Economic Development Board Industrial Postgraduate Programme (EDB-IPP)

• Successfully admitted trainees must be full-time employees of the company while pursuing full-time postgraduate by research programmes at SIT.
• Trainees are expected to spend at least 50% of their time on an approved jointly identified research project within the company’s facility.
• Trainee will undertake an approved jointly identified research project and be supervised by an academic faculty from SIT and a company staff with appropriate research qualifications. 

EDB-IPP Trainee Eligibility

• The trainee must be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident.
• The trainee must not be receiving concurrent funding under any EDB grant schemes, or, regardless of the awarding body, any bursaries or scholarships.
• The trainee must meet SIT’s prevailing admission criteria for postgraduate by research programmes.
• There is no bond requirement. Trainee should be either a new hire or existing employee of the company.
• Be earning a basic monthly salary of at least S$4,500.

Sponsorship Terms by EDB and Company 

• Sponsorship terms by EDB and company include full tuition fees for postgraduate by research programme, monthly salary and employer’s CPF contribution.
   

Interested companies will jointly scope research projects with identified SIT faculty, before submitting the research proposal to EDB for consideration.

Eligibility as an IPP Partner 

• Singapore-based entity.  Companies should be registered and operating in Singapore.
• Possess the capacity and ability to scope and conduct an industrial postgraduate project with the academic partner.  This includes
  • Assigning suitable company R&D leaders to be supervisors to supervise the project.  The proposed company supervisor(s) possess the relevant expertise and qualifications to supervise the trainee on the IPP project topic(s).
  • Having visibility of the R&D roles in which trainee will be deployed upon completion of the IPP project.
  • Companies should also have the financial ability and commitment to support the trainee for the entire duration of the IPP.
• Demonstrate commitment to support trainee(s) towards attaining a postgraduate degree within stipulated candidatures.

Contractual Agreement & Intellectual Property Arrangements

• Companies will work with SIT Innovation and Technology Transfer (ITT) Division and Legal Division to formulate a contractual agreement for each research project undertaken by the trainee, company and SIT.
• The agreement will include clauses related to salary, tuition fees, the extent of commitment by all involved parties, conference travel, insurance, publications, consumables, utilisation of equipment and any other indirect costs which may arise during the IPP.
• The company and SIT will also need to agree on Intellectual Property (IP) arrangements arising from the projects undertaken by the trainees. 

Company’s contributions

• Supervises and hosts trainee at company’s research facility.
• Co-shares research grant to academic faculties for cost incurred at faculties.
• Funds all other costs related to IPP Project and trainee-incurred expenses (eg. insurance, equipment, travel, conferences, publications, etc).

Support from EDB for Companies

• Trainee’s full tuition fees
• Fixed monthly rate of S$4,000 per month for each trainee (capped at 4 years per Doctorate or 2 years per Masters)
• Co-sharing of research grants to SIT (50%, capped at S$12,500 per student per year, 4 years per Doctorate or 2 years per Masters)

Companies who wish to apply for the EDB-IPP scheme, please email EDB (MNC) or email Enterprise Singapore (SME) for more information.