JOINT COUNCIL OFFICE GRANT CALL
Application Form
A*STAR JOINT COUNCIL OFFICE
3rd JCO CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD
GRANT CALL
Application Form
Application must be submitted to the Joint Council Office (JCO) by the Grant Call End date
stated on the iGRANTs website. Please submit:
 One Fully Endorsed Electronic Copy via the i-GRANTS system <http://igrants.astar.edu.sg/>
 One softcopy (word format) with the email title as “Application to 3rd CDA Grant Call”
IMPORTANT NOTES FOR GRANT APPLICATION SUBMISSION ON IGRANTS:
 Please ensure that all people involved in the proposal (Project Leader, Lead Investigator,
Collaborators) have a registered account with iGRANTS.
 In view that internal approvals / processes for grant application varies from RIs to RIs,
applicants are requested to seek prior internal approval / clearance before submitting an
application on iGRANTS.
 The Project Leader is responsible in ensuring that all relevant parties endorse the
application before the Grant Call End Date. JCO reserves the right to reject an application if
the fully endorsed proposal was not submitted before the Grant Call End Date via
iGRANTs.
 Please note that once the application has been submitted by the Project Leader the
electronic endorsement sequence will be as follows:
1. All Lead Investigator(s)
2. RI EDs of all participating RIs
3. Collaborator(s)
4. Head of Department of Host Institution
5. RI ED of Host Institution
Joint Council Office
1 Fusionopolis Way
#21-10 Connexis (North)
Singapore 138632
Tel: (65) 6826 6356
Fax: (65) 6478 9587
E-mail: A-STAR_JCO@a-star.edu.sg
JOINT COUNCIL OFFICE GRANT CALL
Application Form
OVERVIEW OF JCO CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD GRANT CALL
The JCO Career Development Award is aimed at providing a platform for the early career
development of young A*STAR researchers by enabling them to spearhead multidisciplinary
collaborative research projects.
To be considered for JCO funding, the proposal must present a multidisciplinary plan that brings
together capabilities in the biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering. The JCO
CDA award is positioned to support a distinct and well-defined research project. Sufficient
background work must be demonstrated to be eligible for funding. Grants are capped at a
maximum quantum of S$ 750,000 per proposal, over a period of 3 years. The JCO grant provides
for pro-rated manpower support for A*STAR researchers. Please refer to “JCO Career
Development Awards 3rd Grant Call - Guidelines for Budget Proposal Preparation” for further
details.
To qualify for a CDA, the Project Leader (PL) should have a PhD, and be RSE 3 and below as of
31 July 2013. Where it is justified, applicants without a PhD (for e.g., MDs and Vets) may also be
considered on a case by case basis. The PL is expected to spend at least one third (1/3) of his/her
time on the JCO project and must have an appointment with an A*STAR RI / consortium. As the
intent of the CDA is to provide opportunities for young researchers to independently lead a grant,
priority will be given to applicants who have not/ do not concurrently lead other grants over
researchers who have managed to obtain independent funding support. As ever the scientific merit
of the proposal will be the main criteria when determining which proposals get funded.
All grant applications should involve at at least two separate entities within A*STAR (i.e must be
from different RIs) and must have at least one (1) Lead Investigator with BMS expertise and
one (1) Lead Investigator with S&E expertise. There shall be only ONE (1) Project Leader for
each application. In the context of this grant, the Project Leader is one of the intellectual drivers of
the project and is responsible together with the Lead Investigators for the milestones and
deliverables associated with the grant. The responsibility includes ensuring that the JCO grant is
appropriately apportioned to the participating RIs / Consortia. A Lead Investigator is a researcher
who makes significant contributions to the intellectual content and is responsible for the milestones
and deliverables associated with a specific component(s) of the proposed research work. For the
purposes of this grant, it has no reference to a particular RSE Grade. Lead Investigators must have
an appointment with an A*STAR RI / consortium.
Applicants who are submitting a re-scoped proposal that has previously been unsuccessful in
obtaining funding are required to include a cover letter clearly stating how the proposal has been
modified and the steps taken to address the reviewers’ comments. This can be attached as a
separate word document during application submission.
