Forum/Challenge/Opportunities

The MSCA COFUND action enhances talent and knowledge circulation across the   Research and Innovation landscape, through international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary mobility.

MSCA COFUND projects can take the form of:

Doctoral Programmes offering doctoral candidates research training activities to develop and broaden their skills and competences, leading to the award of a doctoral degree.

Postdoctoral Programmes, funding individual advanced research training and career development fellowships for postdoctoral researchers.

COFUND – Call 2023

For detailed information about the COFUND, including the eligibility conditions and implementation modalities, please check the corresponding sections in the MSCA Work Programme and the dedicated Funding & Tenders portal page.

Additional useful information for applicants on the COFUND can be found in the

• COFUND Guide for Applicants 2023
• General annexes of the work programme
• Proposal template and instructions on how to fill it in
• 6 steps to prepare your application for the 2023 COFUND call
• MSCA specific evaluation forms used by the expert evaluators

Any additional useful documents can be found on the call page.

Opportunities

3 PhD positions in computational physics and engineering on MSCA project 'ENGAGE'

France: 15 postdoctoral fellowships (2-years) in Mathematical Sciences "MathInGreaterParis"

15 PhD positions in wind energy research in MSCA Doctoral Training Network 'DTU' Wind

The Marie Sklodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships - the 2023 call explained

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships give researchers holding a PhD (+8 years) a chance to gain new skills and experience whilst carrying out their own research project abroad. 

European Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to researchers of any nationality to carry out a personalised 1-2 year project IN EUROPE. 

Global Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to European nationals or long-term residents wishing to work with organisations IN NON-EUROPEAN COUNTRIES including Singapore before returning to Europe.

Join this session to learn about the eligibility criteria and application modalities of the 2023 MSCA Postdoc Fellowship Call. The call is now open with a deadline of 13 September 2023. 

*Proficient English language skills are required for all summer schools.

All costs during these summer schools will be fully covered by the organizing universities. However, participating students need to pay for travel to and from the site of the summer school.

Interested applicants are encouraged to fill up the online form by 29 May 2023.

ASPIRE Forum 2023 and Student Workshop will be organized by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). The theme of the Forum and Workshop is Technology and Stewardship for Sustainable Global Future. Part of the Student Workshop will be held online from June 28 to 30, 2023, other activities of the forum will be held in KAIST from July 2 to 4, 2023.

One of the main highlights of the ASPIRE Forum is the ASPIRE Student Workshop 2023.

• Intensive workshop that comprises of lectures and group work
• Collaborative discussion with students from other universities
• Prepare presentation in group during ASPIRE Forum
• Student Workshop will include researchers to talk about the topics related to the theme. 

Local accommodations of 3 nights and 4 days (check-in July 2 – check-out July 5) will be provided by KAIST.

Travel expense (air ticket) and local transportation (train) would be covered by Office of International Engagement (OIE).

Participants will need to pay for other expenses for personal activities. 

Interested applicants are encouraged to fill up the online form by 15 May 2023.

7. Experience: Tableau

Tableau is a leader in the Business Intelligence industry, with its proprietary data analytics and visualisation platform. Tableau is an American company based in Seattle, Washington and is a subsidiary of parent company, Salesforce Inc. Tableau provides a range of services for organisations to harness the full value of their data, including a data cloud, Artificial Intelligence-powered analytics and Customer Relationship Management software with automated workflows.

Join us for Experience: Tableau, co-organised by Advisory and Tableau, for the exclusive opportunity to learn more about the Business Intelligence industry, explore the Salesforce Office, network with Tableau professionals and discover the career functions available at Tableau. If you are interested, do sign up at here

Date:  17 August 2023, Thursday

Time: 4.00pm - 6.30pm

Venue: Salesforce Office, 5 Temasek Boulevard, #13-01 Suntec Tower Five, 038985

6. Experience: SCDF

SCDF is a leader in the civil defence of Singapore by providing fire-fighting, rescue and emergency medical services, as well as through its other functions. Join us for Experience: SCDF, co-organised by Advisory and SCDF, for the exclusive opportunity to learn more about the range of meaningful career and scholarship opportunities at SCDF, gain first-hand insights into SCDF professionals’ personal career stories and how SCDF leads the civil defence of Singapore, and get an exclusive tour of the Marina Bay Fire Station. Sign up here to participate in the event!

