Grants

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Competitive Research Grants
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Healthy Longevity Global Grand Challenge
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National Innovation Challenge on Active and Confident Ageing
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Ageless Workplaces Innovation Grant
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National Innovation Challenge (NIC) on Active and Confident Ageing Phase 1B
Frailty
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Healthy and Meaningful Longevity
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Talent Development
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Enablers & Infrastructure
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Review Process
25 Apr 2022 - 01 Jan 2023

Brought to you by the Ministry of Health of Singapore (MOH) and supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Health Promotion Board (HPB).

Grant Call on Frailty

The Grant Call on Frailty is the second and last grant call under the National Innovation Challenge (NIC) on Active and Confident Ageing Phase 1B. This grant call, launched under the research thrust on “Extending Health Span”, aims to catalyse multi-disciplinary translational research and innovation to  deepen and validate our understanding of the multi-dimensional aspects of frailty, such as risk and mitigating factors that are pertinent in Singapore’s context, that will be able to inform policies and strategies to enhance prevention of frailty among seniors. This includes studying and developing novel detection tools, and interventions targeting pre-frail/frail elderly people to delay frailty and improve health outcomes. Technology should serve as a key enabler for the proposed solutions/interventions to enhance their impact and scalability.

Challenge Statements

(Teams will choose at least 1 of the 3 statements highlighted below).

(i)        Leverage on technology (e.g., artificial intelligence or wearables) to enhance the understanding of multi-dimensional frailty, with findings to further support the projection of trajectories and outcomes of the population across the frailty spectrum, as well as the development of interventions to improve/delay frailty conditions, or

(ii)        Develop integrated detection and intervention strategies to delay or reverse the progression of frailty across social and healthcare settings, including the community and primary care. The solutions should achieve better outcomes as compared with current approaches, in terms of improving the wellbeing of seniors, better adherence to interventions and reducing disability, hospitalisations, healthcare utilisation or mortality rates by 25%, or

(iii)       Leverage on technology and/or behavioural science to improve awareness of pre-frailty and provide nudges which promote lifestyle modifications and improve adherence to interventions by at least 50%, in a sustainable and scalable manner. The findings should identify ideal assimilation processes for specific archetypes/target groups that inculcate adherence and help seniors recognise the value behind the recommended interventions in helping maintain their capacity and independence.

Eligibility Criteria of Lead PI for Frailty

A Principal Investigator (PI) can submit only one application in response to the challenge statement.  However, he/she may be part of the Project Team of other applications. Applicants applying as Lead PI are required to fulfil the following criteria at the point of application:

  1. Holds a primary appointment in a local publicly funded institution and salaried by the institution.
  2. The Lead PI should have PhD or MD/MBBS/BDS qualifications (exceptions would be made on a case-by-case basis).
  3. Is an independent PI with demonstrated track record of research, as evidenced by the award of nationally competitive funding (international funding to be considered on a case-by-case basis), substantial publication record in the past 3 years, or PI status in research institutes.
  4. Has a laboratory or research program in Singapore.
  5. Holds a minimum of 9 months employment (per calendar year) with local Singapore Institution(s). Upon award, the PI must agree to fulfil at least 6 months of residency in Singapore for each calendar year over the duration of the grant award.
  6. Has no outstanding reports from previous BMRC, NMRC grants and other national grants.
  7. For proposals involving patients, the PI should be Singapore Medical Council (SMC) registered; or should be able to demonstrate ability to access patients through SMC registered Co-Is or Collaborators.

Project Team Composition

Applicants for the Grant Call on Frailty are required to form a Project Team comprising:

  1. Members from multi-disciplinary (e.g., pairing medical and technology, engineering) background; and
  2. At least one healthcare cluster and one community partner in the development and implementation of their project; and.
  3. At least one technical partner if their cluster and community partner do not have the relevant expertise (e.g., expertise in the technology solution that the team is planning to provide).

A representative from each collaborating Institution, organisation and/or Implementation Partner(s) (consists of healthcare cluster, community and/or technical partner) should be appointed as part of the Research Team as Co-Investigator (Co-I) or Collaborator.

Awards

Public institutions/Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) will receive full funding support for approved direct costs. Private entities will receive up to 70% funding support for approved direct costs.
Support for indirect costs, on top of supportable qualifying direct costs, is capped at 20% of the supportable qualifying direct costs. Only Singapore-registered Institutions that are IHLs or not-for-profit entities, including public healthcare providers, may qualify for support for indirect costs.

Important dates to note

The timeline for key activities under the Grant Call on Frailty is set out below.

Activity

Date

Public Briefing

25 Apr 2022 

Launch of Grant Call and Submission of LOI

29 Apr – 30 May 2022

Call for Submission of Full Proposals for Shortlisted LOIs

~Jul – Aug 2022

EP Meeting and Interview with Project Teams

Nov/Dec 2022

Announcement of Results

Dec 2022

Public Briefing

MOH has conducted a virtual public briefing on the Grant Call on Frailty on Monday, 25 April 2022. 
Please click here to access the Briefing Slides.

Submission

It is mandatory for all applications to be submitted and endorsed by Host Institution’s Director of Research (DOR) online via IGMS by 30 May 2022, 5pm.

We will not entertain any late/hardcopy submissions or submissions from individual applicants without endorsement from the Host Institution.

Please click here to download the following information/templates relating to this Grant Call:

  • Grant Call on Frailty Public Document and Application Guide
  • IGMS Application templates for Frailty (also downloadable from IGMS)
  • Guide to applying in IGMS
  • Terms & Conditions

Supporting Agencies:

  • National Research Foundation (NRF) 

Contact Us

For any enquiries on the Grant Call on Frailty or the National Innovation Challenge, please email us at NIC_Ageing@moh.gov.sg.