The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre (SMART Centre) announced today that is has launched three new programs to attract highly talented doctoral students, undergraduate students and postdoctoral researchers to work on exciting research projects at SMART Centre.

 A Graduate Fellowship Programme open to currently enrolled first-year students and entering doctoral students from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Its goal is to attract the most-talented doctoral students from Singapore and to work with faculty members from MIT, NTU and NUS. The funding for this program comes from the Ministry of Education of Singapore.Students selected for the program will receive up to four years a monthly stipend of S$3,200 and a travel grant of S$12,000 for a six-month residency at MIT.

The second Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) allows undergraduates from MIT, NTU and NUS to participate in research projects at the SMART Centre and interact with students, researchers and faculty members. Students selected will be paid a competitive stipend, while those from MIT will also have their travel and accommodation paid for. This program is funded by SMART Centre, NTU, NUS and a generous gift from Ms. Dorothy Ng-Chan.

The third Postdoctoral Research Fellows Programme aims to attract exceptionally talented postdoctoral researchers to Singapore. This program allows the researchers to conduct research into questions of their own interest  In addition to a generous stipend, each fellow will also receive a research grant and travel funds.

The SMART Centre aims to undertake cutting-edge research projects that address critical problems of societal importance. At the same time, one of our major goals is to attract, nurture and anchor young talent in Singapore. The SMART Centre wants to play a role in helping Singapore develop her human and intellectual capital and building a strong knowledge-based economy. The SMART Centre is a major new research enterprise established by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in partnership with the National Research Foundation of Singapore (NRF) in 2007. The SMART Centre serves as an intellectual hub for research interactions between MIT and Singapore. Cutting-edge research projects in areas of interest to both Singapore and MIT are undertaken at the SMART Centre.

By Vasil Sidorov on March 3, 2009 after SMART Centre web site at http://web.mit.edu/smart/index.html.