Date:  5 August 2023, Saturday

Time: 3.00pm - 5.30pm (Registration opens at 2.30pm)

Venue: Marina Bay Fire Station, 70 Marina View, Singapore 018962

5. Discover+: Pharmaceuticals

The pharmaceutical industry comprises the research, development, production and sale of various pharmaceutical drugs, as well as regulatory bodies like the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore. Singapore is home to the manufacturing facilities of numerous well-known pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Novartis and Sanofi, and has devoted much resources to research and development in this industry, with S$4 billion set aside to fund the public sector’s research in the health and biomedical sciences domain in 2016. Interested to find out more about occupations in the Pharmaceuticals sector? Join us online on 18 July for Discover+: Pharmaceuticals. Sign up here to hear from professionals working in the industry!

Date:  18 July 2023, Tuesday

Time: 7:30pm to 9:00pm

Registration Deadline: 18 July 2023, Tuesday ,7:00pm (GMT+8)

4. AiSP Youth Symposium 2023

As part of Singapore Youth Day 2023 on 2 July 2023 (Sun), AiSP (Association of Information Security Professionals) will be organising the 2nd Youth Symposium to reach out to youths for a day of sharing, internship or career opportunities with our partners on 2 July 2023 (Sun). AiSP will also invite keynote speakers to share on the importance of Youths in Cyber and Tech.

AiSP SVRP Patron - Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information and Ministry of National Development Singapore, Mr Tan Kiat How, will be gracing the event as our Guest of Honour and will have a dialogue session with the attendees on how youth play an essential role in Cyber & Tech in the future.

Register now and stand a chance to win a Starbucks card!

Date:  2 July 2023, Sunday

Time: 11.30AM - 2.00PM

Venue: JustCo @ Marina Square

3. Fourth Educators Roundtable (EduR) (For Educators and ECG staff)

Advisory is proud to be organising the Fourth Meeting of the Advisory Educators Roundtable (EduR), supported by the NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates (CFG) and Deloitte. The EduR serves to provide Education and Career Guidance (ECG) counsellors, teachers, and professionals in student development with a platform through which to engage with firms and industry; network with fellow educators; and share best practices and resources. The upcoming Fourth Meeting of the EduR will centre around a top-of-mind issue for students, teachers, and schools: the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the Future of Work.  

We are delighted to welcome Ms Michelle Khoo, Director of Deloitte’s Centre for the Edge, who will deliver a briefing on AI’s potential impacts on jobs and industries, and explore its other key implications for educators and students. Attendees will also have the chance to learn more about the breadth and scope of AI-related professions and speak with a range of industry professionals.  

If you are interested in attending this and future EduR Meetings, learn more and sign-up here.

Date:  28 June 2023, Wednesday 

Time: 3.00pm-6.00pm

Venue: Seminar Room, Centre for English Language Communication (CELC), National University of Singapore, 10 Architecture Drive, Singapore 117511 

2. Discover+: Deep Tech

Deep tech is the broad term for technologies not focused on user-end services – including AI, robotics, blockchain, advanced material science, photonics and electronics, biotech, and quantum computing. The industry is increasingly recognised for its potential to solve problems that transcend political boundaries, with 97% of deep tech ventures contributing to at least one of the UN’s SDGs. Interested to find out more about occupations in the Deep Tech sector? Join us online on 16 May for Discover+ Deep Tech, co-organised by Advisory and SGInnovate.

Sign up here to hear from professionals working in organisations such as Umami Meats, Venti Technologies, Fabrica AI, Dimuto, and SGInnovate!

Date:  16 May 2023, Tuesday

Time: 7:30pm to 9:00pm

Register by: 16 May 2023, 7:00pm 

1. Rhodes Scholarship Information Session

The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest international scholarship programme, enabling outstanding young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. On 11 May, Rhodes Scholarship will be holding an Information Session for interested applicants from Singapore. 

Learn more about the Rhodes Scholarship here, and sign up for the information session here! If you are eligible and ready to apply, visit www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/apply to find out more about the Scholarship and to start your application.

The USLS is Humanitarian Affairs Asia’s signature program. It fosters young leaders’ initiative and capacity to initiate socially meaningful projects to address climate change, poverty and inequality. With the collaboration of UN agencies and partner government departments, delegates are empowered to start-up projects to contribute to the UNSDGs.

Registration for 11^th University Scholars Leadership Symposium (USLS) 2023 is now opened!

Venue: United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand

Date: August 1 to 4, 2023.

