NHG Health LKCMedicine Clinician Scientist Career Scheme (CSCS)

1. Applicants should be:
   a) Doctors (i.e. clinically qualified with MBBS/MD/BDS) with primary appointments of Associate Consultant / Consultant at NHG Health institutions.
   OR
   b) Health Science/Healthcare Professionals with non-medical degrees, such as nurses, pharmacists and other allied health professions (as listed on this website) in clinical practice, with primary appointments at NHG Health institutions and have at least 7 years of clinical or research experience. Clinical post-graduate qualification would be an advantage.

2. All applicants should also fulfil the following criteria:
   a) Has a research PhD
   b) Has a good publication track record in peer-reviewed journals
   c) The CSCS research project should be relevant to the research themes of NHG Health and LKCMedicine (eligible applicants who do not meet this criteria may contact the CSCS Secretariat for further discussion on suitability of the scheme)

3. On an exceptional basis, an applicant without a PhD could be considered if he/she is committed to enroll into the LKCMedicine PhD programme during the CSCS award period.

4. As awardees are expected to apply to NMRC TA/CSA or equivalent by the end of their CSCS award period, applicants should take note of the latest eligibility criteria for the respective national talent development scheme and ensure that he/she is able to meet them.

5. Past CSCS awardees who were unsuccessful TA/CSA or equivalent may reapply to CSCS on exceptional basis.

6. Interested clinicians are strongly encouraged to contact the CSCS Secretariat for discussion on suitability of the Programme prior to applying.

7. Applicants are required to seek endorsements for their applications from their Reporting Officer (RO), Head of Department (HOD), Director/Chief/Head of Family Group (applicable for nurses, pharmacists and other allied health professions listed on MOH’s website only) and Director of Research (DOR).

8. The applicant’s Department should be able to make provisions for the applicant’s research commitments during the CSCS award period (if awarded) and continue to facilitate his/her career pathway as a clinician-scientist beyond the CSCS award.

Each applicant is required to nominate a mentor from NHG Health and a mentor from LKCMedicine (subject to approval by the review committee) to guide them in their research career and project.

The mentor should be an established clinician scientist or clinical scientist who:
a) Is involved in research with significant impact on clinical care;
b) Has had experience as Principal Investigator (PI) in a relevant area of research;
c) Has strong foundation and knowledge in research methodology and conduct;
d) Has obtained intramural/extramural grant(s) during the past 5 years;
e) Has an established research track record; and
f) Has had experience in supervising or providing research mentorship to junior investigators or peers.

Applicants may contact the CSCS Secretariat if they require assistance in identifying appropriate mentor(s) or refer to the Academy of Clinician Scientists and Innovators (ACSI) mentors' directory. 

Applicants are required to submit all application documents (Table 2) in softcopy to the CSCS Secretariat at NHG Health Group Research and Innovation through their Institution’s Clinical Research Unit (CRU)/Clinical Research and Innovation Office (CRIO).

The Institution’s CRU/CRIO will set internal deadlines for the submission and ensure that the documents reach the CSCS secretariat by the stipulated deadline. Please check with your institution for these deadlines. Applications submitted after the call closing date and time will not be considered.

This document contains important information about the objective of the scheme, award components, eligibility, application procedure, evaluation criteria and expected deliverables etc., and should be read carefully before proceeding to apply.

Download the latest CSCS Information Sheet.

The CSCS Application Package consists of templates for the following documents:
1. Information Sheet
2. Application Form
3. Budget Breakdown Form
4. Application Checklist (For reference only); and
5. Research Funding Guidelines (For reference only).

Download the latest CSCS Application Package.

The CSCS Forms & Templates zip folder consists of the following documents:
1. CSCS Variation Forms - Budget Variation, Unbudgeted Item, Time Extension, Change of Research Scope
2. CSCS Interim Report Template
3. CSCS Final Report Template
4. CSCS Research Protected Time Logsheet
5. Research Funding Guidelines

Download the latest CSCS Forms & Templates.