Heritage Research Grant
The Heritage Research Grant (HRG) aims to encourage institutes of higher learning (IHLs), think tanks, heritage NGOs, academics and researchers to embark on heritage-related research for the documentation and preservation of Singapore’s heritage and its connectivity to the region.
There are two grant calls a year for the HRG. The 01/FY2025 HRG Grant Call is open for application between 20 January (Mon) to 17 March (Mon) 2025.
Who is the grant for?
HRG is open to academics and researchers from or endorsed by the Singapore-based supporting organisations below:
- Institutes of higher learning (IHLs), think tanks / research institutions
- Non-government organisations (NGOs)
-
Public company limited by guarantee (CLG)
- Non-profit organisations (NPOs)
- Applicants with the support of professional bodies (e.g., Singapore Institute of Architects, Law Society of Singapore) registered under the Registry of Societies.
Applicants should have a strong track record in academic research and demonstrate a keen interest in Singapore’s heritage.
For more information, please refer to Heritage Research Grant Application Guidelines. You may also wish to consult the list of successful Heritage Research Grant Projects in FY15-24.
Research Areas and Priority Research Themes
There are five (5) Core Research Areas for the HRG Grant Call, namely Singapore Pre-History and History; Intangible Cultural Heritage; Tangible Heritage; Communities and Heritage; and Comparative Studies of Singapore and Southeast Asia. Proposals must align with at least one Core Research Areas to be eligible for application.
The seven (7) Priority Research Themes for HRG released from 02/FY2023 supports NHB's Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0 (HP2.0) to prioritise proposals that align with HP2.0's focus areas and NHB-wide research agenda. The priority research themes include:
- Maritime Heritage;
- Heritage and Well-being;
- Sustainability in Built Heritage;
- Pedagogy / Museum-Based Learning;
- Heritage Businesses;
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Heritage; and
- Innovative Technologies in Heritage.
Please refer to the table here for detailed information on the Core Research Areas and Priority Research Themes.
How and when to apply?
There are two cycles of HRG Grant Call opening in January/July every year, each window opens for 2 months for applications. The proposal must align with at least one of the above Core Research Areas to be eligible for application.
Start of
Grant Call |
Closing Date
for Application |
Notification
of Results |
Projects
Starting From |
| 20 January 2025 |
17 March 2025 |
Mid to late June 2025 |
July 2025 |
| July 2025 |
September 2025 |
Mid to late December 2025 |
January 2026 |
To apply, please refer to the Heritage Research Grant’s profile on the OurSG Grants portal.
All applications must be submitted onto the OurSG Grants portal no later than 17 March 2025.
Applications are only accepted through the OurSG Grants portal via your supporting institution’s Corppass account. If you require more information about how to sign up for Corppass, please go to Corpass webpage or see the Portal’s Q&A.
What does the Grant support?
The HRG funding quantum is capped at S$150,000 per research project (maximum 2-year project period), and the grant supports research costs including manpower costs, costs associated with conducting research works and fieldwork, as well as any indirect/ancillary research costs charged by the applicant’s institution. For 1-year projects, the maximum quantum is S$75,000.
For proposals whose research topic and/or methodology are more novel or experimental in nature, and for researchers who are new to the field of heritage research, applicants are encouraged to consider the 1-year project grant of up to S$75,000. The output of such proposals could be a proof of concept. These proposals should address at least 1 Priority Research theme and have at least 1 heritage expert on the research team.
What are the deliverables for the Grant?
| 2-year project, capped at S$150,000 |
1-year project, capped at S$75,000 |
- Mid-tern report/presentation
- Final report/presentation
- At least 1 academic/journal article; conference paper
- 1 general audience article for NHB's MUSE publication
- At least 1 public talk
- Other relevant research output (database, seminar, lecture, etc)
|
- Mid-tern report/presentation
- Final report/presentation
- 1 general audience article for NHB's MUSE publication
- 1 public talk
|
Who may i speak to for further assistance?
If you have any queries or wish to discuss your application, you are welcome to contact the HRG Secretariat at heritage_research@nhb.gov.sg.
If you have any queries on how to apply via OurSG Grant portal, please follow this link for more information.
FAQS
Besides a compulsory final report, the PI has the flexibility to propose suitable deliverables for the project, and these should be agreed between NHB and the PI and will be set out in the Project/Disbursement Schedule that accompanies the Letter of Award. Examples of other deliverables include primary sources and raw data (such as photographic / video documentation, oral history interviews and transcripts), articles in peer-reviewed journals or for general audience publications such as NHB’s MUSE, and public talks or exhibitions (physical or virtual / online). There should be no changes to these deliverables without the prior written approval of NHB.
Yes, applications are encouraged to be aligned with the PRT and research objectives stipulated for the grant call, as they may have more direct applications for the heritage sector and/or contribute more to historical knowledge or heritage studies in Singapore.
Yes, the HRG supports honoraria for the PI, CIs and additional researchers, provided they are not full-time employees and do not draw a salary from the institution supporting the application. The honorarium should be calculated at an hourly rate and must be benchmarked against similar manpower payment rates from the supporting institution.
Yes, independent researchers are eligible for the HRG, provided they are supported by an Institute of Higher Learning (IHL), Company Limited by Guarantee, professional body or Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) registered under the Registry of Societies and based in Singapore. This is to ensure that there is sufficient administrative support rendered for the research project, including support in IT, finance management, human resource, grant administration, audit and research governance (such as intellectual property management and research ethics).
Individuals are not encouraged to apply for the HRG without a team of at least one or more co-investigators. This is to ensure that there is sufficient manpower and expertise to conduct and manage the research project, and that there is continuity should there be any unforeseen changes in the team composition over the course of the research project (such as a change of the PI).
Book drafts or chapters are eligible HRG deliverables. However, HRG does not support expenditures related to the final publication, such as layout, editing, design, printing etc as the priority is towards supporting research.
Such expenditure is reviewed on a case-by-case basis during evaluation and will be considered if deemed essential and directly related to the research works (e.g. fieldwork).
For the “Innovative Technologies in Heritage” Priority Research Theme (PRT), it is crucial that the primary focus of any HRG proposal should be the generation of new heritage research knowledge, enabled or advanced by technology. Technology-related proposals must clearly address heritage topics and align with the prioritised themes and core research areas. Consequently, the research team composition should reflect both technology and heritage expertise.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive a Letter of Notification upon the completion of the evaluation process. NHB’s decision is final and NHB is not obliged to disclose reasons in relation to any decision such as the approval or rejection of any application or the awarded grant amount. However, strong proposals may receive feedback from NHB and encouraged to resubmit their proposal, with modifications, in subsequent grant cycles.
Government-related entities are not eligible for the HRG.