Please note that all the expenses for the Summit (including registration fee and travel fee) is self-funded. The early bird registration fee will end on 17 April 2023.

Highlights at the USLS

• Kindness Day: An experiential learning day where delegates contribute to the advancement of the People and the Planet through volunteerism that advances the UNSDGs, specifically humankind, animal welfare, and environmental protection. You could watch a short post event video to appreciate the meaningfulness of the Kindness Day and the conference itself. Click here.  

• Thematic Workshops by UN-Agencies: Delegates can attend workshop sessions based on their interest. Topics include Green Jobs for Youth, Narrow the Gap of Gender Equality, and Making Better Policies for Disaster Risk Reduction.
• Humanitarian Speakers: Our inspirational speakers have gained international acclaim and recognition for their humanitarian work. Their inspirational stories of survival in the face of adversity and loss bring hope by demonstrating the extraordinary strength of the human spirit.
  

For interested candidate, please submit your application form to us by 29 March 2023.

For more information, please visit their website.

Protégé Ventures, Southeast Asia’s first student-run venture fund, trains highly motivated students to be tech-savvy entrepreneurial leaders by equipping them with skills and the mindset to navigate the world of venture capital and get a career head start as a venture capitalist. The national programme is open to all institutes of higher learning in Singapore.

Protégé Ventures Academy training includes 6 compulsory lessons, 3 advanced lessons, and a final exam. Participants who fare well in this training will be shortlisted and inducted into Protégé Ventures where they will receive valuable training in areas such as market research and analysis, deal sourcing, screening as well as leading venture sessions.

To apply for Protégé Ventures, submit your application by 23 July via: https://bit.ly/PV22REG

To learn more about the programme from our student venture capitalists, sign up now for the upcoming info session on 22 June here:  https://bit.ly/PVINFOSESS

Every year, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) hosts the prestigious Green Talents – International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development to promote the international exchange of innovative green ideas within the field of sustainability. Under this patronage, the award honours 25 young researchers from numerous countries and scientific disciplines for their achievements and efforts in making our communities, countries, and societies more sustainable.

What the Green Talents Award entails

• Invitation to the Virtual Science Forum 2022
• Research stay in Germany 2023
• Access to the renowned Green Talents network
  

Requirements

• Master’s/PhD students, postdocs, and young professionals with no more than three years of professional work experience
• Strong focus on sustainable development and an interdisciplinary approach
• Strong interest in establishing collaborations with Germany‘s leading scientific experts
• Excellent command of English and above-average grades
• Not a German citizen nor a resident of Germany

Proposal Submission Deadline – 24^th May 2022, 2p.m CEST

For more information, visit www.greentalents.de.

Graduate College is calling for interested applicants to participate in 2022 ASEAN-Korea Academic Essay Contest.

The ASEAN-Korea Centre in collaboration with the Korea University ASEAN Center (KUAC) and Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE) is hosting the 2022 ASEAN-Korea Academic Essay Contest inviting graduate and undergraduate students of ASEAN and Korean nationality to conduct research and share their perspectives and knowledge on ASEAN and ASEAN-Korea relations.

Through the contest, they look forward to receiving creative and analytical essays on challenges in promoting the ASEAN-Korea relationship and suggestions as to how ASEAN and Korea can further expand and deepen their cooperation towards a more sustainable ASEAN-Korea partnership. Interested applicants can work as an individual or in teams (up to 3 students) and are strongly recommended to work with an academic advisor to write the proposal and the final essay.

Themes: Strengthen Cooperation and Advancing a Sustainable ASEAN-Korea Partnership, through one of the following sub-themes:

1. ASEAN Centrality and Strategic Importance of ASEAN-Korea Cooperation
2. Opportunities and Prospects in Future Industries
3. Enhancing Mutual Cultural Understanding and Perception

Proposal Deadline: 29^th May 2022

For more information, please refer to the poster or contact [email protected].

*Proficient English language skills are required for all summer schools.

Interested applicants are encouraged to fill up the attached application form by 9 May 2022. Shortlisted candidates would be informed and would need to submit CV, publications list and Letter of motivation through online registration portal.

For further details about the summer schools, please refer to the web pages below:  http://idealeague.org/students/summerschools/

The Seventh APRU Global Health Virtual Case Competition just released the year's challenge to encourage students to strengthen pandemic preparedness for vulnerable populations in Fiji.  The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed heightened vulnerabilities among certain segments of the population. For example, island communities face unique issues in providing care for these vulnerable populations, which can be exacerbated during emergencies.

