The SMU Student Insurance comprises Medical Insurance and Travel Insurance. SMU’s academic research PhD students are eligible for both insurances. More details can be found in the respective links below.

SMU Doctoral Fellowships

SMU offers two types of doctoral fellowships, based on nominations by the respective SMU Academic Research PhD Programmes.

SMU Presidential Doctoral Fellowships

The SMU Presidential Doctoral Fellowship is provided to exceptionally qualified students who are offered candidatures into SMU's PhD programmes. The Fellowship also recognises existing PhD students who are outstanding in their studies.

The Fellowship is a one-year award. At the end of the award term, the Fellowship recipient may be offered another Fellowship award or a Full Scholarship. The award provides a higher monthly stipend than a Full Scholarship, as shown in the table below.

SMU Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowships
(Formerly known as Multidisciplinary Doctoral Fellowships) 

This award 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 should show that they are 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.

The Fellowship is also a one-year award. At the end of the award term, the Fellowship recipient may be offered another Fellowship award or a Full Scholarship. The award provides a higher monthly stipend than a Full Scholarship, as shown in the table below.

Both awards provide each recipient with a S$4,000 research trip (to be utilised within 2 years from the start of the award duration), over and above the higher monthly stipend.

 ¹Singapore citizens will be provided with 17% CPF contribution. 

SMU Presidential Doctoral Fellowships in Computing

The SMU Presidential Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) in Computing is provided to exceptionally qualified students who are offered candidatures into SMU's Computer & Information Systems (CIS) programmes. The Fellowship also recognises existing PhD students who are outstanding in their studies.

The Fellowship is a one-year award that is renewed annually, for up to four years. The award provides a higher monthly stipend than a Full Scholarship, as shown in the table below.

¹ With effect from 1 August 2015, Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions shall be provided at a rate pegged to the prevailing employer’s contribution rate set by CPF, on top of the monthly stipend received.
² The released PDF monthly stipend rates are only applicable to intakes starting from 1 Aug 2018.

SMU School of Computing & Information Systems (SCIS) PhD Fellowship

The SMU SCIS PhD Fellowship is awarded to exceptionally qualified local talents (including Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents) who are interested to pursue research in Computer Science and have a strong passion for teaching.

Recipients will undertake a PhD in Computer Science at SCIS and gain a robust exposure to teaching throughout their course of research study. Recipients will be able to enjoy a fully-funded scholarship (which includes registration and subsidised tuition fees, higher stipends, and a monthly salary amongst other benefits).

For more details, please follow this link.

SMU awards scholarships and other financial assistance schemes to students enrolled in Master of Philosophy (MPhil) programmes on a competitive basis. We assess applicants for different award schemes at the time of admission based on qualification and suitability for these schemes. 

SMU Research Scholarship (MPhil)

The SMU Research Scholarship (MPhil) cover registration and subsidised tuition fees (see SMU Master by Research Programme Fees for details). As a scholarship recipient, you will also receive a monthly living stipend (as shown in the tables below according to your Nationality Group). Scholars under this scheme are not allowed to engage in any other gainful employment. 

Beyond the scholarship duration, you may receive continued support through research assistantships, teaching assistantships or industry grants at SMU.

Stipend Rates (With Effect from 1 January 2024)
Table 1A: SMU Research Scholarship (MPhil) Stipend Rates for Non-STEM¹ Master by Research Students 

Table 1B: SMU Research Scholarship (MPhil) Stipend Rates for STEM² Master by Research Students 

¹ Applicable to Master by Research students from SOE, SOSS & CIS
² Applicable to Master by Research students from SCIS
^{^} Singapore Citizen will be provided with 17% CPF contribution

Terms and Conditions under SMU Research Scholarship (MPhil)

Scholarship recipients will have to observe the terms and conditions (for Singapore Citizens/Singapore Permanent Residents and for International Students) of the scholarship offer. Recipients will have to sign a letter of undertaking.

Financial Assistance Schemes 

After you cease to receive the scholarship stipends at the end of Year 2 of your MbR programme, you may work as a Research Assistant (RA) or Teaching Assistant (TA) on a part-time or full-time basis. If you work full-time, you will have to complete your studies on a part-time basis (as approved by the respective School).

If you are an international student, you may work up to 16 hours per week on a part-time basis. If you are working on a full-time basis, you will either be on an Employment Pass or a S-Pass to be approved by the Ministry of Manpower. However, to be granted approval to work on a full-time basis, you should have completed all requirements of the MbR programme except your thesis. The hiring procedures and rates of payment are based on prevailing guidelines.

SMU awards scholarships, fellowships and other financial assistance schemes to PhD students on a competitive basis. We assess applicants for different award schemes at the time of admission based on qualification and suitability for these schemes.

SMU Research Scholarships (Tier 1/ Tier 2)

The SMU Research Scholarships (Tier 1/ Tier 2) cover registration and subsidised tuition fees (see SMU PhD Programme Fees for details). As a scholarship recipient, you will receive a monthly living stipend (as shown in the table below according to your Nationality Group). These scholarships are renewed yearly, conditioned on good academic performance, for the first 4 years of your PhD candidature.

Beyond the scholarship duration, you may receive continued support through research assistantships and teaching assistantships (see Financial Assistance Schemes in Year 5) or industry grants at SMU.

Scholars under this scheme are not allowed to engage in any other gainful employment.

Stipend Rates (With Effect from 1 January 2024)
Table 1A: SMU Research Scholarship (Tier 1) Stipend Rates for Non-STEM¹ PhD Students 

Table 1B: SMU Research Scholarship (Tier 1) Stipend Rates for STEM²  PhD Students

Table 2A: SMU Research Scholarship (Tier 2) Stipend Rates for Non-STEM¹ PhD Students

¹ Applicable to PhD students from SOA, LKCSB, SOE, SOSS, YPHSL & CIS
² Applicable to PhD students from SCIS
^ Singapore Citizen will be provided with 17% CPF contribution

Notes

• The monthly stipend rates are from 1 January 2024 onwards.
• These rates are not applicable to the PhD in Business (General Management).
• With effect from August 2023, a scholarship recipient must pass the Qualifying Examination before the 15th day of the month to be eligible for stipend increment in the next immediate month.

Terms and Conditions under SMU Research Scholarship (Tier 1/ Tier 2)

Scholarship recipients will have to observe the terms and conditions (for Singapore Citizens/Singapore Permanent Residents and for International Students) of the scholarship offer. Recipients will have to sign a letter of undertaking.

Financial Assistance Schemes in Year 5

SMU’s academic research PhD students typically require 5 years to complete the PhD candidature. After you cease to receive the scholarship stipends at the end of Year 4 of your PhD programme, you may work as a Research Assistant (RA), Senior Teaching Assistant (STA) or Graduate Instructor (GI) on a part-time or full-time basis. If you work full-time, you will have to complete your studies on a part-time basis (as approved by the respective School).

If you are an international student, you may work up to 16 hours per week on a part-time basis. If you are working on a full-time basis, you will either be on an Employment Pass or a S-Pass to be approved by the Ministry of Manpower. However, to be granted approval to work on a full-time basis, you should have completed all requirements of the PhD programme except your dissertation.

The hiring procedures and rates of payment are based on prevailing guidelines.

Students' Training (such as workshops by the SMU Centre for Teaching Excellence and Centre for English Communication) are available to SMU PhD students. These programmes will strengthen your skills to better contribute as a RA, STA or GI.