTU, SUTD, SMU and SIT. SINGA pays full tuition for up to four years, a monthly stipend of S$2,700 that rises to S$3,200 after you pass your qualifying exam, a S$1,000 settling-in allowance and a S$1,500 airfare grant. There is no application fee, and you do not have to work in Singapore after you graduate.

SINGA has two intakes and two fixed application windows. The deadline for the August 2027 intake is 1 December 2026, and the window for the January 2028 intake runs from 2 December 2026 to 1 June 2027. You apply online with a research proposal and up to three preferred supervisors, then strong candidates are interviewed by video.

SINGA scholarship at a glance

What SINGA pays

Here is the yearly value. The stipend figures are A*STAR’s own; NTU describes the higher rate as a S$500 monthly top-up paid after the qualifying exam, which adds up to the same S$3,200.

The qualifying exam is usually taken in the second year, so expect roughly one year on S$2,700 and the rest on S$3,200. There is no extra money for a spouse, although a spouse can apply for a visit pass through your university. A*STAR says awardees normally finish in four years, and the award stops there, so a longer PhD needs other funding.

The rates have been in place since 1 January 2024. They are lower than the NUS Research Scholarship’s S$3,000 and S$3,500, which matters if you could get into NUS on its own scholarship. SINGA’s advantages are the two extra grants, access to A*STAR research institutes and a wider choice of universities.

Universities and degrees under SINGA

Your research can be based at one of these universities or at an A*STAR research institute, with the degree awarded by the university. PhD projects are research based, not clinical.

SINGA eligibility

A*STAR looks for international graduates with excellent bachelor’s and/or master’s results and a real interest in research. The detailed rules from its FAQ:

• Nationality: open to all nationalities except Singapore citizens and permanent residents, who are pointed to A*STAR’s other awards.
• Previous study in Singapore: the award is meant for people who have not studied in Singapore before. If you are already a PhD student there, you may apply but must explain why you want a different programme.
• Work in Singapore: past or current work in Singapore does not stop you applying.
• Field: science and engineering only. MBA, humanities, finance, business management and architecture are excluded.
• Age: no age limit, though A*STAR says the award targets younger applicants.
• Degree: a bachelor’s is enough. A master’s helps but is not required.
• Passport: you need a valid one.

Edge cases from A*STAR’s FAQ

Do you need IELTS, TOEFL or the GRE?

Not for SINGA. A*STAR does not require GRE, IELTS, TOEFL, SAT or GATE scores and assesses your English at interview. The university that admits you may still ask for test scores, so check its rules once you are offered the award. Our guide to studying in Singapore without IELTS explains how each university treats English proof.

SINGA 2027 deadlines and intakes

The windows repeat every year on the same dates. A*STAR does not publish a closing hour on its FAQ; Scholars4Dev quotes 11:59 p.m. Singapore time (GMT+8), and I would submit at least a few days early so your referees have time to respond.

How to apply for the SINGA scholarship

1. Browse projects and supervisors: look at the project lists of A*STAR (updated once a year, in June) and the partner universities. You can also propose your own project.
2. Shortlist three: choose up to three projects or supervisors. They can be in different fields or institutions.
3. Contact supervisors (optional): A*STAR encourages it but does not require it. Your preferred project may not be available, so a supervisor’s reply helps you choose.
4. Write your research proposal: it is required. Keep it tied to your chosen projects.
5. Prepare documents: passport copy, a recent passport photo (JPEG or PNG), bachelor’s transcripts and degree certificate, master’s documents if you have them, and English translations for anything not in English.
6. Students still finishing: add a provisional certificate, transcripts up to your latest semester and a letter from your university confirming your expected completion date.
7. Submit online: use the application link on A*STAR’s SINGA page. Hard copies sent to the SINGA Office are not processed.
8. University portal if asked: a separate university application is usually not needed, but NTU asks SINGA applicants to also submit through its GRAS portal.

Choosing your three supervisors

SINGA lets you list up to three projects or supervisors, and A*STAR limits how many students each supervisor takes. That makes the choice a strategy question as much as a research one.

• Spread your bets: pick supervisors at two different institutions, for example one A*STAR institute and one university lab, so one full group does not end your chances.
• Read recent papers: choose people whose last two or three years of work match your skills, and name that work in your proposal.
• Check the June list: A*STAR refreshes its project list once a year in June, so a project you saw in an old list may be gone.
• Write to them early: a short email with your CV and a one-paragraph idea, sent weeks before the deadline, tells you whether the project is still open.

