Singapore International Pre-Graduate Award (SIPGA) 2026

The Singapore International Pre-Graduate Award (SIPGA) is a funded research internship run by A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research). It places undergraduate and recently graduated international students in research labs at NUS, NTU, and A*STAR institutes for two to six months, with a monthly stipend of SGD 2,000 (approx. Rs.1,24,000) and return airfare covered.

SIPGA is not a degree scholarship. You work on a real project, earn a stipend, and build a relationship with a professor who may later support your PhD application. It is designed for students who are serious about research but not yet ready to commit to a four-year PhD program.

Counselor insight: The professor you impress during SIPGA is often the same person who writes your strongest recommendation letter or offers you a PhD spot directly.

Use this checklist before starting your application. Every row must be ticked for your profile to be competitive.

Budget reality for Indian families: On-campus hostels cost SGD 400 to SGD 600/month (Rs.24,800 to Rs.37,200). Meals run from SGD 250 to SGD 350 (Rs.15,500 to Rs.21,700). Transport is SGD 80 to SGD 120 (Rs.4,960 to Rs.7,440). Most Indian SIPGA interns save SGD 600 to SGD 900 per month from the stipend.

SIPGA runs on a rolling basis with no fixed annual deadline. Your intended start date must be at least 4 months from your application date.

Counselor insight: By the time the portal opens, professors already have dozens of emails from applicants. Send your outreach email in April or May 2026. Even a brief “yes, apply and mention my name” from a professor significantly improves your formal application’s outcome.

Step 1: Download the A*STAR SIPGA project list. Available on A*STAR’s official page. Filter by your domain: Biomedical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Computing, or Engineering. Mark 3 to 5 projects where your skill set matches the description, not just the broad theme.

Step 2: Email the supervisor directly. Each project has a named supervisor. Write a focused 200-word email: reference one specific paper or result from their lab, state the research question you want to pursue, and attach your CV. Do this before submitting the formal application.

Step 3: Submit the online application. Apply at for.edu.sg/astar-sipga-apply. You may apply for up to 3 projects. List them in order of preference. Upload your passport copy, complete transcripts (all semesters), and updated CV.

Step 4: Attend the interview. Shortlisted candidates receive a virtual interview with the A*STAR supervisor. See the interview tips section below.

Step 5: Accept the offer and arrange the visa. Successful candidates are notified within 2 months of the interview. Use the offer letter to apply for the Singapore pass through ICA.

Counselor insight: A focused application to one well-matched project beats a generic application to three random ones. Supervisors see how many projects you applied for.

The interview is a 30-to-45-minute virtual research conversation with the A*STAR supervisor whose project you applied for. It is not an HR screening.

On the day:

• Singapore is 2.5 hours ahead of IST. Confirm the time zone before the call.
• If you do not know the answer to a technical question, say so and follow up by email afterward.
• End by asking your prepared research question, not “What are the next steps for my application?”
• Send a brief thank-you email within 24 hours referencing one specific point from the conversation.

Counselor insight: The thank-you email is underused by Indian applicants. Two sentences referencing something specific from the conversation takes five minutes and leaves a very different impression than silence.

Counselor insight: The medium of instruction certificate takes 5 to 7 working days from most Indian university registrar offices. Request it at least 2 weeks before your planned submission date.

If you are a final-year undergraduate and not yet ready for a PhD, apply for SIPGA. If you have completed your master’s and are confident about a research career, apply for SINGA. Both applications can be submitted at the same time.

For a full list of funding options, see our guide on scholarships in Singapore for Indian students.

No professor replies: Your email is likely too generic. Rewrite it to reference a specific result from the professor’s own work and state a concrete research question you want to pursue. Keep it under 200 words. Also check whether the supervisor’s project is marked as fully booked for the current cycle.

Application rejected: Apply again in the next cycle. In the meantime, consider international internships for Indian students such as DAAD WISE (Germany) or Mitacs Globalink (Canada); both are funded and build the same research profile.

Visa delay: Email SIPGA_Office@hq.a-star.edu.sg with your application reference number and offer letter. Most processing issues resolve within two weeks of follow-up.

Low CGPA: Focus on the professor outreach track, not the formal portal. A professor who has read your paper and finds it relevant to their project is more likely to support your application than one who only sees your GPA.

The Singapore International Pre-Graduate Award (SIPGA) is one of the few funded research internship programs in Asia with a built-in PhD pathway. For Indian STEM students serious about research but not ready to commit to four years abroad, it is the right next step.

1. Start professor outreach in April or May 2026, not when the portal opens. By the time the portal opens, your supervisor contact should already know your name and your research question.
2. Build a research-specific application. Name the project, name the supervisor, and reference a specific paper. Generic applications are filtered out at the first review stage.
3. Treat the interview as a research conversation. Prepare your undergraduate project summary, read the supervisor’s papers, and arrive with a specific question about their current work.

Have questions about the Singapore International Pre-Graduate Award or a PhD in Singapore? Book a free session with a LeapScholar counselor.