Programmes

Diana Koh Social Transformation Programme – Social Transformation Grant 2024

Submit your application via the Microsoft Forms linked here. 

The Diana Koh Social Transformation Grant Programme supports projects by SMU students, scholars, and staff, focusing on creating knowledge and solutions for vulnerable communities through research, capacity building, or community development initiatives. Current areas of interest of the Programme include:  

• women, children and family;  

• seniors and elderly;  

• youth;  

• people with disabilities;  

• foreign domestic/migrant workers;  

• mental health and well-being;  

• food security;  

• equitable and accessible education;  

• equitable and accessible healthcare;  

• social and financial resilience.  

Other areas of focus not mentioned here but contribute to improving the quality of life of people in Singapore and beyond will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

Eligibility Criteria

• SMU Undergraduates, Postgraduates, Faculty and Administrators whose projects involve social issues that align with the Grant’s spirit of social transformation may apply for support. 

• Grants will support projects aligned with the Programme’s mission and where an SMU student, faculty or staff (the applicant) is the project lead or takes on a leadership role. Co-leads and other team members, if any, may thus be unaffiliated to SMU. 

• Projects must have a strong connection to social transformation and appreciable outputs or outcomes. Projects considered for funding will broadly fall into, but are not limited to, the following two categories: 

  • Research-related projects that will contribute to a conference paper, workshop, academic course, and/ or publication; or 

  • Capacity-building and implementation projects that will improve social and health equity for disadvantaged or vulnerable people, preferably through non-profit or involving multi-sector stakeholders working in collaboration. 

• Current areas of interest of the Programme include: women, children and family; seniors and elderly; youth; people with disabilities; foreign domestic/migrant workers; mental health and well-being; food security; equitable and accessible education; equitable and accessible healthcare; social and financial resilience. Other areas of focus not mentioned here but contribute to improving the quality of life of people in Singapore and beyond will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

• Projects considered for funding must be ongoing or within 4 months of commencement from the application deadline, with the ability of awardees to furnish a grant report within 12 months of the award. 

Term of Award 

Each grant is capped at S$10,000, with the final amount determined by the grant committee. 

Grants can be used to cover a range of eligible expenses, including but not limited to the following: 

• Research and evidence-based projects: 

  • Conference registration fees and/or travel expenses for the authors 

  • Expenses associated with participant interviews or surveys – e.g. nominal tokens of appreciation, SMU student/research assistants, public transportation expenses incurred from administering interviews or surveys, light refreshments at participant engagements, transcription fees; 

  • Expenses associated with organising training workshops – e.g. marketing and communications, logistics, refreshments, administrative costs; 

  • General administration costs – e.g. stationery, printing, postage. 

• Capacity-building projects: 

  • Supplies and resources crucial for the implementation of core activities – e.g. activity kits and event collaterals, space rental, marketing and communications, refreshments; administrative costs;

  • Public transportation expenses incurred from project implementation at non-SMU sites;

  • General administration costs – e.g. stationery, printing, postage. 

Grants cannot be used for the following expenses: 

• Remuneration, salary, consultant fees and the like for the project team members (justification of honoraria for indispensable external consultants, e.g. guest trainers/speakers or co-facilitators, will be considered on a case-by-case basis) 

• Equipment and other capital expenditure 

• Gifts and entertainment expenses 

• Expenses that are covered by another grant or source of support 

• Costs associated with the applicant’s/project team’s personal or professional development 

• Overhead/ indirect costs 

Selection Process

As the Fund supports projects with a primary “social transformation” dimension, the grant committee will review applications from the perspective of their connection to social transformation, feasibility, expected results, justification of the budget, and other pertinent factors. 

The grant committee may contact applicants to obtain additional information as part of the selection process. 

Application and notification deadlines are indicated below, though applicants are reminded that their projects must be ongoing or commence within 4 months from the application deadline:

Project start expected to be within 4 months. 

How to Apply

August 2024 grant application has ended.

Next application cycle will open in end-September 2024 or early-October 2024. 

The Application Package consists of a duly completed Application Form and relevant supporting documents. These form the Application Package that must be submitted via the online application form. Applicants must be logged into their SMU email account to complete the form and upload supporting documents. Supporting documents may also be shared as links to an accessible file hosting site. 

 Applications must include the following items: 

1. Completed Online Application Form, which includes the following parts: 

     a. Applicant information 

     b. Project information: 

• Project description (up to 500 words) 
• Project’s connection and contribution to social transformation (up to 500 words) 
• Grant amount requested and description of its use  
• Project’s significant outputs and outcomes 
• Description of how the project’s success will be measured 
• Anticipation of any potential challenges this project could face 
• Date(s) of the event and/or timeline indicating the project milestones 
• Budget breakdown (present a clear total project budget, highlight where the grant will go to support, and the justification for this expenditure) 
• Information on project team members, if any 
• List of attached documents supporting delivery of project 

2. Supporting documents. Examples of supporting documents, where relevant, include but are not limited to the following:

• Invitation/ acceptance to participate in a relevant conference 
• Invitation/ acceptance to participate in a relevant training or international internship programme 
• Project partnership document with external organisation(s) 
• Endorsement of the project by an SMU unit or authority (where required) 

Please email liencentre [at] smu.edu.sg if you encounter any issues or have any further questions, with the the subject heading “Diana Koh Social Transformation Grant”.