The Clinician Investigator Salary Support Programme (CISSP) aims to support the contributions of CIs who are important and critical components in Singapore's vision to be a preferred site for clinical research and clinical trials. This programme seeks to provide funding for clinicians' research time and to encourage more clinicians to participate in clinical research.
The pilot call for applications was launched in September 2010, for clinicians participating in existing NRF-funded clinical research projects administered by NMRC (i.e., TCR Flagship Programmes, STaR awards, CSA awards, and EDGs/NIGs). Please be informed that this would also be the final call for the above NRF-funded projects administered by NMRC. A similar salary support programme call later in the year for projects funded by NMRC directly, and more details will be provided subsequently.
Eligibility Criteria
The applicant must be:
i. A Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident;
ii. An SMC-registered doctor (MD/MBBS/BDS);
iii. Holding a clinical appointment in a local public health institution;
iv. All research must be conducted in Singapore at a public research institute, hospital/centre or medical school.
v. Participating in clinical research projects funded by NRF through NMRC and the activity must involve the recruitment of human subjects. The projects' end-date must be on or after 30 November 2012 (without a request for grant extension). The projects under the following programmes are eligible to apply:
• Exploratory and Developmental Grants (EDGs)
• New Investigator Grants (NIGs)
• TCR Flagship Programmes
• Singapore Translational Research (STaR) Award
• Clinician Scientist Award (CSA)
vi. Spending 0.1 - 0.6 FTE in the clinical research project.
Please refer to the Application Guide for more information.
Funding Information
The funding of CI's salary (including fringe benefits and allowances) will commensurate with the declared and approved FTE. The computation of the FTE funding will be based on CI's Clinical Grade and the respective Annual Salary Cap set by NMRC as follows:
| Clinician's Clinical Grade |
Annual Salary Cap |
| Senior Consultant |
$300,000 |
| Consultant |
$200,000 |
| Associate Consultant |
$150,000 |
| Registrar |
$120,000 |
| Medical Officer |
$80,000 |
The clinical departments will be awarded consolidated funding amount for successful applicants within the department, based on approved FTE spent on research (i.e., within the grant period).
Fundable items that could be listed in the departmental plan include:
(i) "backfilling" of the CIs' clinical duties;
(ii) expertise and scientific collaboration related to the clinical research project to include biostatisticians and bioinformaticians, site-monitoring, data analysis and management, and training of CRCs;
(iii) other research-related support costs that help in the clinical research project.
The items must be in accordance to NRF Fund Guide and NMRC Financial Regulation policy.
The funds are not be used as direct monetary incentives to the CIs or to cover any costs relating to routine clinical care/services.
Funding will cease together with the grant funding of the project. Should there be any extension of the grant, funding of the research time/FTE for the extended period will not be provided in line with the current policy of no-cost extension for all grants.
Please refer to the Application Guide for more information, such as supportable items.
Application Procedure
Please submit the following to NUHS Research Office by: Monday, 28 May 2012, 5pm
Please visit NMRC website for more information.
Contact us
Please do not hesitate us to contact if you have any enquires.