To ensure that only high quality proposals are funded, all proposals received are subject to a
competitive peer review process, which includes evaluation by independent referees from the
international and local community. The key funding criteria include the following:






Collaborative nature of the project (multidisciplinary research, and good balance of
technical and scientific contributions from all participating entities)
Importance of the problem (prevalence, inadequacy of existing approaches)
Innovativeness, novelty and technical merit of the project
Track record of the PL and research team
Intellectual property history and opportunities
Appropriateness of budget
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JOINT COUNCIL OFFICE GRANT CALL
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1. TITLE OF PROJECT:
In no more than 30 words; be descriptive rather than general.
2. DURATION OF PROJECT (YEARS):
Indicate the number of years funding support is requested for
3. MAIN RESEARCH AREA:
Please indicate the main research area (s) of the proposal
4. SUB- RESEARCH AREA:
Please select the sub research area (s) of the proposal
5. PROJECT LEADER 1 (Only one Project Leader (PL) per application)
Name:
Institution:
E-mail:
6. LEAD INVESTIGATOR(S) 2 (Please add if there are more Lead Investigators (LI))
(Do not include non-LIs of this grant in this section. Please indicate
them as collaborators in the next section)
Name:
Institution:
E-mail:
Name:
Institution:
E-mail:
Name:
Institution:
E-mail:
1
The Project Leader shall be one of the Lead Investigators who will be responsible for coordinating the
project team and managing the grant award. The responsibility includes ensuring that the JCO grant is
appropriately apportioned to the participating RIs / Consortia and consolidating progress reports for
submission to JCO. Please refer to page 2 of the application form for more details.
2
A Lead Investigator is a researcher who makes significant contributions to the intellectual content and is
responsible for the milestones and deliverables associated with a specific component(s) of the proposed
research work. For the purposes of this grant, it has no reference to a particular RSE Grade.
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7. COLLABORATOR(S)3 (Please indicate Collaborators of the project in this section)
Name:
Institution:
E-mail:
Name:
Institution:
E-mail:
8. DECLARATION OF ETHICS CONSIDERATION
Please note that approval of grant is subject to ethics approval.
Please tick, where appropriate, if your study involves the following:
Human subject
Use of Human Tissues or Cells
Animal Experimentation
Use of Animal Tissues or Cells
Requirement for containment Class 2 and above
Please indicate if your study requires ethics approval:
Yes
No
If the response is “No”, please provide reasons:
A copy of the ethics approval is attached:
Yes
No
3
Collaborator(s) are non-A*STAR investigator(s) who may be based either locally or overseas.
Collaborator(s) are not entitled to receive (directly or indirectly) any portion of this grant.
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9. LAY ABSTRACT OF THE PROPOSAL
In no more than 300 words, please provide a general description of the proposal that can be understood by a
non-scientific audience. Please include its importance to science or medicine and society at large, and where
appropriate, the approach of the research proposal.
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JOINT COUNCIL OFFICE GRANT CALL
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10. SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACT OF THE PROPOSAL
In no more than 300 words, please provide a succinct and accurate scientific description of the proposal to
include the specific aims, hypotheses, methodology and approach of the research proposal, including its
importance to science or medicine.
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JOINT COUNCIL OFFICE GRANT CALL
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11. DETAILS OF RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Word limit: 4000
Instruction and Guide for details of research proposal.
Give a description of the research within the word limit specified above. Information SHOULD include
specific aim(s) of the project, scientific significance, preliminary studies/progress reports, methods, and
publications/patents related to the research proposal. Please emphasise on the novelty and innovative
aspects of the proposed work. References should be provided on a separate page.
a) Specific Aims
State concisely and realistically what the research described in this application is intended to accomplish and/or what
hypothesis is to be tested.
b) Scientific Significance
Briefly sketch the background to the current proposal, critically evaluate existing knowledge and specifically identify the
gaps which the project is intended to fill. State concisely the importance of the research described in this application by
relating the specific aims to the longer term objectives. State the significance of the research to scientific applications
and tangible improvements in physical or life sciences that may result from the study. Highlight all cross-council
interactions that would result from the proposal. Relevant references should be appended.
c) Preliminary Studies/Progress Reports
Please provide an account of the Lead Investigator’s preliminary studies (if any) pertinent to the applications and/or any
other information that will help to establish the experience and competence of the investigator pursuing the proposed
project.
d) Methods
Discuss in detail the experimental design and the procedure to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project.
