Singapore Therapeutics Development Review

STDR Pilot (Q1/Q3 cycles)

Funds selected therapeutic development projects through A*STAR STDR Pilot support for small molecules, biologics, and cell therapy.

The Singapore Therapeutics Development Review (STDR) Pilot track is an A*STAR grant funding therapeutic R&D projects that have accumulated sufficient research data and hold some validation or commercialisation plans, with awards of up to S$1,000,000 per project. Eligible modalities span small molecules, large molecules, cell and gene therapies, and platform technologies, reflecting the programme's intent to support the full breadth of Singapore's therapeutic development ecosystem. Calls are issued twice a year, typically in Q1 and Q3; the STDR 2025 Jul cycle opened 15 July 2025, closed 28 August 2025, and announced awards in Q1 2026, indicating a roughly two-quarter review-to-award timeline.

Lead investigators must hold at least a 0.7 FTE primary appointment at a Singapore publicly funded research or tertiary institution. Companies cannot serve as lead applicants. The Pilot track is explicitly distinguished from the Pre-Pilot track by the requirement for existing validation data — teams at a purely exploratory, proof-of-concept stage are directed to the Pre-Pilot (up to S$325,000) instead. Reviewers assess the quality and sufficiency of existing data, the credibility of the commercialisation plan, and the investigator's relevant scientific background and experience.

Applicants targeting the Q3 2026 cycle should begin organising validation data packages and commercialisation plans ahead of the formal call opening, as notice and deadline are typically separated by only six to seven weeks based on the 2025 cycle cadence. The programme is monitored via A*STAR's funding opportunities index page. Projects requesting the full S$1,000,000 ceiling should demonstrate a multistep development milestone plan that justifies the budget and differentiates the Pilot application from a Pre-Pilot scope.