Order them by real fit, not by university name. A proposal that matches a supervisor’s current work is much easier to defend at interview than one chosen for a ranking.

Writing the SINGA research proposal

The proposal and your project choices carry a lot of weight, because SINGA matches you to a supervisor. Aim for one to two pages:

1. Question: the specific problem you want to work on, linked to one of your chosen supervisors’ research.
2. Background: what is known, with a few recent references.
3. Approach: the methods you would use and the skills you already have for them.
4. Fit: why that lab or A*STAR institute, such as equipment, data or a research group.

A sample opening: “Low-cost sensors for detecting heavy metals in drinking water are still too inaccurate for field use, and I want to test whether the graphene coatings developed in Dr X’s group at NTU can close that gap.” One clear problem, one named group, one method.

Selection, interview and results

1. Screening: A*STAR and the universities review your grades, proposal, references and project fit.
2. Shortlisting: results come about 12 weeks after the closing date at the earliest. Only shortlisted applicants are emailed.
3. Interview: usually online by Zoom or Skype. Expect questions on your past research, your proposal and your English.
4. Award: successful candidates get a SINGA offer.
5. Admission: the award does not guarantee university admission. The university contacts you separately about it.

For the 1 December 2026 deadline, that means shortlisting news from about late February 2027 at the earliest. If you hear nothing, you may reapply in a later window.

Common mistakes

• Applying in the wrong field: business, finance, humanities and architecture proposals are not funded.
• Late referees: the 7-day window catches many applicants. Ask your referees in advance.
• Untranslated documents: transcripts must come with English translations.
• Holding two A*STAR applications: you can apply to only one A*STAR scholarship at a time, and you can hold only one award in the end.
• A vague proposal: a topic with no question and no named supervisor reads as poor fit.
• Assuming you are admitted: the award and the university admission are separate steps.

Costs SINGA does not cover

• Student’s Pass fees: S$45 processing and S$60 issuance as published by NTU for 2026, plus S$30 for a visa if your nationality needs one.
• Rent and daily costs beyond what the stipend covers.
• Living costs for a spouse or children.
• Any time beyond four years of PhD study.
• Flights costing more than the S$1,500 airfare grant.

How SINGA compares with similar PhD awards

If you are set on Singapore, apply to both SINGA and the NUS Research Scholarship where your field allows it. You can apply to scholarships from other organisations at the same time as SINGA, as long as you accept only one.

Who should apply and who should not

Apply if you have strong grades in a science or engineering degree, some research experience such as a final-year thesis, and a clear interest in a lab in Singapore. The bond-free rule makes SINGA a good fit if you plan to return home or move elsewhere after your PhD.

Skip it if your field is business, finance, humanities or architecture, or if you are a Singapore citizen, permanent resident or graduate of a Singapore university. Those applicants have other routes.

FAQs about the Singapore International Graduate Award

Is the SINGA scholarship fully funded?

Yes. It covers full tuition for up to four years and pays a S$2,700 monthly stipend (S$3,200 after the qualifying exam), plus a S$1,000 settling-in allowance and a S$1,500 airfare grant.

What is the SINGA deadline for 2027?

The deadline for the August 2027 intake is 1 December 2026. For the January 2028 intake, apply between 2 December 2026 and 1 June 2027.

Does SINGA require IELTS or GRE?

No. SINGA does not require IELTS, TOEFL or GRE scores and checks your English at interview, though your university may ask for test scores for admission.

Is there a bond after the SINGA scholarship?

No. SINGA is bond-free, and you are not required to take up Singapore citizenship or work in Singapore after you graduate.

Sources and updates

The award description, partner universities and degree table come from A*STAR’s SINGA page. Stipend rates, application windows, eligibility, documents, referee rules, interview and results timing come from A*STAR’s SINGA FAQ. The 1 January 2024 effective date, the S$500 top-up wording and the GRAS portal step come from NTU’s SINGA page. Student’s Pass fees are NTU’s 2026 figures. Scholars4Dev’s SINGA listing was the starting point; its figures match A*STAR’s, and its closing time is the only detail I could not find on A*STAR’s pages. A*STAR does not publish the number of awards. Checked on 25 October 2026.

Jude Chinecherem

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.