Research Policy and Funding
<h1>Research Policy and Funding</h1>
<p>Singapore steers public research and innovation through multi-year <strong>Research, Innovation and Enterprise</strong> (<strong>RIE</strong>) plans set by the <strong>National Research Foundation</strong> (<strong>NRF</strong>), a department within the Prime Minister's Office. NRF develops national policies, plans, and strategies for research, innovation, and enterprise; funds strategic initiatives; and nurtures research talent (<a href="https://www.nrf.gov.sg/about/about-nrf-singapore/nrf-singapore/">NRF, accessed Aug 2026</a>). This article explains that policy-and-funding layer. Institute-level public research performance sits in <a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.science-research.astar-and-public-research">astar and public research</a>; autonomous-university research instruments sit in <a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.science-research.university-research-ecosystem">university research ecosystem</a>; calendar-year R&D survey totals sit in <a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.science-research.rd-statistics">rd statistics</a>.</p>
<h2>NRF as national RIE steward</h2>
<p>The National Research Foundation was established on 1 January 2006 as a department within the Prime Minister's Office. NRF states that it sets Singapore's national direction for research and development by developing policies, plans, and strategies for research, innovation, and enterprise, and that it funds strategic initiatives while developing R&D capabilities through research talent (<a href="https://www.nrf.gov.sg/about/about-nrf-singapore/nrf-singapore/">NRF, accessed Aug 2026</a>). NRF's published mission is to build a dynamic RIE ecosystem that advances Singapore's competitiveness and drives societal and economic impact (<a href="https://www.nrf.gov.sg/about/about-nrf-singapore/nrf-singapore/">NRF, accessed Aug 2026</a>).</p>
<p>That stewardship role is distinct from operating public research institutes. The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (<strong>A*STAR</strong>) is an MTI statutory board and major public research performer inside the RIE system, not the national RIE policy owner (<a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.science-research.astar-and-public-research">astar and public research</a>; <a href="https://www.nrf.gov.sg/about/about-nrf-singapore/nrf-singapore/">NRF, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Do not treat an A*STAR institute budget, a university grant award, or a corporate laboratory announcement as the whole national RIE envelope.</p>
<h2>Critical perspectives: RIE plan envelopes and RIE2030 structure</h2>
<p>RIE plans are five-year national funding and priority frameworks. At the 5 December 2025 launch of <strong>RIE2030</strong>, the Government announced investment of S$37 billion over five years from April 2026 — described as about one per cent of GDP — building on the S$28 billion <strong>RIE2025</strong> plan that covered 2021 to 2025 and on earlier RIE and science-and-technology plans (<a href="https://www.pmo.gov.sg/newsroom/sm-lee-hsien-loong-at-the-press-conference-on-the-launch-of-research-innovation-enterprise-2030-plan/">PMO, 5 Dec 2025, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Those envelopes are multi-year public RIE commitments. They are not interchangeable with calendar-year Gross Expenditure on R&D (<strong>GERD</strong>) reported in the National Survey of RIE (<a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.science-research.rd-statistics">rd statistics</a>; <a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.rd-expenditure-anchors">rd expenditure anchors</a>).</p>
