New opportunities for Singaporean top talent to join European Research Council teams in Europe

07.10.2019

A new EU-Singapore initiative has been launched to encourage top Singaporean scientists to join research teams funded by the European Research Council (ERC). This agreement with National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore is the 14th of its kind. It forms part of the ERC’s global outreach strategy, which aims to make Europe a hub for research talent.

The initiative, officially called an Implementing Arrangement, was signed by the European Commission's Director-General for Research and Innovation, Jean-Eric Paquet, and the CEO of the NRF, Prof Low Teck Seng, in the presence of ERC President Prof Jean-Pierre Bourguignon and Singapore’s Permanent Secretary for National Research and Development and Chairman of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Ms Chan Lai Fung. The signing took place on 6 October on the margins of the Science and Technology in Society Forum in Kyoto, Japan. The new scheme aims to encourage high-caliber researchers supported by the NRF to make research visits to Europe, where they will temporarily work in ERC-funded teams.

Director-General Jean-Eric Paquet said: “Cutting-edge research holds the key to a better future for citizens in Europe and beyond, and global scientific cooperation is essential here. That is why I welcome this new initiative with Singapore, which hosts much scientific talent. It is a win-win for both sides as it will encourage further collaboration.”

The CEO of NRF Prof Low Teck Seng said: “NRF welcomes the new visiting researcher collaborative scheme with the European Research Council. This initiative will facilitate exchange of ideas and research experiences among top talent and benefit research efforts of both Singapore and the EU. We look forward to fostering deeper connections among research communities from both sides through the research visits by Singapore-based researchers and to catalyse opportunities for top ERC-funded researchers to spend time with their Singapore-based collaborators.”  

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