NUS AI Talent Scholarship: 2025 Profile & Prep Guide

TL;DR
The NUS AI Talent Scholarship pays tuition, grants enrichment funding, and embeds you in deep-learning research and industry projects—demonstrate rigorous technical foundations, entrepreneurial drive, and a clear plan to grow Singapore's AI talent stack.

Scholarship Snapshot

• Status: Application Cycle Closed (last checked 2025-10-03)
• Official Portal: NUS AI Talent Scholarship
• Who It Targets: Singaporean freshmen entering NUS Computing (CS, CE, IS, BZA, AI specialisations) with exceptional mathematics, computing, and research exposure
• Eligibility: Stellar academic profile (top percentile in H2 Math/CS or Distinction in Higher Nitec/Poly modules), proven coding portfolio, and leadership or entrepreneurial track record
• Tenable Institution: National University of Singapore — School of Computing undergraduate programmes
• Bond: None; scholars commit to AI Talent Programme, mentorship, and industry project deliverables

Award Components

• Full tuition and compulsory fees for the entire undergraduate duration
• Annual living allowance and book grant (approx. S$6,000) for personal learning resources
• One-time computer allowance for high-performance computing setup
• Reserved slots for overseas exchanges, NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC), and AI-focused hackathons or conferences
• Access to SoC faculty mentors, AI labs, and corporate partners (Grab-NUS AI Lab, AISG, GovTech)

Eligibility Checklist

• Singapore Citizen with confirmed offer in an NUS Computing programme
• H2 Mathematics (or polytechnic equivalent) at grade A, plus Distinction in H2 Computing or robust software engineering portfolio
• Prior achievements: Olympiad medals, hackathon podium finishes, industry internships, or open-source leadership
• Strong story on using AI responsibly—ethical framing, social impact, and alignment with national digital strategies
• Availability for AI Talent Programme bootcamps and mandatory modules in your first two years

Application Roadmap

1. Receive NUS offer and opt in to scholarship consideration on the admissions portal.
2. Submit portfolio package: résumé, GitHub links, research papers, recommendation letters, and a short video/personal statement.
3. Technical assessment: online coding challenge, math reasoning test, or take-home AI problem set.
4. Interview day: faculty panel plus industry co-sponsor (AISG/Grab/GovTech) discussing project depth, ethics, and leadership mindset.
5. Outcome & onboarding: scholarship offer letters arrive by June/July; scholars attend August bootcamp and are paired with mentors.

Selection Tips

• Frame impact: quantify how your AI prototypes improved user metrics or operational efficiency.
• Explain ethics: be ready to discuss bias mitigation, data governance, and responsible deployment choices.
• Show growth velocity: illustrate how you self-studied advanced ML content, tackled Kaggle competitions, or published research.
• Engage industry: mention internships or collaborations with start-ups, labs, or government agencies.
• Ask forward-looking questions: show curiosity about NUS AI research clusters, venture support, or national AI strategy.

Development Pathways

Expect structured mentorship, access to AI Innovators grant funding, preferential placement in AISG apprenticeships, and priority nomination for overseas research at partner universities. Graduates commonly lead AI product teams, research labs, or national digital transformation initiatives.

Useful Resources

• https://www.comp.nus.edu.sg
• https://www.aisingapore.org/raise-talent
• https://www.nus.edu.sg/admissions/undergraduate/financial-matters/scholarships