About

The objective of the Centre Grant is to provide funding support to the Public Healthcare Institution(s)/Cluster(s) (PHIs/PHCs) to build up their core research capabilities in terms of common research platforms, shared resources (e.g. equipment) and core manpower to enhance their collaborative and transdisciplinary research productivity in achieving progress towards the RIE2020 goals of healthcare research (i.e. translational & clinical research). It is to capitalize on the institutional research capabilities, and aid in the development of shared resources that can support the institution’s/healthcare cluster’s or institutions’/healthcare clusters’ research in a focused area. The Centre Grant encourages collaboration and coordination of research efforts within the institution/cluster or among the institutions/clusters focusing in the same area of research to disseminate research findings for the benefits of the community. The Centre Grant should not be used to establish independent shared resources that duplicate existing institutionally-managed resources if the latter provide cost-effective, accessible and quality service.

Proposals are encouraged to address at least one of the RIE2020-prioritised therapeutic areas of research i.e. (i) Cancers, (ii) Cardiovascular diseases, (iii) Diabetes mellitus and related metabolic/endocrine disorders, (iv) Infectious diseases and (v) Neurological and sense disorders although other domain areas will be considered. With increasing focus to ensure that research outcomes can be translated into actual healthcare applications or public health policies to bring about greater impact and benefits to the healthcare system/population, it is important that the proposal address either (i) Translational medicine & implementation science research, (ii) Health System Research or (iii) Primary care research, associated with strategies for prevention and chronic disease management.

Based on the focus areas of research, the applicant entities will have to detail how the CG will be used to develop an overall programmatic structure within the institution/cluster or across partnering institutions/clusters to provide a unity of purpose, a centralized platform for sharing resources, and a management structure necessary to achieve progress towards the institution’s/cluster’s or partnering institutions’/clusters’ research agendas. The plans should also include a process for integrating education and training of healthcare professionals (or biomedical researchers, where relevant) into the programmatic research efforts 

Eligibility

The Centre Grant is open to the Public Healthcare Institutions/Clusters for application. The list of eligible entities and their eligibility to the respective pots of CG funding opportunities are as shown in the table below: 

Funding Quantum:

There will be two pots of CG funding opportunities and the funding duration for each awarded application is 4 years.

• Main Pot 

  • Only PHIs classified under the “Established Centre” category can apply. Each can submit an application individually as a solo centre/institution 

  • Two Tiers of funding:

    • Tier 1: $8mil to $20mil

    • Tier 2: $5mil to $8mil 

• Collaborative Pot 

  • All eligible PHIs can apply, but every application requires two or more entities to co-apply, where partnering can be between:

    • At least one PHI under the “Developing/New Centre” category and one under the “Established Centre” category

    • Two or more PHIs classified under the “Established Centre” category 

  • Funding Quantum

    • $3mil to $8mil per proposal 

  • Collaborative Pot is also open to the 6 listed Regional Health Systems to apply either as a single cluster or jointly with other clusters to submit proposals that are on population-health research related. 

Areas of Focus:

The Centre Grant applications are encouraged to address at least one of the following therapeutic areas identified as national priorities although other domain areas (e.g. dental, skin) will also be considered.

• Cancers

• Cardiovascular diseases

• Diabetes mellitus and related metabolic/endocrine disorders

• Infectious diseases

• Neurological and sense disorders 

There is also increasing focus to ensure that research outcomes are translatable to actual healthcare applications or public healthcare policies. Hence, it is important that the proposals also address at least one of the following:

• Translational medicine & implementation science research

• Health systems research

• Primary care research, linked to strategies for prevention and chronic disease management. 

Submission:

It is mandatory for all applications to be submitted in 1 softcopy and 1 hardcopy to NMRC by 25 October 2016, 5pm. Please ensure that all submissions are endorsed by the Institutional or Cluster Heads. We will not entertain any late submissions or submissions with any incomplete information required.