Describe the protocols to be used and the tentative sequence of the investigation. Include statistical justification and the
means by which data will be analysed and interpreted. Describe any new methodology and its advantage over existing
methodologies. Discuss the potential difficulties and limitations of the proposed procedures and alternative approaches
to achieve the aims. Point out any procedures, situations or materials that may be hazardous to personnel and the
precautions to be exercised. Make every attempt succinct.
Details of Research Proposal
Print information using Arial Font 10, single-spaced and within the specified word limit.
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12. REFERENCES
Please list in chronological order the titles and complete references to recent representative publications
pertinent to this research proposal and the applicants’ publications and patents held related to this research
proposal. Highlight Scientific Award(s), if any, of the applicant(s).
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13. WORK CONTRIBUTION OF TEAM MEMBERS AND COLLABORATION PLAN
Please provide detailed description of the work contribution of each of the team members. Include
the plans for fostering interaction amongst the team members in achieving the research objectives.
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14. CONTRIBUTION DETAILS
For each team member, please provide the expected percentage effort within the project. Please
indicate LIs and other research staff for whom you are seeking EOM support. You may also include
non-LI investigators in this section i.e. collaborators in this section. Please note that collaborators are
not entitled to receive (directly or indirectly) any portion of the project funds.
Research Staff /
Role in project
Research
Institute
EOM Support
Requested?
(Yes/No)
% effort within
project4
% effort within own
job scope5
4
Represents percentage effort spent by the research staff in the project relative to his/her other team
members. The total in each column must add up to 100%.
5
Represents percentage effort spent by the research staff in the project relative to his/her other job scope (if
any). Please note that the PL is expected to spend at least 30% of his/her time on the project. Please refer to
“JCO Career Development Awards 3rd Grant Call - Guidelines for Budget Proposal Preparation” for further
details.
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CURRICULUM VITAE
In no more than 1 page per applicant, please provide the following information on the Project
Leader, and all Lead Investigator(s)

Name and institution

RSE level of project leader

User identification number of the personal homepage at the Singapore Researchers Database
(SRDB) (https://researchers.a-star.edu.sg).
* Please create the CV profiles of each applicant at the SRDB if this has not been done.

Selected publications (not more than 10 relevant publications)
Attention to applicants:
Please note that the grant reviewers will be referring to the Singapore Researchers
Database (SRDB) for the CV of grant applicants. Hence, please ensure that the
SRDB homepages are comprehensive and up to date.
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JOINT COUNCIL OFFICE GRANT CALL
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Curriculum Vitae - 1 page per applicant .
Print information using Arial Font 10 and within the given area. Please replicate this page for more CVs.
Name: ______________________________
Institution: ___________________________
RSE Level (Project Leader only): ___________________________
ID number at Singapore Researchers Database: ________________ (e.g. 9876)
Selected publications (not more than 10 relevant publications)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Attention to reviewers:
Please use the following steps to read the full CV of the applicant:
1. Go to the Singapore Researchers Database website at https://researchers.a-star.edu.sg
2. Type in either the full name of the applicant, or the ID number specified above.
Page 1
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JOINT COUNCIL OFFICE GRANT CALL
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15. OTHER SUPPORT
Provide the following details for the grants currently held or being applied for by the PL/LIs.
A. Grant Support
Provide details for all currently held or applied grants by the PL and/or LI(s). These include those
supported by / applied to BMRC, SERC, JCO, NMRC, Universities, Clusters, International and Local
public agencies and other Foundations. Attach the scientific abstract of each grant listed below for JCO's
reference.
Grant Call ID
Title of
Research
Funding
Agency
Status
Amount
Awarded/Applied
for
Years of
support
Expiry
Date of
the grant
B. All Other Resources
Provide details on funding, drug(s), sample(s) or other resources provided by any participating
industry/clinical partner(s) for the applied grant.
Type of
Resource
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Funding
Organisation
Duration of Support
Expiry Date
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16. PROPOSED BUDGET
Please plan the budget on an annual basis. The actual start date will be announced in the Letter of Award. You
are advised to prepare the budget carefully under each category and for each RI and provide the details and
justification for all categories in Section 17. Please note that virements of funds (of any amount) across RIs
should not be made without the prior written consent of JCO. Only expenses directly related to the project are
allowed. All A*STAR research staff associated with the project qualify for salary support from JCO. The EOM is
to be pro-rated according to staff’s percentage time commitment to the JCO project and should not exceed 70%
of the total grant award.
