Research Grant Funding Opportunitiesin Asia-Pacific Region

Research Centre for Clinical and

Community Practice Innovation (RCCCPI) Asia-Pacific Research Symposium1-2 July 2008

Prof David Arthur Head, Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, NUS

Shift of the world’s economic and political centre of gravity E.g. China and India

Government directives E.g. Singapore

Research Grant and Funding Opportunities are influenced by:

olitical Circumstances

conomic Circumstances

Governments’ relative wealth and desire to progress research in their own country and desire to help poorer neighbours E.g. Singapore, HK, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Indonesia

East meets west

Diversity and disparity

Research Grant and Funding Opportunities are influenced by:

Quality of scholars

Foreigners for aid or part of workforce

Sustainability and capacity building

ocial and cultural practices

cademic Influences

Above all how does the motivation

and finance filter down to the work force?

Hong Kong and Singapore Experiences in Health Care Research

Relatively small homogeneous societies

Government directives are clear and well understood

Faculties are generous in awarding small grants up to A$40-50K

Universities are generous in awarding grants up to A$100K

Government has ‘tough’ competitive grants:

CERG in HK: A$200K

NMRC in Singapore: A$1million

Hong Kong and Singapore Experiences in Health Care Research

Singapore has large collaborative government grants of around S$10million e.g. colon cancer consortium, aged care

Overseas talent and collaborations with business and universities

Singapore is about twice as generous and this is reflected in the health care system

Money goes much further in Asia: RA’s in poorer countries

Generous donations +++

Public sector R&D budget was more than doubled to $13.55 billion

$5 billion for National Research Foundation (NRF)

$5.4 billion for the Agency for Science, Technology (A*STAR)

$1.05 billion for academic research

$2.1 billion for Economic Development Board (EDB) to promote private sector R&D

Five Strategic ThrustsFor the National R&D Agenda

Intensify national R&D spending to achieve 3% of GDP by 2010

Identify and invest in strategic areas of R&D

Fund a balance of basic and applied research within strategic areas

Provide resources and support to encourage private sector R&D

Strengthen linkages between public and private sector R&D

Observations in China

China recognizes the change in health care demographics and is embracing the need for health care research

Research funding is often through overseas funds and not not strong in nursing who rely on overseas collaborations and private sector

What about our pacific neighbours?