<p>Structurally, RIE2030 continues investment across four vertical domains — Manufacturing, Trade & Connectivity; Human Health & Potential; Urban Solutions & Sustainability; and Smart Nation & Digital Economy — and across horizontal enablers for Academic Research and Talent (<a href="https://www.pmo.gov.sg/newsroom/sm-lee-hsien-loong-at-the-press-conference-on-the-launch-of-research-innovation-enterprise-2030-plan/">PMO, 5 Dec 2025, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Relative to the previous plan, Innovation & Enterprise was moved under each vertical domain so sector-specific innovation strategies can be developed end-to-end, while early-stage research translation and enterprise innovation activities continue to be supported across fields (<a href="https://www.pmo.gov.sg/newsroom/sm-lee-hsien-loong-at-the-press-conference-on-the-launch-of-research-innovation-enterprise-2030-plan/">PMO, 5 Dec 2025, accessed Aug 2026</a>). RIE2030 also emphasises capabilities in AI, data and compute alongside talent and basic research (<a href="https://www.pmo.gov.sg/newsroom/sm-lee-hsien-loong-at-the-press-conference-on-the-launch-of-research-innovation-enterprise-2030-plan/">PMO, 5 Dec 2025, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Compact dated rows for these anchors live in <a href="/en/knowledge/dataset/sgkb.data.rie-policy-funding-anchors">rie policy funding anchors</a>.</p>
<h2>Flagships, Grand Challenges, and funding instruments</h2>
<p>RIE2030 introduces <strong>RIE Flagships</strong> and <strong>RIE Grand Challenges</strong> as large national programmes with a strong mission focus, each coordinating a portfolio of projects around one major sector or challenge. The launch stated that Singapore would start with two Flagships and two Grand Challenges; the first Flagship announced was in semiconductors, aiming to make Singapore a strategically important R&D node, and the first Grand Challenge announced was “Maximising Healthy and Successful Longevity,” framed against population ageing — about one-quarter of Singapore's population aged 65 or older by 2030 (<a href="https://www.pmo.gov.sg/newsroom/sm-lee-hsien-loong-at-the-press-conference-on-the-launch-of-research-innovation-enterprise-2030-plan/">PMO, 5 Dec 2025, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Further Flagships and Grand Challenges were described as forthcoming rather than fully listed on launch day (<a href="https://www.pmo.gov.sg/newsroom/sm-lee-hsien-loong-at-the-press-conference-on-the-launch-of-research-innovation-enterprise-2030-plan/">PMO, 5 Dec 2025, accessed Aug 2026</a>).</p>
<h2>RIE2030 Semiconductor Flagship</h2>
