A*STAR International Fellowship (AIF): Your 2-Year Launchpad to a Global Postdoc—Then a Research Career in Singapore
The ASTAR International Fellowship (AIF) provides up to two years of fully funded overseas postdoctoral training at top universities or laboratories, followed by a return appointment at an ASTAR Research Institute in Singapore. It is designed for researchers who want deep, hands-on exposure to frontier methods, infrastructure, and collaboration networks abroad—while building a long-term career at home.
The ASTAR International Fellowship (AIF) funds up to two years of postdoctoral training at a leading overseas university or laboratory, then transitions you into a research career at an ASTAR Research Institute in Singapore. It is a structured “go global, return to lead” pathway that combines world-class science with national impact.
At a Glance: What the AIF Covers
Successful awardees receive comprehensive support for the entire overseas period. The package typically includes:
Monthly overseas living allowance plus a sustenance allowance (CPF included where applicable).
Annual return airfare for the fellow.
Settling-in, computer, and conference allowances to establish research productivity quickly.
Annual
personal insurance to ensure coverage during the training period.
The coverage runs for up to 24 months, with rates calibrated to the host country or institution. Mid-Term awardees—researchers who have already started their postdoc overseas—generally receive equivalent terms from the award date. Moreover, essential fees that are compulsory at the host may be recognized from the training start, enabling continuity of work without financial discontinuities.
Practical Notes for Applicants
Build an itemized budget that reflects local costs of living, expected conference travel, and computing needs.
Use the conference allowance strategically for field-defining meetings where acceptance rates and audience fit are strongest.
Document host-institution resources (cores, clusters, cohorts) that reduce your overheads and accelerate data generation.
What Happens After the Postdoc?
Upon successful completion of the overseas training, fellows return to Singapore and serve a three-year commitment at an A*STAR Research Institute. This return pathway is central to the program’s talent-development model: the fellowship catalyzes your capabilities abroad; the commitment anchors those capabilities within A*STAR’s research programs and Singapore’s broader R&D ecosystem.
justify;">Why the Return Commitment Matters
It ensures that methods, datasets, and platforms acquired overseas are transferred into A*STAR labs.
It provides a stable runway for early-career scientists to establish independence with access to teams, facilities, and industry links.
It aligns your work with national research priorities in areas such as biomedicine, materials, advanced manufacturing, and AI.
Who Is Eligible?
You will be competitive if you demonstrate strong research potential and a clear fit with A*STAR’s mission. Core criteria typically include:
Citizenship/Residency: Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents (SPRs). In select cases, exceptional non-SPR foreign candidates may be considered; however, non-Singaporeans must obtain Singapore citizenship prior to the start of the fellowship.
Doctoral Recency: PhD awarded within the last four years (candidates near completion may apply, with the award confirmed after conferment).
Scholarly Record: A trajectory of high-quality publications consistent with your field and stage.
Host Requirement: You must have applied or be applying to a top overseas university or laboratory in a relevant domain.
Bonds: No existing service bonds that would conflict with the fellowship’s obligations.
A dedicated Mid-Term AIF track exists for Singaporeans who have already commenced their postdoctoral training at a leading overseas host; in such cases, one academic referee must
be the
current supervisor.
Interpreting “Top Overseas Host”
Look beyond brand names. Demonstrate that your proposed PI and lab:
Operate at the scientific frontier relevant to your project;
Provide specific infrastructure you cannot access in Singapore;
Offer mentorship and network effects that accelerate your independence.
When to Apply: Two Cycles Each Year
The AIF typically runs on two application cycles annually:
Shortlisted candidates are commonly interviewed around mid-April to May (Cycle 1) and mid-October to mid-November (Cycle 2). Offers have traditionally followed from mid-June (Cycle 1) and from December (Cycle 2). Off-cycle cases may occasionally be considered.
Planning note: For the current cycle, the closing month is November 2025 (exact date will be updated soon). For the next cycles, anticipate January 2026 (opening) and November 2026 (closing)—exact dates will be updated soon based on the official calendar.
