As Singapore does not have a dedicated Ministry of Research, this role is shared between the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Ministry of Education (MOE). The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) are also involved in research funding but only for their respective fields. For example, the MINDEF has its own laboratories which are managed by its research agency (DSO National Laboratories).
The Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC) is the consultative instance which defines the orientations of research. Chaired by the Prime Minister, RIEC leads the national drive to promote research, innovation and enterprise, by encouraging new initiatives in knowledge creation in science and technology, and to catalyze new areas of economic growth.
In 2006, the National Research Foundation (NRF) was launched in order to provide support to the RIEC. NRF funds the long term research programmes and coordinates the research of different agencies within the larger national framework in order to provide a coherent strategic overview.
Organisation of the R&D in Singapore (source: MTI)