<p>The <strong>RIE2030 Semiconductor Flagship</strong> is Singapore's first RIE Flagship and a national programme for coordinating publicly funded semiconductor research and translation. Under the 2026 implementation announcements, Singapore is investing <strong>S$800 million</strong> in the Flagship to deepen high-impact capabilities such as advanced packaging and advanced photonics, strengthen alignment across the semiconductor ecosystem, and move research toward industry outcomes. The Flagship is led by A*STAR and the Economic Development Board (EDB); its purpose is to make Singapore a strategically important semiconductor R&D node, not to replace EDB's investment-promotion role or to operate as a single semiconductor factory (<a href="https://www.a-star.edu.sg/docs/librariesprovider1/default-document-library/news-events/factsheet-on-rie-flagship-in-semiconductors-and-nstic-%28power-electronics%29.pdf?sfvrsn=36bde498_2">A*STAR/MTI, 2 Mar 2026</a>; <a href="https://www.a-star.edu.sg/News/astarNews/news/cos/committee-of-supply-cos2026">A*STAR, 3 Mar 2026</a>).</p>
<p>The Flagship is related to, but distinct from, the <strong>National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre for Power Electronics (NSTIC (Power Electronics))</strong>. The same 2026 factsheet describes a separate <strong>S$60 million</strong> investment for that platform, focused on silicon-carbide and gallium-nitride power-electronics capabilities, including an open-innovation pilot line. The Flagship coordinates a broader semiconductor R&D portfolio—such as advanced packaging and photonics—whereas NSTIC (Power Electronics) is a specific translational platform for power electronics and industry-academia prototyping. Neither announcement is a universal grant entitlement for every chip company or researcher; applicants and partners must use the relevant programme's published route and conditions (<a href="https://www.a-star.edu.sg/docs/librariesprovider1/default-document-library/news-events/factsheet-on-rie-flagship-in-semiconductors-and-nstic-%28power-electronics%29.pdf?sfvrsn=36bde498_2">A*STAR/MTI, 2 Mar 2026</a>).</p>
<p>Alongside those national programmes, NRF runs standing instruments that thicken the research system. The <strong>Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE)</strong> is NRF's international collaboratory housing research centres set up by overseas universities with Singapore investigators, focused on human, energy, environmental, and urban systems (<a href="https://www.nrf.gov.sg/programmes/create/">NRF CREATE, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The <strong>Competitive Research Programme (CRP)</strong> funds use-inspired basic research by multi-disciplinary teams through merit review, with CRP, Frontier CRP, and Thematic CRP grant types (<a href="https://www.rgp.gov.sg/nrf-ar/crp">NRF CRP, accessed Aug 2026</a>). University-hosted Research Centres of Excellence and related campus instruments are documented in <a href="/en/knowledge/article/sgkb.science-research.university-research-ecosystem">university research ecosystem</a>; they sit inside RIE funding logics without substituting for the national envelope itself.</p>
<h2>From research capability to translation</h2>
