Agency for Science, Technology and Research
Encyclopedia
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (Abbreviation
: A*STAR; Chinese: 新加坡科技研究局) is a statutory board
under the Ministry of Trade and Industry
of Singapore
. The agency was established in 1991 to foster scientific research and talent for a knowledge-based Singapore.
. He was formerly the Permanent Secretary (Education) and the Chief of Defence Force
. Mr Lim took over the reins of A*STAR from Mr. Philip Yeo
, who later became Chairman of SPRING Singapore, on 1 April 2007.
The scientific leadership includes Tan Chorh Chuan, Low Teck Seng, George Radda
, Sydney Brenner
, David Lane
and Charles Zukoski.
The agency oversees 14 biomedical sciences, and physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and six consortia & centre, which are located in Biopolis
and Fusionopolis
, as well as their immediate vicinity.
A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry. It also supports extramural research in the universities, hospitals, research centres, and with other local and international partners.
The Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) oversees 7 research institutes and several other research units that focus on both basic as well as translational and clinical research to support the key industry clusters in Biomedical Sciences, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology and healthcare services.
Having established a strong foundation in basic biomedical research capabilities, there is now an added focus on translating new knowledge and technologies created at the "benches" into new clinical applications for diagnosis and treatment that can one day be delivered at the "bedsides" of our hospitals and disease centres.
The research institutes and units under BMRC are:
The BMRC Research Institutes focus on building up core biomedical capabilities in the areas of bioprocessing; chemical synthesis; genomics and proteomics; molecular and cell biology; bioengineering and nanotechnology and computational biology. In addition, the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) and Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS) focus on translational and clinical research.
Science and Engineering Council
A*STAR's Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) promotes public sector research and development in the physical sciences & engineering.
SERC manages seven research institutes and several state-of-the art centres and facilities with core competencies in a wide range of fields including communications, data storage, materials, chemicals, computational sciences, microelectronics, advanced manufacturing and metrology to tackle global technological challenges and create future industries from its headquarters at Fusionopolis, Singapore’s iconic hub for science and technology research.
The research institutes and units under SERC are:
The seamless integration of the research institutes is key to addressing industry needs, which may span multiple disciplines. To this end, SERC’s broad range of capabilities are in a unique position to develop new technologies in areas such as automotives, aerospace, energy, electronic healthcare and medical technology, nanotechnology, photonics, sensors and sensor networks.
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
: A*STAR; Chinese: 新加坡科技研究局) is a statutory board
Statutory boards of the Singapore Government
The statutory boards of the Singapore Government are organisations that have been given autonomy to perform an operational function. They usually report to one specific ministry.*Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority...
under the Ministry of Trade and Industry
Ministry of Trade and Industry (Singapore)
The Ministry Of Trade and Industry is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation of policies related to the development of trade and industry in Singapore.-Mission:...
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The agency was established in 1991 to foster scientific research and talent for a knowledge-based Singapore.
History
Established in 1991 as the former National Science and Technology Board (NSTB), A*STAR was established with the primary mission to raise the level of science and technology in Singapore.Leadership
The current chairman of A*STAR is Mr. Lim Chuan PohLim Chuan Poh
Lim Chuan Poh is a retired Singaporean general who was the 4th Chief of Defence Force of the Singapore Armed Forces between 2000 and 2003...
. He was formerly the Permanent Secretary (Education) and the Chief of Defence Force
Chief of Defence
The Chief of Defence is the highest ranked commissioned officer of a nation's armed forces. The term CHOD is in common use within NATO and the European Union as a generic term for the highest national military position within the NATO and EU member states, rather than the actual term used for...
. Mr Lim took over the reins of A*STAR from Mr. Philip Yeo
Philip Yeo
Philip Yeo Liat Kok is the Chairman of both SPRING Singapore and Singbridge International Investments. He was formerly the Special Adviser for Economic Development in the Prime Minister's Office from April 2007 to August 2011. Until 2007, he was the chairman of A*STAR, a government agency in...
, who later became Chairman of SPRING Singapore, on 1 April 2007.
The scientific leadership includes Tan Chorh Chuan, Low Teck Seng, George Radda
George Radda
Professor Sir George Charles Radda was born in 1936 in Hungary. In 1956, he attended Merton College, Oxford to study chemistry. His early work was concerned with the development and use of fluorescent probes for the study of structure and function of membranes and enzymes...
, Sydney Brenner
Sydney Brenner
Sydney Brenner, CH FRS is a South African biologist and a 2002 Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate, shared with H...
, David Lane
David P. Lane
Sir David Philip Lane FRS, FRSE FRCPath is a British oncologist. He is best known for his work on the p53 tumour suppressor protein. Besides his position at the University of Dundee, he also founded the Cyclacel biotechnology company and is the Chief Scientist of Cancer Research UK.He was made a...
and Charles Zukoski.