In this case competition, APRU students will be given the opportunity to build and strengthen the capacity of the health systems in Fiji to better respond to future public health threats, focusing on vulnerable populations. Teams of 4-6 students will prepare a 10-minute video in English. We encourage teams to consider a balance of innovative yet realistic, evidence-based solutions.

The winning team will receive a prize of US$ 1,000! Find out more about the challenge here!

Application Deadline: 25 April 2022

From 20^th - 24^th June 2022, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) will host the 2^nd trilateral Global Fellows Program in partnership with Imperial College London (Imperial) and the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore). 

More information can be found in the attached file:  GFP_ProgramAdvert_2022_TUM_v2 (002)

Application deadline is 18 February 2022.

ACYLS Programme was established in 2019 to increase people-to-people exchanges, strengthen educational cooperation and promote academic linkages between ASEAN and China. It provides a full scholarship award for ASEAN Member States (AMS)’ nationals to study in China, covering all programme-related expenses including tuition and other school fees, accommodation, return international airfare, medical insurance, and stipends.

The 2022 intake of ACYLS includes awards for: (a) master’s degree programmes; (b) doctoral programmes; as well as (c) one-semester (4-5 months) research scholarship programmes. 

More information can be found here. 

1. Guidebook to the ACYLS Application 2022 (002)

2. Call for Application

Application deadline is 21 March 2022.

ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship program Asia-Pacific is funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and is supported by Swissnex in India and the Embassies of Switzerland in Singapore and in Australia. The aim of the program is to promote research opportunities in Switzerland for Indian, Australian and Singapore students and to foster the exchange between Swiss and Asia-Pacific universities & institutions.

• The applicant must provide a written confirmation from a professor at a Swiss university that he/she will accept the student for a research stay in his/her group
• This is open to students who will be a Master degree student or a bachelor degree student that is currently enrolled with a Singapore University and who will have completed the 2nd year by the time the research stay in Switzerland begins. It is NOT open to PhD students.
• The applicant is free to schedule research anytime between 1st June 2022 - 31st December 2022. The finishing date of the research internship cannot be later than 31st December 2022.
• The scholarship is CHF1,600 per month, which is roughly SGD2,300.
• Students are responsible for finding a host professor or mentor at a Swiss institution as well as clarifying the scope of a research project before submitting their research scholarship application.

More information can be found in the links:

1. https://swissnex.org/india/thinkswiss/ 
2.  https://swissnex.org/app/uploads/sites/7/2021/12/ThinkSwiss-Research-Scholarships-2022.pdf

Application deadline is 15 March 2022.

Erasmus + supports undergraduate, master and doctoral students to undertake a learning experience in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in partner countries outside Europe, as well as students from countries outside Europe to come and train at the European participating HEIs.

• Offers mobility opportunities to and from partner countries outside of Europe to HEI staff (PDI and PAS) so that they can carry out teaching and / or training activities.
• PhD students will conduct research for his doctoral thesis.
• Master's degree students can complete a study period at a foreign higher education institution, which must be part of the study program that the student follows to complete their degree at their home institution.
• Duration of mobility is 3-5 months.
• Individual maintenance aid of € 850 / month and outgoing students € 700 / month.
• Fixed travel aid of between € 20 and € 1,500, depending on the distance to the destination country.
• Application opens until 12 December 2021.
• For more information and application details, please click here.

Call for Applications for doctoral position in the International Max Planck Research School on “Knowledge and Its Resources: Historical Reciprocities” (PhD fellowship)

The IMPRS-KIR aims to train PhD students in the history and philosophy of science, technology, and medicine (HPSTM) in the analysis of knowledge, its resources, and the multiple interplays between the two categories. It is a collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Technische Universität Berlin. Key to its agenda is a "historical-political epistemology", an approach highlighting how knowledge is shaped historically by a great variety of sources - political systems, technological infrastructures, material objects, social interaction and media technologies.

• First cohort of five students begin on September 1, 2022
• Open to all nationalities holding a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in the related fields
• Successful applicants will receive funding via an employment contract with the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG). This is a German public sector contract (monthly net salary of between €1,780 and €1,890), which will allow you to cover all the costs of living in Berlin.
• Funding period is 3.5 years, with the possibility of extending by a further six months once the dissertation has been submitted. This additional (“wrap-up”) period is intended to enable you to prepare your dissertation defense, prepare for job interviews, write a first article, etc.
• Additional supports include annual research budget for material and travel expenses.
• Please submit necessary documents stated here through the following application portal: https://recruitment.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/position/19628037 by January 31, 2022, 23.59 Central European Time.
• For more information, please click here.