<p>NRF's funding architecture spans the path from investigator capability to practical uptake. The NRF Fellowship supports early-career researchers to conduct independent research in Singapore over five years, while the Central Gap Fund supports translation of research outcomes into products, processes, or services that can benefit Singapore (<a href="https://www.nrf.gov.sg/">NRF grants, accessed Aug 2026</a>). This is not a claim that every grant must produce a commercial product: basic research, talent development, capability building, and public-sector outcomes remain legitimate RIE results. The Government has said that deep-tech projects take years and should be assessed through several indicators, including intellectual-property licensing, capability and knowledge building, start-up growth, and private-sector investment, rather than one commercial-viability rate (<a href="https://www.nrf.gov.sg/rate-of-commercial-viability-of-rie-funded-deep-tech-projects/">NRF parliamentary reply, 4 February 2026</a>).</p>
<p>The system also uses translational platforms to bridge the gap between publicly funded research and adoption. NRF describes platforms such as the Diagnostics Development (DxD) Hub, which de-risks productisation and industry adoption of publicly funded diagnostic intellectual property, alongside platforms in drug discovery and additive manufacturing (<a href="https://www.nrf.gov.sg/programmes/translational-platforms/">NRF Translational Platforms, accessed Aug 2026</a>). Historically, the RIE plans evolved from Singapore's 1991 National Technology Plan and added an explicit Innovation and Enterprise component in 2010; successive plans also retain White Space funding for needs that emerge after a plan is launched (<a href="https://www.nrf.gov.sg/rie-ecosystem/ecosystem/">NRF RIE Ecosystem, accessed Aug 2026</a>). The practical distinction is therefore: RIE plans set the national portfolio, grants build people and knowledge, and translational platforms help move selected outputs toward use.</p>
<h2>Built-environment R&I tranche under RIE2030</h2>
<p>On <strong>2 September 2026</strong>, BCA announced that the <strong>Cities of Tomorrow (CoT) R&D Programme</strong> and the <strong>Built Environment Technology Alliance (BETA) Catalyst Programme</strong> had secured an additional <strong>S$112 million</strong> in funding initiatives for the next five years under RIE2030. BCA described four priorities: more productive and safer demolition; modelling building lifespans and improving maintenance reliability and repair timeliness; reducing embodied carbon and improving energy efficiency toward net-zero-carbon built-environment goals by 2050; and translating research outcomes into industry adoption through BETA Catalyst (<a href="https://www1.bca.gov.sg/resources/newsroom/next-phase-of-research-and-innovation-funding-initiatives--refreshed-green-mark-and-new-accreditation-scheme-drive-singapore-s-built-environment-forward/">BCA, 2 September 2026</a>).</p>
<p>This is a programme-level allocation within the national RIE framework, not an S$112 million cash entitlement for every construction company or researcher. BCA said the first CoT R&D grant call was expected in <strong>October 2026</strong>, with details to be published closer to launch; eligibility, award sizes and application rules should therefore be taken from the eventual call documents rather than inferred from the announcement (<a href="https://www1.bca.gov.sg/resources/newsroom/next-phase-of-research-and-innovation-funding-initiatives--refreshed-green-mark-and-new-accreditation-scheme-drive-singapore-s-built-environment-forward/">BCA, 2 September 2026</a>).</p>
索引
简介
简介
研究政策与资助