Timeline Tips
Synchronize your PhD defense and visa start date
with the cycle outcomes.If you are mid-PhD, work backwards: abstract submissions, manuscript targets, and reference letters should align with the cycle you intend to hit.
Build in buffers for ethics approvals or material transfer agreements (MTAs) required by the host.
What A*STAR Is Looking For (Beyond Checkboxes)
Panels prioritize applications that are credible, ambitious, and tightly aligned. Three signals stand out:
Host Fit at the Scientific Frontier
Your proposed lab should measurably extend your skills—new assays, models, or computational frameworks that move the needle in your field.
Return-Path Value to Singapore
Spell out how your overseas work will translate into platforms, methods, or datasets that strengthen specific A*STAR programs and national RIE priorities.
Momentum and Execution Detail
Demonstrate that you can deliver: recent publications, open-source code or pipelines, clean data management plans, and a realistic two-year Gantt.
To refine your return pathway, explore A*STAR’s Research Fields Directory and map potential landing labs that align with your expertise and the institute’s growth areas. This helps you present a coherent narrative about technology transfer and long-term impact.
How to Apply (and Make Your Case Compelling)
The official Application Portal is accessible from the AIF page. Shortlisted candidates typically progress through two interview rounds. Use the following framing to maximize clarity and persuasiveness.
1) Lock Your Host Early
Identify a complementary PI and lab and begin correspondence well in advance. Aim for a substantive support letter that details your project scope, supervision plan, facility access (cores, HPC, specialized instrumentation), and mentoring arrangements. You may submit your AIF application while a formal host contract is in progress, as long as the mutual intent is clear.
2) Write a Laser-Sharp Two-Year Plan
Anchor the plan to a well-posed problem of scientific and national significance. Then, lay out a methodologically sound approach:
Feasibility: Specify datasets, models, cohorts, and analysis workflows; chart contingency pathways if a technique stalls.
Originality: Clarify novelty at the level of mechanism, platform, or scale.
Deliverables: Pre-commit tangible outputs—first-author papers, open code, preprints, conference talks, and technology disclosures—with a quarter-by-quarter timeline.
3) Map the Return Value Explicitly
Name the A*STAR institute(s) and research teams you will join after AIF. Then, connect the dots:
Which assays, algorithms, or prototypes will you bring back?
How will they integrate with existing core facilities and programs?
What is your first-year landing project in Singapore, and how does it scale?
4) Curate Your Track Record Narrative
Show a trajectory, not just counts. Highlight first-author work, pivotal methods, and community contributions (e.g., codebases, datasets). If there were gaps, demonstrate course corrections—upskilling, new collaborations, or redirected aims that improved outcome quality.
5) Prepare for Two Interviews
Round 1 often probes clarity of the research vision, host fit, and motivation.
Round 2 dives deeper into technical reasoning, independence, and the A*STAR return plan. Practice concise chalk-talk explanations of your core methods, including risks, mitigations, and data readiness.
Selection Timeline (Typical)
Application Windows: January–April and July–November
Shortlisting & Interviews: Approximately mid-April to May and mid-October to mid-November
Offer Windows: From mid-June (Cycle 1) and from December (Cycle 2)
Plan your milestones—manuscript submissions, preprint releases, and key experiments—so that your dossier peaks just before interviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AIF only for Singaporeans?
The fellowship primarily targets Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents. In exceptional cases, distinguished international candidates may be considered; however, non-Singaporeans must obtain Singapore citizenship before the fellowship begins.
How long is the bond, and where is it served?
Graduates serve three years at an A*STAR Research Institute upon return, ensuring knowledge transfer and long-term impact.
What if I have already started my postdoc overseas?
The Mid-Term AIF mechanism supports eligible Singaporeans already in top overseas labs. One of your referees must be your current supervisor, who can attest to your progress and the remaining training plan.
Does AIF support all fields?
A*STAR spans biomedical sciences, physical sciences, engineering, computing/AI, and adjacent interdisciplinary areas. Confirm alignment by reviewing institute pages and recent programs in your domain.