A*STAR Entities
The agency is made up of:- The Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) - Oversees public sector research activities in the biomedical sciences
- The Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) - Oversees public sector research activities in the physical sciences & engineering
- The A*STAR Joint Council (A*JC) - Promotes and supports interdisciplinary collaborations between biomedical sciences, and physical sciences & engineering
- The A*STAR Graduate Academy (A*GA) - Administers science scholarships and other manpower development programs
- Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd (ETPL) - Manages the intellectual property created by research institutes in Singapore, and facilitates technology transferTechnology transferTechnology Transfer, also called Transfer of Technology and Technology Commercialisation, is the process of skill transferring, knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing, samples of manufacturing and facilities among governments or universities and other institutions to ensure that...
to industry - The Corporate Group - Supports the rest of the organisation with finance, human resources, legal and other services
The agency oversees 14 biomedical sciences, and physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and six consortia & centre, which are located in Biopolis
Biopolis
Biopolis is an international research and development centre located in Singapore for biomedical sciences. It is located in One-North in Buona Vista, near Dover, and is close to the National University of Singapore, the Singapore Polytechnic, the Institute of Technical Education, the National...
and Fusionopolis
Fusionopolis
Fusionopolis is a research and development complex located at the One-North business park in Singapore. It houses various research organizations, high-tech companies, government agencies, retail outlets, and serviced apartments in one location....
, as well as their immediate vicinity.
A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry. It also supports extramural research in the universities, hospitals, research centres, and with other local and international partners.
Research Institutes & Units
Biomedical Research CouncilThe Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) oversees 7 research institutes and several other research units that focus on both basic as well as translational and clinical research to support the key industry clusters in Biomedical Sciences, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology and healthcare services.
Having established a strong foundation in basic biomedical research capabilities, there is now an added focus on translating new knowledge and technologies created at the "benches" into new clinical applications for diagnosis and treatment that can one day be delivered at the "bedsides" of our hospitals and disease centres.
The research institutes and units under BMRC are:
- Bioinformatics Institute (BII)
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI)
- Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC)
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS)
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN)
- Institute of Medical Biology (IMB)
- Institute of Molecular and Cell BiologyInstitute of Molecular and Cell BiologyInstitute of Molecular and Cell Biology may refer to:*Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology , a research institute in Porto, Portugal.*Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology , a research institute in Singapore....
(IMCB) - Neuroscience Research Partnership (NRP)
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC)
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN)
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS)
- Singapore Stem Cell Consortium (SSCC)
The BMRC Research Institutes focus on building up core biomedical capabilities in the areas of bioprocessing; chemical synthesis; genomics and proteomics; molecular and cell biology; bioengineering and nanotechnology and computational biology. In addition, the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) and Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS) focus on translational and clinical research.
Science and Engineering Council
A*STAR's Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) promotes public sector research and development in the physical sciences & engineering.
SERC manages seven research institutes and several state-of-the art centres and facilities with core competencies in a wide range of fields including communications, data storage, materials, chemicals, computational sciences, microelectronics, advanced manufacturing and metrology to tackle global technological challenges and create future industries from its headquarters at Fusionopolis, Singapore’s iconic hub for science and technology research.
The research institutes and units under SERC are:
- Data Storage InstituteData Storage InstituteThe Data Storage Institute is a national research and development organisation located in Singapore, where data storage technologies are being studied...
(DSI) - Institute of Chemical Engineering and Sciences (ICES)
- Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC)
- Institute of Infocomm Research (I2R)
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE)
- Institute of Microelectronics (IME)
- Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech)
- National Metrology Centre (NMC)
The seamless integration of the research institutes is key to addressing industry needs, which may span multiple disciplines. To this end, SERC’s broad range of capabilities are in a unique position to develop new technologies in areas such as automotives, aerospace, energy, electronic healthcare and medical technology, nanotechnology, photonics, sensors and sensor networks.
Scholarships
Each year, the Agency gives out a number of scholarships and awards to young and aspiring scientists. These awards are meant to help Singapore achieve its goal of becoming a research hub by nurturing home-grown PhDs to serve both in the public sector and in industry. In 2008, a total of 101 scholarships were awarded to Bachelor of Science and PhD students who were to embark on their studies in overseas universities. The administration of these awards are governed by the A*Star Graduate Academy, some of which are listed below:- National Science Scholarship (BS)
- National Science Scholarship (PhD)
- A*Star Graduate Scholarship
- Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA)
- Singapore International Pre-Graduate Award (SIPGA)
- A*Star Pre-Graduate Award
- A*Star International Fellowship