MOE-Autonomous University Scholarship: 2026 Profile
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)14 Oct 2025, 01:20 Z
TL;DR\ The MOE-Autonomous University (AU) Scholarship grooms future faculty: it funds your undergraduate degree, mentors you with senior academics, and leads straight into a START-sponsored PhD—apply if you love research, teaching, and envision a career shaping Singapore's universities.
Scholarship Snapshot
- Status: Open Until 15 Mar 2026 (last checked 2025-10-14)
- Official Portal: MOE-AU Scholarship
- Who It Targets: JC/IP and polytechnic graduates who want to become academics in Singapore's autonomous universities
- Eligibility: Singapore Citizens with stellar pre-university results, demonstrated research aptitude, and a clear commitment to joining university faculty
- Tenable Institutions: NUS, NTU, SMU, SUSS, SIT, SUTD, plus approved overseas universities paired with your host AU
- Bond Guide: Serve 4 years (local), 5 years (non-English overseas), or 6 years (English-speaking overseas) as an academic staff member after the subsequent START PhD
Funding & Development Support
- Full tuition, compulsory fees, and admission deposits for your undergraduate course
- Maintenance allowance plus approved living expenses; overseas scholars receive economy airfare at the start and end of studies
- Sponsored overseas exchange, immersion, or summer programmes aligned with your academic interests
- Structured mentorship with faculty mentors from your paired AU, including research assistant stints and lab attachments
- Guaranteed pipeline to a START PhD scholarship upon completing your undergraduate degree, subject to performance
Development Journey
- Undergraduate phase: Build disciplinary depth while taking on research apprenticeships, honours projects, and teaching assistantships identified by your AU mentor.
- Enrichment & overseas exposure: Participate in funded exchanges, conferences, or fieldwork to broaden your academic network.
- Transition to PhD: Apply for the paired AU's START postgraduate scholarship; MOE and the AU guide you through proposal development and supervisor matching.
- Doctoral training: Receive stipend, tuition, and conference support while pursuing your PhD locally or overseas, with frequent progress reviews.
- Academic appointment: Return to your paired AU as an Assistant Professor/Lecturer to fulfil the four-to-six-year service bond, contributing to teaching, research, and service.
Application Timeline & Checklist
- September – November 2025: Confirm your intended major and research interests; gather transcripts, awards, research abstracts, and recommendation letters.
- By 15 March 2026: Submit your application via PSC Gateway or MOE portal, indicating preferred AU pairing and academic discipline.
- Late March: Sit for psychometric tests and complete written assessments focusing on analytical reasoning and research potential.
- April: Attend faculty dialogues and interviews with MOE and the paired AU; prepare a short presentation on your academic interests.
- May: Final panel interview with MOE senior management and AU leaders; discuss long-term academic plans and teaching philosophy.
- June onwards: Receive conditional offers, secure university admission, and finalise mentorship pairing before matriculation.
Selection Breakdown
- Academic excellence: Straight As or top-tier polytechnic GPA are baseline; highlight olympiads, research competitions, or published work.
- Research potential: Share evidence of inquiry—extended essays, lab projects, UROP experiences, or independent study modules.
- Communication & teaching: Panels assess your ability to explain complex ideas clearly to both specialist and general audiences.
- Values & service: Demonstrate alignment with public service values—universities expect scholars who mentor students and contribute to nation-building.
Bond & Career Commitments
- Complete your paired AU's START PhD scholarship (often 4–5 years) before starting your service bond.
- Serve as faculty in your AU, balancing teaching loads, research output, and departmental service.
- Performance reviews determine promotion prospects; outstanding scholars may receive support for further postdoctoral training.
- Breaking the bond triggers repayment of the full scholarship (undergraduate + postgraduate) plus liquidated damages—plan carefully before accepting external offers.
Tips to Strengthen Your Application
- Pursue research opportunities early—work with professors, publish in student journals, or present at symposiums to prove scholarly drive.
- Craft a crisp academic statement linking your interests to national priorities (e.g., sustainability, digital economy, social resilience).
- Seek mentorship from current START scholars to understand expectations and gather insights for interviews.
- Develop teaching experience (peer tutoring, workshops) to demonstrate classroom aptitude alongside research prowess.
- Stay curious: read widely in your discipline and prepare thoughtful questions for AU faculty during selection dialogues.
Stay Updated
- Follow MOE's START updates and your target AU's scholarship pages for webinar dates and faculty matching sessions.
- Join university open houses or research institutes' outreach events to network with potential mentors.
- Track national R&D priorities (e.g., RIE2025 domains) and reference them in interviews to show long-term alignment.