Trusted Media Challenge

AI Singapore is launching the Trusted Media Challenge to test out solutions and explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies can be leveraged to combat fake media.

Key Highlights:

• Datasets will focus on fake video and fake audio.
• Build Machine Learning classifiers which are robust and accurate.
• Platform for researchers and engineers to contribute ideas and advance the state-of-the-art in fake media detection.
• Up to $700k in prize monies will be distributed to the winners of the competition.

Target Audience:

• Researchers and Industry Professionals from around the world.

• Anyone who is interested and/or experienced in machine learning, deep learning, computer vision especially in media forensics.

Challenge Period: 15 July – 15 December 2021

Click here for more information and sign up. 

IDEA League will hold the online summer schools this year, offering to open up the summer schools to ASPIRE League member university students. The summer schools are organized by Chalmers University of Technology, and RWTH Aachen University (RWTH Aachen). For each of the following summer schools, IDEA League has reserved places for graduate students from ASPIRE League member universities.

 
*Proficient English language skills are required for all summer schools.

Interested applicants are encouraged to make their application here(link to the application form) by 1 August 2021.

For further details about the summer schools, please refer to the web pages below:

http://idealeague.org/students/summerschools/

MakanNight! Challenge

Building the next generation of workspaces on NTU campus for a cohesive and collaborative working environment

Come and join in this ideation challenge where you can put your creativity to the test by rethinking how future workspaces will evolve as part of the future hybrid work model of partial work-from-home and work-from-office!

Big firms such as Twitter and Google are already planning a permanent shift to remote working while local banks like OCBC are reviewing its office space requirements. This means that traditional fixed-desk seating arrangements are no longer needed! Activity-based workplaces where employees have a variety of individual and shared places to work, collaborate, or have online meetings need to be in place.

Join the upcoming MakanNight! Challenge to address the challenge statement: How can we adjust our study and meeting spaces on our NTU campus to meet the future concept of workspaces?


What is in it for me?
The top 3 teams stand to win cash prizes of up to $1,000 in total! In addition, interested and qualified teams will have access to funds of up to $10,000 and resources provided by NTUitive to execute their solution on NTU campus. 

How to register?
Gather a team of up to 3 pax or you can register as an individual. The challenge is open to all NTU students, staff, faculty, and alumni.

For more info and to sign up, visit: http://bit.ly/linktreeNTUitive

Registration closes on 30 June, 2359hrs. Do note that you need to submit a 1-page preliminary proposal of your solution to be considered for the qualifying round.

The 15K Competition

The 15K Competition is an entrepreneurship competition modelled on MIT’s 100K competition. The main goal of the competition is to motivate students and researchers to not only develop innovative technologies and processes, but to think about how to bring their ideas to market.

Participants and stand to win up to $34,000 cash + the opportunity to advance to the ATEC (Asia Technology Entrepreneurship Conference) Competition!

How to register?

• 2 to 4 students per team
• Projects must be STEM related.
• Projects are in the ideation / prototype stage and have received less than an overall funding of $50K

For more info and to sign up, visit: http://bit.ly/15KCompetitionxNTU.

Registration closes on 4 July, 2359hrs.

The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) organised the ACU Summer School 2021 in partnership with TaTa Institute of Social Sciences. The event boasts a highly interactive,

two-week programme covering a range of interesting topics, taking place on the 2-13 August 2021.

Details:

• Learn about urban disasters and concepts of disaster vulnerability, risk, and resilience
• From the impact of COVID-19 on international policies, to global urbanisation challenges, delegates will reflect on a range of topics to explore community-based initiatives and the potential for collaborative governance.
• Delegates can expect:
  • Lectures by leading international speakers
  • Engaging and challenging group project work
  • Networking opportunities
  • Intercultural sessions
  • Skills development
  • A chance to learn about the history and culture of Mumbai.

Open to post-graduate or final year undergraduate students, the event will provide opportunities for

cross cultural learning, skills development and engaging group project work. The event is free to

attend but participants will be selected as part of a competitive selection process.

More information and application details can be found here. Application deadline: 14 April at 16:00 UTC + 1.