About the Programme

The Rising Scholar Fellowship Programme (RSFP) aims to attract the best and brightest rising young scholars from Singapore and around the world for an exciting opportunity to have a glimpse of our postgraduate experience at the Singapore Management University (SMU).

Located right in the heart of Singapore and Asia, SMU is a globally recognised research intensive institution known for its innovative curriculum and teaching excellence. Helmed by SMU’s College of Graduate Research Studies (CGRS), the RSFP is a short immersion programme that provides participants with unique opportunities to immerse themselves in a rich learning environment featuring engaging workshops and seminars, enlightening tours of our city campus, and an opportunity to also participate in our annual Singapore Rising Scholars Conference where doctoral students present their latest research and explore new research ideas in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary areas.

The RSFP involves engaging participants in a five-day stint on SMU campus and they can expect to interact closely with academics and doctoral students with similar research interests to grow their scholarly network. Participants will spend two weeks back in their home country to produce a two-page Guided Reflection for submission to SMU CGRS and they will be awarded with a Certificate of Participation.

Funding Support

Participants will receive an award of SGD2,000 from SMU at the end of the fellowship programme. This amount is meant to provide partial coverage of their round-trip airfare, accommodation (for 6 nights), visa and living expenses (food/transport) during their stay in Singapore. Additional funding, either from their home university or through other avenues, may be helpful in covering the balance expenses incurred.

Tentative Programme Format (At a Glance)*

  * Accurate as of 5 June 2025

Eligibility

• Bachelor’s (penultimate or final year) or master’s students
• Excellent Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) or equivalent
• Strong interest in SMU’s PhD programmes
• Research experience and other noteworthy accomplishments beyond academia would be a plus

Application Period & Submission Requirements

Applications will open from 1 November to 31 December 2025.  More information will be available in October 2025.

Applicants are expected to have a copy of the following documents ready before application submission:

• Passport
• Most Recent Academic Transcript from Home University
• Curriculum Vitae 
• Statement of Purpose 
• Academic Referee Letter (Optional but strongly encouraged)
• Note: All documents must be submitted in the English language

Key Timeline*

  *Accurate as of 5 June 2025

Past Year's Participants

Click here to view the list of participants from 2025. 

2024 Recipients

2024 Nominees

The SMU Presidential Doctoral Fellowship is provided to exceptionally qualified students who are offered candidatures in SMU's academic research PhD programmes. The Fellowship also recognises existing PhD students who are outstanding in their studies. Please refer to the SMU Presidential Doctoral Fellowships for more information about this award.

This Fellowship has been offered since 2012. SMU Presidential Doctoral Fellows from 2015 to 2024 are listed below.

The SMU Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowship (formerly known as the SMU Multidisciplinary Doctoral Fellowship) is intended for existing PhD students who have shown exemplary pursuit of research that crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries. Interdisciplinary research may include research output from two or more disciplines across Schools, or across two or more research areas or disciplines within the same School.

Recipients of this award have shown that they have been able to integrate knowledge and methods from the two or more research areas or disciplines to advance fundamental understanding or to find solutions which are beyond the scope of a single disciplinary knowledge.