Pro Tips from Successful Applicants (The Practical Stuff)
Name a specific A*STAR landing lab and articulate a technology-transfer plan. Panels value concrete diffusion of methods and platforms into Singapore’s ecosystem.
Co-create the plan with your host PI: lock access to facilities, datasets, compute, patient cohorts, or industrial collaborators in writing.
Publish with intent: Map target venues and submission months across eight quarters; leverage preprints judiciously for visibility before interviews.
Use budgets strategically: Calibrate conference travel to communities that will actually use your tools or findings; prioritize meetings with tutorial tracks for skill diffusion.
Practice the 90-second pitch: Define the problem, your innovation, and the national value without jargon; then be ready to zoom into methods at white-board depth.
Is AIF Right for You?
Choose the A*STAR International Fellowship if you want:
Top-tier overseas training now and a structured return into a mission-driven research role in Singapore;
A funding model that lets you focus on science, not logistics;
A platform to translate frontier techniques into enduring capabilities for A*STAR labs and national programs.
Feature Summary
| Feature | Details |
|---|
| Program | A*STAR International Fellowship (AIF) |
| Host Country | Singapore (overseas postdoc training, return pathway to A*STAR in Singapore) |
| Funded | Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) |
| Duration | Up to 24 months (overseas) + 3-year return commitment at an A*STAR Research Institute |
| Mode | Full-time, in-person overseas postdoctoral research |
| Eligibility | Singapore Citizens or SPRs; exceptional foreign candidates may be considered but must obtain Singapore citizenship before the fellowship commences; PhD within the last four years; strong publication record; applied/applying to a top overseas host; no conflicting service bonds |
| Financial | Monthly living & sustenance allowances (CPF where applicable), annual return airfare, settling-in allowance, computer allowance, conference allowance, annual personal insurance |
| Fields | Biomedical sciences, physical sciences, engineering, computing/AI, and allied interdisciplinary fields aligned to A*STAR institutes |
| Deadline | Current cycle: November 2025 (exact date will be updated soon). Next cycles: January 2026 (opening) and November 2026 (closing)—dates will be updated soon. |
| Official | A-STAR-International-Fellowship |
Conclusion
The ASTAR International Fellowship (AIF) couples world-class overseas training with a structured, mission-driven return to Singapore. For early-career researchers who want to sharpen frontier skills and then scale their impact across ASTAR’s institutes, AIF offers a tested, well-resourced pathway—provided you plan early, document feasibility, and show clear national value.
FAQs: A*STAR International Fellowship (AIF)
What is the A*STAR International Fellowship?The ASTAR International Fellowship funds up to two years of overseas postdoctoral research, then places fellows at an ASTAR Research Institute in Singapore.
Who is eligible for the A*STAR International Fellowship?Eligibility prioritizes Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents; however, exceptional foreign candidates may apply, but must obtain Singapore citizenship before the fellowship begins.
How long does AIF funding last?AIF typically supports up to 24 months of full-time overseas postdoctoral research, including allowances, airfare, and essential settling-in support.
Does the fellowship require a service commitment?Yes. After completing the overseas postdoc, fellows return and serve a three-year commitment at an A*STAR Research Institute.
How many application cycles run each year?Generally, two cycles open annually—one around January–April and another around July–November—so plan references, host letters, and timelines accordingly.
Can I apply without a confirmed host lab?Yes. You may apply while finalizing the host; however, submit strong evidence of intent, supervision, facilities, and training plans to strengthen competitiveness.
What costs does AIF typically cover?It usually covers monthly living and sustenance allowances, annual return airfare, settling-in support, computer and conference allowances, plus personal insurance during the fellowship.
Does AIF support all research fields?Broadly, yes. It supports biomedical, physical sciences, engineering, and computing/AI, provided your proposal aligns with A*STAR’s strategic research priorities.
Is there a Mid-Term AIF option for ongoing postdocs?Yes. Eligible Singaporean applicants already at top overseas labs may apply mid-term; one referee should be the current supervisor.
How can I strengthen my AIF application?Align research aims with A*STAR programs, secure a frontier host lab, present a detailed two-year plan, and clearly map technology transfer for your Singapore return.
