Debated in Parliament on 4 Mar 2026.
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how many A*STAR scholarship recipients have had their research fields deprioritised while serving their bonds, due to transitions across successive Research, Innovation and Enterprise masterplans; (b) what percentage of these scholars are currently in roles utilising their doctoral expertise; and (c) for scholars with no adjacent redeployment available, whether A*STAR will consider bond release or industry transfer.
About 80% of A*STAR scholarship graduates are employed in roles which leverage their doctoral expertise. These include roles in both academia and industry.
The remaining 20% have pivoted to a variety of other roles for reasons not necessarily due to deprioritisation of their research fields. These roles include corporate leadership and management positions across various sectors. It reflects how A*STAR scholars have gained knowledge and competencies that are transferable beyond the research ecosystem.
Where redeployment is required, A*STAR facilitates transfers within A*STAR as well as secondments or transfers to the Institutes of Higher Learning and the private sector.
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