How to Apply to the Singapore-Southeast Asia Fellowship (S-SEAF) through the SEA DREAM Programme?

OVERVIEW

1. The Singapore–Southeast Asia Fellowship (S-SEAF) aims to strengthen research networks between Singapore and Southeast Asia (SEA) and contribute to regional capability-building through talent mobility, knowledge exchange, and collaborative research. By focusing on selected thematic areas, S-SEAF supports deeper and longer-term collaborations.
2. The Singapore-Southeast Asia Fellowship (S-SEAF) is an ecosystem fellowship programme that supports research talent mobility between Singapore and Southeast Asia. Fellows receive up to two years of support, including salary, living allowance, and airfare. There are two modalities under S-SEAF:
   1. Inbound S-SEAF: Supports outstanding researchers from Southeast Asia to work on projects at Singapore host institutions.
   2. Outbound S-SEAF: Supports Singapore-based researchers to work on projects at host institutions in Southeast Asian countries outside Singapore.

RESEARCH THEMES

3. For applications under SEA DREAM, proposals must address the four thematic research areas of the programme: infectious diseases, mental health, the impact of climate change on health, or strengthening public health systems and access to care. 
4. Applicants must align their applications with the overall research proposal of the consortium they are part of.

HOST INSTITUTIONS

5. Eligible host institutions in Singapore and Southeast Asia include public research and higher education institutions with demonstrated research capabilities in the relevant thematic areas. For inbound S-SEAF, these would include A*STAR research institutes, autonomous universities, academic medical centres, and national research or clinical centres.

FELLOWSHIP ELIGIBILITY

6. Applicants must:
   1. Hold a PhD degree in a STEM discipline
   2. Be fluent in written and spoken English
   3. Must be a Co-PI or named collaborator of a proposed SEA DREAM consortia with a Singaporean institution as a Lead Organization, Co-Applying Organization or named Collaborating Institution/Network
   4. Meet the relevant nationality requirements:
      • Inbound S-SEAF: Must be a citizen of an ASEAN country (Singapore PRs are not eligible)
      • Outbound S-SEAF: Must be a Singapore Citizen or Singapore PR (Singapore PRs who are nationals of an ASEAN country are not eligible to undertake the fellowship in their country of nationality.)
   5. Be employed by a Singapore research performer for the entire duration of S-SEAF. The Singapore research performer must serve as:
      • The host institution for inbound S-SEAF fellows
      • The home institution for outbound S-SEAF fellows

FELLOWSHIP DURATION

7. For inbound S-SEAF, the fellowship duration shall be two years. Shorter-duration attachments, with a minimum of six months, may be considered for proposals in Infectious Diseases.
8. For outbound S-SEAF, the fellowship duration can be between 6 months to two years.
9. S-SEAF fellows are expected to commence their fellowship promptly, within one year of the award date.

FELLOWSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

10. Fellows are expected to:
    1. Conduct research at the host institution in accordance with the approved proposal
    2. Actively participate in research group activities and institutional programmes
    3. Contribute to knowledge exchange and collaboration between Singapore and Southeast Asia
    4. Comply with host institution policies, including research integrity and IP requirements

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) & PUBLICATIONS

11. Intellectual property, data management, and publication matters will be governed by the policies of the host institution and any applicable agreements between collaborating institutions. Fellows are expected to acknowledge S-SEAF support in publications and outputs arising from the fellowship.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) & PUBLICATIONS

12. Inbound fellows will be hosted under appropriate employment or attachment arrangements in accordance with Singapore regulations.
13. Visa and relocation matters will be supported by the host institution, subject to prevailing policies.
14. Fellows are responsible for ensuring compliance with immigration and employment requirements.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

15. Engagement with Host Institution: Applicants must engage the institution in Singapore (for inbound S-SEAF) or a Southeast Asian country (for outbound S-SEAF) that is an official member or named collaborator of their proposed SEA DREAM consortium.
    Applicants should work with their proposed host to ensure their research aligns with the broader SEA DREAM consortium proposal and to obtain the required institutional endorsement.
16. Online Submission: Applicants must submit a complete application through the SEA DREAM Portal in conjunction with their DREAM 4 Health Full Application by the deadline (10 July 2026).
17. Submission Requirements: A complete application must include:
    1. Completed S-SEAF Application Form endorsed by the proposed host institution
    2. Details of two referees familiar with the applicant’s research and professional capabilities
    3. Supporting documents:
       • Passport
       • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
       • Bachelor’s, Master’s (if applicable), and PhD academic transcripts and degree certificates
18. Institutional Funding Arrangements: Applicants are advised to discuss funding arrangements with their host institution (for inbound S-SEAF) or home institution (for outbound S-SEAF) prior to submission. S-SEAF funding will be disbursed as reimbursement to the Singapore host or home institution, which will be responsible for paying the fellow's salary and allowances upfront. Institutions should ensure they are able to support this arrangement before endorsing the application.

EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA

19. Proposals will be evaluated using S-SEAF criteria, which will be aligned with the broader SEA DREAM themes.
20. S-SEAF applications will be assessed primarily for:

No.	Criteria
1	Novelty, innovative merit, and feasibility
2	Academic qualifications and track record
3	Relevance of proposed research to Singapore and Southeast Asia
4	Alignment with SEA DREAM research theme(s)
5	Leadership potential
6	Research impact and potential for follow-on work

21. Please note that the DREAM 4 Health Award is not contingent and will be made independently from any S-SEAF awards. However, any S-SEAF awards submitted as part of the DREAM 4 Health proposal are contingent on the DREAM 4 Health award.

AWARD COVERAGE

22. The S-SEAF award covers the following costs. Salary and allowances will be paid by the Singapore host institution (for inbound fellows) or home institution (for outbound fellows), and S-SEAF funding will be reimbursed to the respective institution upon submission of the required claims.

Item	Details
Monthly Salary	Set by the host (for inbound fellows) or home (for outbound fellows) institution, funded by S-SEAF up to a specific cap
Monthly Living Allowance	S$2,000
Airfare	One return economy-class ticket between the fellow's country of residence and the host institution's country

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

23. Fellows on two-year fellowships are required to submit a progress report to A*STAR, with a copy to SEA DREAM, at the midpoint (after one year) and upon completion (after two years) of the fellowship. Fellows on shorter-term fellowships (less than one year) are required to submit a progress report at the end of the fellowship. The progress report should detail research progress and demonstrate that proposed milestones and deliverables are on track for successful completion.

TIMELINES

Applications Open	14 May
Application Deadline	10 July
Results	November

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

24. Please write to SSEAF@a-star.edu.sg and/or info@sea-dream.org if you have further queries.