EOM
(please indicate
role)
No.
RI
Cost per head
($)
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Total ($)
Description
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Total ($)
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Total ($)
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Total ($)
EOM Sub-total
EQUIPMENT
No.
RI
Lab Apparatus
Specialised
Equipment
Others (please
state)
EQUIPMENT Subtotal
OOE
RI
Materials & Consumables
Animal Cost
Maintenance
Others (please state)
OOE Subtotal
Overseas Travel and Conferences
Conferences
RI
(Please indicate # of persons travelling)
Others (please state)
Travel Subtotal
GRAND TOTAL
* Note:
Please indicate the budget requirement for each line item clearly. Please list individual items to be bought under Lab
Apparatus and specialised Equipment. An aggregate budget for each category is not acceptable. Contingency funds are not
allowed. Please refer to “JCO Career Development Awards 3rd Grant Call - Guidelines for Budget Proposal Preparation” and
A*STAR policies for financial and procurement regulations/procedures.
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17. DETAILS AND JUSTIFICATION OF PROPOSED BUDGET
a)
EOM Vote
b)
Equipment Vote
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JOINT COUNCIL OFFICE GRANT CALL
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c)
OOE Vote
d)
Overseas Travel and Conferences Vote
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18. PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Please indicate the final expected targets. Please state “0” Zero where indicator is not applicable.
Target
Number
Performance Indicators
Training R&D
manpower
Capability
Indicators
Developing
long term
R&D
capability
PhD students trained or under training as part of
the grant
Post-doctoral (within 3 years of the PhD award)
researchers hired under the grant
Joint programs/projects with prestigious
international research organisations
Joint programs/projects with local universities
Invention disclosures
Patents filed
Patents granted
Patents commercialised
Papers published in international journals
Presentations at international conferences
External awards for research at international
level
Industry
Relevance
Indicators
R&D
collaboration
Industry6 funding received
No. of industry7 projects
R&D projects with industry cash funding
Outcomes
Revenue from royalties and licensing
agreements
Spin-off companies registered
New products or processes commercialised
6
This includes all revenue received from industry. It excludes revenue from non-industry sources, such as
public sector agencies (including local universities and restructured hospitals) or international grant agencies
or foundations.
7
This measures the number of R&D projects undertaken with industry. Funding from this grant is not
allowed to support industry. Please refer to above footnote entities which do not qualify as industry.
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19. MILESTONES
Please propose Milestones to track the progress of the study. Please note that yearly progress
reports should be submitted to the JCO. The progress of the project will be taken into consideration
for continued disbursements of funds.
Milestones
Year 1
Q1
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Q2
Q3
Duration/ Date of Fulfilment
Year 2
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Year 3
Q2
Q3
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Q4
JOINT COUNCIL OFFICE GRANT CALL
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20. SUGGESTED NAMES OF LOCAL AND OVESEAS REVIEWERS
Please suggest names of at least 5 reviewers who may be suitable to review the proposed project,
and state the relationship with the PL/LI(s). Reviewers who are co-authors with the PL/LI(s) in
publications are generally not to be included. Please note that reviewers must not have conflict of
interest or involvement (direct and indirect) with the proposed project. The JCO has the final
discretion whether to select the suggested reviewers for the evaluation of the grant proposal.
S/N
Title
Names of Reviewers
Details of contacts
(Please provide mailing address,
tel and fax numbers, e-mail address)
Relationship to
Project Leader
and/or Lead
Investigator(s)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
21. REVIEWERS NOT TO BE SENT TO
1)
2)
3)
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22. UNDERTAKING BY PROJECT LEADER, ALL LEAD INVESTIGATOR(S) AND ALL
COLLABORATOR(S)
In signing the Grant Application, the Project Leader, all Lead Investigator(s) and all Collaborator(s)
UNDERTAKE, on any Grant Award, to:
 Not send similar versions or part(s) of this proposal to other agencies for funding
 Submit supporting documents of ethics approval obtained from the relevant Institutional
Review Board (IRB) and Animal Ethics Committee for studies involving human
subjects/human tissues or cells, and animal/animal tissues or cells respectively.
