Social Science and Humanities Research Thematic Grant

The Social Science and Humanities Research Thematic Grant (SSHR-TG) is a Social Science Research Council (SSRC) initiative launched in 2016 to boost social-science and humanities research in areas of strategic relevance to Singapore and Asia. It is a competitive research-funding instrument within Singapore's broader research ecosystem, not a general-purpose grant open to every researcher or organisation (SSRC, SSHR-TG overview, updated 6 August 2026).

2026 call and research themes

The 2026 call was launched on 2 June 2026. Applications had to be submitted through the relevant Office of Research or equivalent by 25 August 2026 at 5pm; that deadline describes the 2026 call and should not be treated as a permanently open application route (SSRC, SSHR-TG overview, updated 6 August 2026).

The 2026 call invites proposals focused on understanding Singapore and its place in ASEAN and the rest of Asia. Its themes are The Future of Society, The Future Economy, Climate Change and the Environment, The Human Condition, and The Geopolitics of a Changing World. An Open Category also allows relevant social-science and humanities topics outside those five themes. The themes describe research questions and perspectives, not separate automatic awards or entitlements (SSRC, SSHR-TG overview, updated 6 August 2026).

Funding tiers and duration

The scheme has three funding tiers. Type A provides S$100,000 to S$1.5 million for three years and is intended for smaller investigator-led research in strategically relevant areas. Type B provides S$1.5 million to S$5 million for three to five years and is intended for larger, potentially interdisciplinary research. Type C provides S$5 million to S$10 million; the SSRC's published overview lists the funding range but does not state a project-duration range in the table. These are tier ranges, not guaranteed award amounts (SSRC, SSHR-TG overview, updated 6 August 2026).

Eligibility and evaluation criteria

Principal Investigators and co-PIs must hold a primary full-time appointment—defined by SSRC as at least nine months per year—in an eligible host institution at application and throughout the project. This institution-based eligibility rule means the scheme is not open to every researcher or organisation. The listed hosts are NUS, NTU, SIT, SMU, SUSS, SUTD, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, A*STAR, the Singapore-ETH Centre, and the University of the Arts Singapore. Eligible host institutions may make joint submissions and collaborate with other local or overseas organisations subject to the scheme's conditions. Overseas fieldwork must be specifically proposed and approved; absent express MOE permission, grant funds cannot be channelled to overseas R&D (SSRC, SSHR-TG overview, updated 6 August 2026).

Proposals are evaluated on academic merit, policy or societal impact, research-team quality, capability-building in Singapore, and execution including feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and value for money. The assessment criteria mean that thematic fit alone is insufficient: a proposal also needs a rigorous design, an appropriate team, and a credible execution plan (SSRC, SSHR-TG overview, updated 6 August 2026).