This Programme aims to foster international research collaboration through the joint supervision of PhD students between PolyU and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore’s leading public sector R&D agency.
Selected students will undergo an attachment period of 1 to 2 years in an A*STAR research institute (RI). They will be jointly supervised by supervisors from both A*STAR and PolyU and have opportunities to participate in frontier research projects spanning common research areas.
Eligibility
- Be currently enrolled in Year 1 of the PhD study at PolyU;
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree with at least a Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent from a high-ranked university as required by A*STAR;
- Provide strong referee reports from past supervisors; and
- Preferably have prior research experience.
Programme Requirements
- Students must have completed the confirmation of registration at PolyU before commencing the attachment at A*STAR. The entire attachment must fall within the normal study period.
- Students should be physically based in an A*STAR RI throughout the attachment period.
- In addition to the annual progress report for the Annual Research Monitoring Exercise (Research Students), Students and their supervisors are required to submit a progress report as requested by A*STAR in the 9th month and 21st month of their attachment.
Application procedures and schedule
|
Key Date |
Procedures |
|
By 30 Apr 2025 |
Step 1: Interested students approach their Chief Supervisor for discussion and nomination. |
| Step 2: The PolyU Supervisor approaches a potential A*STAR collaborator. | |
|
Step 3: The PolyU Supervisor submits an application along with consent from the A*STAR collaborator and the required documents to PolyU. Interested students will be required to provide the following documents:
|
|
|
30 Apr 2025 |
Deadline for departments/schools to submit nominations to the Graduate School. |
| Late July 2025 |
Application results release upon final selection by A*STAR. |
Funding arrangement
During the study at PolyU, the stipends (if any) will remain as stipulated in the admission funding offer. Stipends will be suspended when students are based at A*STAR.
Depending on the student’s attachment duration, A*STAR will provide up to 2 years of financial support under the A*STAR Research Attachment Programme (ARAP):
- Monthly stipend of S$3,200 (~HK$18,240)
- Monthly housing allowance of S$300 (~HK$2,340) (For awardees staying off-campus only)
- One-time airfare grant of S$1,500 (~HK$8,550)
- One-time settling-in allowance of S$1,000 (~HK$5,700)
- One-time IT allowance of S$800 (~HK$4,580)
- Medical insurance
- Conference allowance
Enquiries
For enquiries, please contact the Graduate School at gs.jep@polyu.edu.hk
Last update: March 2025
