INDUSTRY ALIGNMENT FUND – INDUSTRY COLLABORATION PROJECTS (IAF-ICP)

About the Grant

The Industry Alignment Fund – Industry Collaboration Project (IAF-ICP) supports Public Research Performers in strategic R&D collaborations with industry. The aim is to foster industry-relevant public sector R&D efforts, and Public Research Performers to collaborate with industry, with a line of sight to potential economic outcomes.   

This grant is different from typical academic grants, as proposals will be assessed primarily on their potential economic impact and relevance to building up Singapore’s R&D ecosystem:

  1. Potential to generate product or process innovations to the industry player(s) involved (i.e. improved processes or products);
  2. Potential to generate higher economic or R&D activity for industry player(s) involved (e.g. through creation of R&D jobs, increased market share, reduced costs, and improved productivity);
  3. Potential to deepen tech-or-people capabilities in locally based companies (e.g. through upskilling, enhanced training, and development of new IPs);
  4. Ability to uplift the ecosystem (e.g. by fostering collaborations with other locally based enterprises such as suppliers);
  5. Level of the industry partner’s commitment to research and innovation in Singapore; and
  6. Other relevant factors.

The duration of IAF-ICP projects should not exceed 36 months, although exception may be made for Corp Labs (up to 60 months) on a case-by-case basis.

The IAF-ICP is governed by a Strategic Oversight Committee (SOC) comprising CEO A*STAR, MD EDB, MD EnterpriseSG and CEO NRF. The SOC makes decisions on all IAF-ICP policies and project approvals.

Eligibility

IAF-ICP is open to all Public Research Institutions in Singapore.

Companies are not eligible, nor will they be considered as co-applicants.

All applications are to be submitted by the Public Research Institutions – applications submitted directly by individual researchers will not be accepted.

Application Procedure

The application process is summarised below: 

Application process_50

Please click here to download the relevant documents for your proposal submission:

  1. Full Proposal Template, ICP Budget Template and Submission Checklist (please complete and submit in editable Word and Excel format)
  2. Frequently Asked Questions
  3. Guidelines on IP Arrangements, and Demonstrating Realisation of Industry Contributions
  4. A*STAR T&Cs 2020
  5. A*STAR Grant Guidelines 2020

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Please submit your applications directly to the Implementing Agency at <IAF_ICP@hq.a-star.edu.sg> using the templates provided.

All submissions must be endorsed by the Research Office and the Innovation & Enterprise Office (or Technology Transfer Office) of each Institution involved in the collaboration.

Applicants may be requested to submit supporting documents and/or clarifications.

POST AWARD MONITORING

For proper stewardship of the IAF-ICP funding, grant awardees should regularly monitor the project progress against their milestones and deliverables, as well as budget utilisation and IRS realisation, and report on any issues faced to the IAF-ICP Implementing Agency in a timely manner during the project term. 

For Enquiries

Public Research Performers partnering local SMEs and/or start-ups are encouraged to reach out to Enterprise Singapore at <IAF-ICP@enterprisesg.gov.sg> prior to applying for the grant.

For further clarifications, please reach out to your Research Office and/or Innovation & Enterprise Office or contact the IAF-ICP Implementing Agency at <IAF_ICP@hq.a-star.edu.sg>.