Nanyang President's Graduate Scholarship (NPGS)

A four-year, bond-free PhD scholarship at NTU open to every nationality. Covers tuition plus a monthly stipend of up to S$5,300, with conference, book, IT and thesis allowances on top. NTU has not yet announced the application window for the 2027/2028 academic year.

Checked 17 Sept 2026Share

Who can apply

Open to all nationalities
An Honours (Highest Distinction) degree or equivalent at bachelor's level; if not yet completed, the home university must confirm in writing that the candidate is on track for that class of degree
International students must perform teaching or laboratory supervision duties under the Graduate Assistantship Programme (GAP); Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents may do so at the school's discretion
No bond or post-graduation service commitment

A genuinely open PhD scholarship, with no employment strings attached

Unlike several other Singapore programmes on this site, most notably A*STAR’s own AGS, NPGS carries no post-graduation service bond and no restriction to applicants who already studied in Singapore. NTU’s own eligibility page states plainly that “all nationalities are eligible,” with the only academic bar being an Honours (Highest Distinction) degree or equivalent, or documented confirmation from your current university that you are on track for one.

The stipend depends on your citizenship status, not your research area

NTU sets three flat monthly rates rather than varying pay by field or track: S$5,300 for Singapore Citizens, S$4,800 for Permanent Residents, and S$4,300 for international students, effective from January 2026, with students already on a higher legacy rate keeping it. On top of the stipend, everyone gets an overseas conference allowance of up to S$5,000 per financial year, a S$500 annual book allowance, a one-time S$1,500 IT allowance, and a one-time S$600 thesis allowance paid out in the scholar’s final renewal year. Singapore Citizens additionally receive CPF contributions at the prevailing employer rate, on top of, not instead of, the stipend.

The one real obligation is teaching, not years of service afterward

International scholars must fulfil NTU’s Graduate Assistantship Programme (GAP), meaning teaching or laboratory supervision duties, for the duration of the award. Singaporeans and Permanent Residents may be asked to do the same at their school’s discretion. This is a workload commitment during the PhD, not a bonded employment requirement after it, which is the detail worth separating clearly from AGS’s three-year post-graduation bond for non-Permanent-Residents.

Applying is bundled into your PhD admission, not a separate form

NTU’s own notification page states that “successful candidates will be informed on the outcome of their application together with the offer of admissions via email,” meaning there is no standalone NPGS application to track separately from your PhD admission file. The catch, for anyone planning ahead, is that NTU has not yet published the application window for the Academic Year 2027-2028 intake, on either the main scholarship page or the separate National Institute of Education track. Both say only that the period “will be announced in due course.” Check NTU’s own page again before assuming any date you see elsewhere is confirmed.