新加坡通过由国家研究基金会（NRF）制定的多年期研究、创新与企业发展（RIE）计划，引导公共研究与创新。NRF 是总理公署下属部门，负责制定研究、创新与企业发展的国家政策、计划和战略，为战略举措提供资金，并培育研究人才（NRF，查阅于 2026 年八月）。本文介绍这一政策与资助层面。公共研究机构层面的研究表现见astar 与公共研究；自治大学研究工具见大学研究生态系统；日历年度研发调查总量见研发统计。
NRF：国家 RIE 体系的管理者
国家研究基金会于 2006 年一月 1 日成立，是总理公署下属部门。NRF 表示，它通过制定研究、创新与企业发展的政策、计划和战略，确定新加坡研究与发展的国家方向；它也通过研究人才资助战略举措并发展研发能力（NRF，查阅于 2026 年八月）。NRF 公布的使命是建设充满活力的 RIE 生态系统，提升新加坡竞争力，并推动社会与经济影响（NRF，查阅于 2026 年八月）。
这一管理职责不同于运营公共研究机构。新加坡科技研究局（A*STAR）是贸工部（MTI）法定机构，也是 RIE 体系内的主要公共研究执行机构，并非国家 RIE 政策的所有者（astar 与公共研究；NRF，查阅于 2026 年八月）。不要把 A*STAR 研究所的预算、大学拨款或企业实验室公告当作全国 RIE 总额。
批判性视角：RIE 计划总额与 RIE2030 架构
RIE 计划是为期五年的国家资助与优先事项框架。在 2025 年十二月 5 日推出RIE2030时，政府宣布将在 2026 年四月起的五年内投入 37 十亿新元，约占 GDP 的百分之一；该计划以涵盖 2021 年至 2025 年的 28 十亿新元RIE2025计划，以及更早的 RIE 和科技计划为基础（总理公署，2025 年十二月 5 日，查阅于 2026 年八月）。这些总额是多年期公共 RIE 承诺，不能与国家 RIE 调查报告的日历年度研发总支出（GERD）混为一谈（研发统计；研发支出基准）。
在架构上，RIE2030 将继续投资四个纵向领域——制造、贸易与互联互通；人类健康与潜能；城市解决方案与可持续发展；智慧国与数字经济——以及支持学术研究和人才的横向赋能领域（总理公署，2025 年十二月 5 日，查阅于 2026 年八月）。与上一计划相比，创新与企业发展被纳入各纵向领域，以便制定端到端的行业专项创新战略；同时，各领域仍将获得对早期研究转化和企业创新活动的支持（总理公署，2025 年十二月 5 日，查阅于 2026 年八月）。RIE2030 也强调人工智能、数据与计算能力，以及人才和基础研究（总理公署，2025 年十二月 5 日，查阅于 2026 年八月）。这些基准的简要日期记录见RIE 政策资助基准。
旗舰项目、重大挑战与资助工具
RIE2030 推出RIE旗舰项目和RIE重大挑战，作为以使命为重点的大型国家计划；每项计划协调一个围绕主要行业或挑战的项目组合。发布会上称，新加坡将从两个旗舰项目和两个重大挑战开始；首个公布的旗舰项目聚焦半导体，旨在使新加坡成为具有战略重要性的研发节点；首个公布的重大挑战是“最大限度延长健康且成功的寿命”，针对人口老龄化问题提出——到 2030 年，新加坡约有四分之一人口年满 65 岁或以上（总理公署，2025 年十二月 5 日，查阅于 2026 年八月）。发布会上表示，更多旗舰项目和重大挑战将在之后公布，而非在发布当天完整列出（总理公署，2025 年十二月 5 日，查阅于 2026 年八月）。
RIE2030 半导体旗舰项目
RIE2030 半导体旗舰项目是新加坡首个 RIE 旗舰项目，也是协调公共资助半导体研究与转化的国家计划。根据 2026 年的实施公告，新加坡将向该旗舰项目投入800 百万新元，以深化先进封装和先进光子学等高影响力能力，加强半导体生态系统各方的协同，并推动研究走向产业成果。该旗舰项目由 A*STAR 和经济发展局（EDB）领导；其目的是使新加坡成为具有战略重要性的半导体研发节点，而不是取代 EDB 的招商职能，也不是运营单一半导体工厂（A*STAR/MTI，2026 年三月 2 日；A*STAR，2026 年三月 3 日）。
该旗舰项目与国家半导体功率电子转化与创新中心（NSTIC（Power Electronics））有关联，但两者并不相同。同一份 2026 年情况说明书介绍了另一项60 百万新元投资，用于该平台，重点发展碳化硅和氮化镓功率电子能力，包括一条开放式创新试验线。旗舰项目协调更广泛的半导体研发项目组合，例如先进封装和光子学；NSTIC（Power Electronics）则是专门面向功率电子及产学界原型开发的转化平台。两项公告都不意味着所有芯片公司或研究人员都普遍享有拨款；申请者和合作方必须依照相关计划公布的申请渠道和条件办理（A*STAR/MTI，2026 年三月 2 日）。
除了这些国家计划，NRF 还运行常设工具，以充实研究体系。**研究卓越与技术企业校园（CREATE）**是 NRF 的国际合作平台，设有由海外大学与新加坡研究人员共同建立的研究中心，研究重点包括人类、能源、环境和城市系统（NRF CREATE，查阅于 2026 年八月）。**竞争性研究计划（CRP）**通过择优评审，资助多学科团队开展受应用启发的基础研究；其拨款类别包括 CRP、Frontier CRP 和 Thematic CRP（NRF CRP，查阅于 2026 年八月）。由大学主办的卓越研究中心及相关校园工具见大学研究生态系统；这些项目属于 RIE 资助体系，但不能取代国家资助总额本身。
从研究能力到成果转化
NRF 的资助架构涵盖从研究人员能力建设到实际应用的整个过程。NRF 奖学金支持职业生涯早期研究人员在新加坡开展独立研究，为期五年；中央差距基金则支持将研究成果转化为能造福新加坡的产品、流程或服务（NRF 拨款，查阅于 2026 年八月）。这并不表示每项拨款都必须产出商业产品：基础研究、人才培养、能力建设和公共部门成果仍是正当的 RIE 成果。政府表示，深科技项目需要多年时间，应通过多项指标评估，包括知识产权许可、能力与知识建设、新创企业成长和私人部门投资，而非只看单一商业可行率（NRF 国会答复，2026 年二月 4 日）。
该体系还利用转化平台，弥合公共资助研究与实际采用之间的差距。NRF 介绍的平台包括诊断开发中心（DxD Hub），它为公共资助的诊断知识产权产品化和产业采用降低风险；此外还有药物发现和增材制造领域的平台（NRF 转化平台，查阅于 2026 年八月）。从历史上看，RIE 计划由新加坡 1991 年国家技术计划逐步演变，并于 2010 年加入明确的创新与企业发展部分；历次计划也保留了“弹性资金”，以应对计划推出后出现的需求（NRF RIE 生态系统，查阅于 2026 年八月）。因此，实际分工是：RIE 计划设定国家项目组合，拨款培育人才和知识，转化平台则帮助推动部分成果走向应用。
RIE2030 下的建成环境研发与创新拨款
2026 年九月 2 日，建设局（BCA）宣布，明日城市（CoT）研发计划和建成环境技术联盟（BETA）催化计划在 RIE2030 框架下，为未来五年争取到总计112 百万新元的新增资助。BCA 列出四项优先事项：提高拆除工作的生产力与安全性；模拟建筑寿命并提升维护可靠性及维修及时性；减少隐含碳、提高能源效率，以推动建成环境在 2050 年前实现净零碳目标；以及通过 BETA Catalyst 推动研究成果转化并为业界采用（BCA，2026 年九月 2 日）。
这是国家 RIE 框架内按计划划拨的资金，并非每家建筑公司或每位研究人员都可领取的 112 百万新元现金。BCA 表示，首轮 CoT 研发拨款征集预计于 2026 年十月启动，详情将在临近启动时公布；因此，资格、拨款金额和申请规则应以之后发布的征集文件为准，不应根据公告自行推断（BCA，2026 年九月 2 日）。
讨论
等待回答