President’s Graduate Fellowship (PGF)

Benefits & funding

• Full waiver of NUS tuition fees.
• Monthly stipend effective from 1 January 2026: SGD 4,800 for Singapore citizens, SGD 4,400 for Singapore permanent residents, and SGD 3,900 for international students.
• Singapore citizens receive CPF contributions on top of the stipend.
• The NUSGS Research Incentive Award adds a monthly allowance over four years and a one-time research allowance after the PhD Qualifying Examination in the second year; NUS does not publish the allowance amounts on the fellowship page.
• Newly registered international students receive a one-time SGD 1,000 settling allowance and may claim up to SGD 750 for one economy-class trip from their home country to Singapore.
• The fellowship is initially awarded for one year and may be renewed each semester, subject to satisfactory progress, for a maximum combined fellowship and NUS Research Scholarship period of four years.
• There is no specific service bond. International recipients must complete 312 hours under the Graduate Assistantship Programme; citizens and permanent residents may be assigned unpaid academic or developmental duties, if required by their department.

Eligibility

• Open to Singapore citizens, Singapore permanent residents, and international applicants to NUS research-based PhD programmes.
• A good GPA in a relevant bachelor’s or master’s degree, a statement of purpose, recommendation letters, and a comprehensive CV are compulsory components of the doctoral application.
• GRE scores, publications or research-project experience, and TOEFL or IELTS evidence for non-native English speakers are optional at the university-wide level, although individual programmes may set additional requirements.
• There is no university-wide age limit for graduate admission.
• Candidates must be nominated by their faculty or department; this is not a separate direct-application route.
• For PGF awards funded by the Lee Kong Chian Scholarship, leadership ability and commitment to community service are preferences, not hard eligibility gates.
• Recipients must study full-time at NUS and reside in Singapore during the fellowship.

Application process

1. 1
   Select an NUS research-based PhD programme and check its faculty or school website for the applicable admission deadline and programme-specific requirements.
2. 2
   Register for or sign in to the NUS Graduate Admission System, then submit the doctoral admission application and request scholarship consideration within that application.
3. 3
   Provide the compulsory academic record, statement of purpose, recommendation letters, and CV, together with any additional documents required by the chosen programme.
4. 4
   The faculty or department assesses eligible applicants, nominates candidates for the PGF, and advises any further fellowship procedure.
5. 5
   Successful candidates are normally notified in May for August admission or October for January admission and must sign a letter of undertaking.

Program timeline

1. Faculty-specific

   PhD admission and scholarship application deadlines vary by programme and faculty.

2. May

   Fellowship decisions are normally communicated for August admission.

3. Semester 1 intake; the award begins on the semester start or registration date, whichever is later.

   August

4. October

   Fellowship decisions are normally communicated for January admission.

5. Semester 2 intake; the award begins on the semester start or registration date, whichever is later.

   January

6. Each semester

   Renewal is subject to satisfactory progress, up to a maximum of four years.