The A*STAR National Science Scholarship (NSS) is the only scholarship in Singapore that will fund both a science undergraduate degree and a PhD degree. It was started in 2009 with the aim of training research scientists who will contribute to both A*STAR and the wider R&D industry in Singapore.
As a quick disclaimer, the following information draws from my personal experiences as a first year scholar in the programme.
What is A*STAR?
The Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Research at A*STAR mainly focuses on areas that can contribute to Singapore’s economic growth, and is largely divided into two areas: biomedical sciences and physical sciences/engineering. Due to this mission, the type of research that scientists pursue at A*STAR is rather different from that pursued at the universities. At A*STAR, research is mostly related to Singapore’s direct needs -- for example, the agency has led efforts to develop Covid-19 tests or new cancer treatments. In contrast, universities generally have a broader range of research interests that includes areas without an immediate real-world application, but exist solely for the advancement of knowledge. Of course, there is some research at A*STAR with more long-term horizons, but for the most part you’ll be dealing with needs-based, applied research. This is an important point to consider that I’ll return to later.
The scholarship ceremony for 2020, held online due to Covid
What is the NSS?
The NSS is an A*STAR scholarship which aims to train future research scientists. It is a “bonded” scholarship, so it comes with a 6-year service commitment. This includes a 1 year attachment with an A*STAR institute following your undergraduate studies, then a 5 year service period after your PhD studies. The bond length is comparable to other government scholarships such as PSC scholarships, which have a 4-6 year bond. Scholars are expected to pursue both undergraduate and PhD studies at an overseas university.
In exchange, A*STAR will fund a maximum of 8 years of study in total -- typically 3 years for undergraduate studies and 5 years for PhD studies. Both components are compulsory for scholars to complete. This can be a challenge if you’re interested in studying at a US university, where undergraduate programmes are typically 4 years in length. You’ll be encouraged to explore accelerating your degree programme so that you can graduate within 3 years. Otherwise, you’d receive only 4 years of PhD funding. Studying an accelerated degree is no mean feat, and would probably require taking on more modules per term and/or during your summer vacation.
What exactly does the NSS cover?
The NSS will fully cover your tuition fees at the university. In addition, it provides for a monthly allowance for your rent and daily expenses, annual return airfare, and a pre-studies allowance which is meant to cover things like winter clothes, a computer, or other miscellaneous items you need to settle in. The rate for your monthly allowance depends on the cost of living in the city you are studying in. If you choose to study in the UK, A*STAR will also cover your Immigration Health Surcharge, which is a fee you have to pay as part of your visa application that will allow you to access the National Health Service.
Who should be applying for this scholarship?
You should definitely be passionate about science and aim to become a researcher. But on top of a passion for STEM, there are three important questions you need to ask yourself.
Firstly, do you want to study overseas? Going overseas for university sounds exciting, but would you want to be based overseas for 8 years? You’ll certainly be away for months at a time even if you can come back during vacations. Living overseas has many challenges and you should consider whether you feel up to that task.
Secondly, do you want to do a PhD? A PhD is not simply a continuation of your undergraduate programme and requires a different set of skills. Someone who is passionate about science isn’t necessarily someone who is suitable for a PhD. Read up on reasons for doing a PhD, and accounts written by former or current PhD students. If possible, speak to someone who has been through a PhD, perhaps a teacher at school or a family friend. Personally, I read this account by a current UC San Diego professor while thinking about applying for the scholarship.
And lastly, do you want to work as a researcher at A*STAR? Even if you decide a PhD is for you, a research career may not ultimately be what you want. Science PhD holders can be found in various areas like industry, science publishing, or policy making (although whether you need PhDs for these areas is a topic of contention.) Research can be a frustrating job and you should expect to fail many times in your career.
Moreover, you will spend your first five post-doctoral years at A*STAR. Remember when I mentioned what kind of research areas A*STAR focuses on? That’s the kind of research you’ll be expected to do during your PhD studies on and then continue in A*STAR. Visit A*STAR’s website and read up on the work of the different research groups. Do any topics particularly resonate with you? There is fascinating work being done at A*STAR but naturally not everyone may find it interesting. If you’re more into ecology, astronomy, or particle physics, for example, those are unfortunately not under A*STAR’s purview.
A*STAR is also more than a bunch of labs -- it’s your workplace. Like any other bonded scholarship, applying for the NSS is effectively applying for a job. Would you want A*STAR as an employer? Would you like the pay, the working environment, working hours, career advancement opportunities, etc.? There are numerous resources on employment choices out there, so I won’t discuss this at length. A caveat here is that your working environment can be quite dependent on the lab you work in, so you may have different experiences working in different A*STAR labs. This is true even at institutions outside of A*STAR.
Because this scholarship has such a long timeframe, it’s critical that you are certain that this is the pathway you want to take for your future. The long timeframe also means any information you consider now could eventually become outdated. If you have even some doubt about whether you can commit to this lengthy journey, I would encourage you to consider other pathways as well, which I’ll list below.
Alternatives to A*STAR NSS
There are other scholarships for students interested in research, though each have their own pros and cons: there’s the MOE-AU scholarship, DSTA scholarship, and scholarships offered by universities. You can even decide to take up a scholarship with A*STAR later in your degree programme -- there’s a PhD-only scholarship, and a mid-term scholarship. So don’t feel pressured to get a scholarship from A*STAR right away.
What’s next?
If you still have months to go before the scholarship deadline, I’d definitely recommend you find an internship with a local research lab. A*STAR itself offers research attachments to students, so this is a great way to get a sense of what research and working at A*STAR is like.
Otherwise, if you’re planning to apply, do read on to Part 2 of this article where I talk about what the application process is like and some of the additional benefits you’ll gain if you take up the scholarship.
This is a two-part series on the A*STAR National Science Scholarship (NSS). Part 2 can be found here:
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