AI Research Areas
Proposals are welcome in the following research areas:
Foundational AI
- AI Hardware/Software Systems
- AI Theory
- Responsible and Safe AI
- Reasoning AI
- Resource-efficient AI
AI+X
- Healthcare and Human Potential
- Logistics, Manufacturing and Robotics
- Finance and Economy
- Urban Sustainability
- Education, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Science
- AI Governance and Policy
Eligibility
Principal Investigators (PIs) and Co-PIs must:
- Be a NAII Lead or Member; and
- Have a strong research track record.
NUS faculty members who are full-time Tenure Track, Research Track, Education Track or Practice Track are eligible to become NAII Members. Visiting staff and research staff are not eligible.
Seed Grant Key Deliverable
Seed Grant awardees are to:
- Seek external research funding with a total project value of at least 10 times the seed grant awarded within 24 months of receiving NAII seed grant.
- The external research funding should not be split across multiple small grants.
- May be from agencies or organisations based in Singapore or overseas.
- Is required to be parked under NAII, including its 30% or more Indirect Research Cost (IRC).
External Research Funding Administration Framework
External research funding secured to fulfil the NAII Seed Grant deliverable will be administered under the following framework:
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| WBS | WBS is to be hosted under NAII. |
| Grant Administration | The grant will be administered by the PI's home faculty including finance, human resources, procurement and other research-related matters. |
| IRC | Faculty portion of the IRC is to be shared equally between the PI's home faculty and NAII, that is 50%-50%. |
| Approving Authority | NAII Director is the approving authority for research administration matters (e.g. reports, variation requests and project amendments). |
Prospective applicants are encouraged to refer to the Terms and Conditions within the grant application form for full details on the grant call, before applying.
Timeline
Seed Grant Call
More information to be announced soon.
Application details will be released with the announcement of the grant call.
NAII Seed Grant Sharing
Date: Friday, 25 September 2026 (Reading Week)
As part of NAII’s efforts to strengthen the AI research ecosystem across NUS, researchers are invited to attend the NAII Seed Grant Sharing.
The event will feature research presentations by 18 FY2024 NAII Seed Grant Awardees, showcasing the breadth of research supported through the Seed Grant across Foundational AI and AI + X.
The event aims to:
- Showcase research supported through the NAII Seed Grant and its progress and outcomes;
- Facilitate knowledge sharing and interdisciplinary exchange across the NUS research community;
- Create opportunities for current Seed Grant awardees to connect with researchers towards external research funding opportunities;
- Provide a platform for prospective Seed Grant applicants to identify potential collaborators across faculties; and
- Facilitate networking and future research partnerships.
