$556 Million Set Aside to Boost the Social Science and Humanities Research Ecosystem in Singapore
26 February 2026
Read about the new tranche of funding support from FY2026 - FY2030 for social science and humanities research, announced at the launch of the 2026 Ideas Festival
Straits Times Photo: Shintaro Tay
At the launch of the 2026 Ideas Festival, Minister for Education, Mr Desmond Lee, announced that $556 million will be set aside to further strengthen the local social science and humanities (SSH) research ecosystem over the next five years (FY2026 to FY2030). This is an increase of 21%, or $99 million, up from the $457 million that was set aside for FY2021 to FY2025.
The new tranche of funding will continue to support the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in growing Singapore's thought leadership in locally relevant research, as well as strengthening efforts to expand the pool of promising Singaporean researchers.
Read the full speech transcript here.
... in addition to producing strong scholarship, we want to support applied research that can achieve real-world impact and help Singapore overcome its challenges. To do so, we must grow our own pool of world-class researchers who understand Singapore's unique context and can harness research to make a difference.— Minister for Education Mr Desmond Lee