 Be actively engaged in the execution of the research and comply with all laws, rules and
regulations pertaining to animal and human ethics, including the Singapore Good Clinical
Practice guidelines
 Ensure that A*STAR JCO funding is acknowledged in all publications
 Ensure that all publications arising from research wholly or partly funded by A*STAR JCO will
be forwarded to A*STAR JCO
 Co-operate with A*STAR JCO to foster interactions amongst researchers from BMRC and
SERC
 Obtain approval from A*STAR JCO before engaging in any commercial activity that will exploit
the findings of the research funded by A*STAR JCO
Signing of the grant application is to be done electronically via i-GRANTS system
(http://igrants.a-star.edu.sg/) by the following personnel:
1. Project Leader
2. Lead Investigator(s)
3. Collaborator(s) (if any)
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23. UNDERTAKING BY A*STAR INSTITUTIONS / CONSORTIA
In signing the Grant Application, the Institution UNDERTAKES, on any Grant Award, to:
 Provide appropriate support during the grant period
 Ensure that the funds provided are used for the appropriate purposes
 Ensure that the study complies with all laws, rules and regulations pertaining to animal
and human ethics, including the Singapore Good Clinical Practice guidelines
 Ensure that all necessary licenses and approvals have been obtained or are being
sought
 Ensure that approval from A*STAR JCO has been obtained before engaging in any
commercial activity that will exploit the findings of the research funded by A*STAR JCO
Signing of the grant application is to be done electronically via i-GRANTS system
(http://igrants.a-star.edu.sg/) by the following personnel:
1. Chairman/ Executive Director of Host Institution
2. Chairman/ Executive Director of LI’s Institution(s)
3. Head of Department of Host Institution
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Please note that once the application has been submitted by the Project Leader the electronic
endorsement sequence will be as follows:
1. All Lead Investigator(s)
2. RI EDs of all participating RIs
3. Collaborator(s)
4. Head of Department of Host Institution
5. RI ED of Host Institution
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CONFIDENTIAL
24. DECLARATION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO THE
JCO CDA GRANT BY A*STAR’s PROJECT LEADER AND LEAD INVESTIGATOR(S)
ONLY:
This declaration form is to be signed and returned to JCO. Please email a scanned copy and send
the original, hardcopy to the Joint Council Office.
Project Title
:
By signing this declaration, the A*STAR researchers identified below and involved in the JCO CDA
Grant hereby declare that:
Yes
No
To the best knowledge of the A*STAR Researchers,
Intellectual Property (“IP”) belonging to any party other
than A*STAR (including IP belonging to the A*STAR
Researchers in their personal capacity or that of their
previous employers) will be used during the course of
this research.
(Please tick one of the boxes)
If yes, the A*STAR Researchers undertake, represent and warrant that:
(a) They have disclosed the fact that they will use non-A*STAR IP in the course of the Research
under the JCO CDA Grant before making use of such non-A*STAR IP.
(b) All consents necessary for the use of the said IP in the course of the JCO CDA Grant and for all
related commercialization activities using the said IP and any IP developed in the course of the
JCO CDA Grant have been obtained.
(c) The use of such non-A*STAR IP is necessary to carry out the Research under the JCO CDA
Grant.
(d) They will not use such non-A*STAR IP in the course of the Research until they are notified that
A*STAR has secured the right to use and commercially exploit the non-A*STAR IP.
(e) They have made all other declarations of conflict of interest situations that they may face in
respect of the IP that is being used for the JCO CDA Grant.
(f) Details of the IP rights provided in this submission, if any, are true and accurate.
Please indicate the details of the IP rights, in the template attached as Annex A.
(g) Where any non-A*STAR IP is inadvertently used in the Research, the A*STAR Researchers will
make the necessary declarations as soon as they are aware of such inadvertent use and use
best efforts to assist in obtaining the necessary formal consents for such use. In the absence of
such consents, the A*STAR Researchers will immediately cease use of such non-A*STAR IP.
Name, Designation and Research Institute
Signature
Date
Name, Designation and Research Institute
Signature
Date
Name, Designation and Research Institute
Signature
Date
(Please add accordingly if there are more A*STAR researchers involved in the JCO CDA Grant)
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CONFIDENTIAL
ANNEX A
LIST OF RIGHTS GRANTED WITH REGARD TO THE DECLARATION
No.
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Third Party IP
License Holder
Expiration
Date
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Country(s)
Royalty
Exclusivity