Amgen Scholars Asia Program 2027 at National University of Singapore (Fully Funded)

Overview

If you're studying biology, biotechnology or biomedical science and you've ever wondered what real research is like, this is one of the best ways to find out. The Amgen Scholars Asia Program brings talented undergraduates from across Asia to the National University of Singapore (NUS), one of the top universities in the world, for a summer of hands-on lab work.

You won't be sitting in classes. For about eight weeks you'll work full time on a real research project in an NUS lab, guided by faculty and lab staff. At the end, you'll travel to Kyoto, Japan, to present your work alongside Amgen Scholars from other Asian host universities.

The Amgen Scholars Program started in the United States in 2006 and later expanded to Europe and Japan. NUS joined in 2018. Thousands of students have taken part worldwide, and many have gone on to PhDs and research careers.

Who Is This Program For?

This program is a great fit if you:

• Are an undergraduate in biology, biotechnology, biomedical sciences or pharmaceutical sciences at a university in Asia
• Have strong grades and enjoy lab work or research
• Are seriously thinking about a PhD
• Want international research experience before applying to graduate school

There's no nationality requirement. What matters is that you're enrolled at a university in an Asian country, including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and many more.

Why This Program Stands Out

Summer research programs at top universities are usually open only to their own students or to those who can pay their own way. This one is fully funded and open to undergraduates across Asia. You get two months in an NUS lab, a strong recommendation from a research supervisor, a poster and talk you can put on your CV, and a trip to Japan to present your work. For anyone planning to apply for a PhD abroad, this kind of experience can make a real difference.

What a Typical Summer Looks Like

• Week 1: You arrive in Singapore, attend orientation and lab safety training, and meet your host lab.
• Weeks 1–9: You work full time on your research project on weekdays. You'll attend lab meetings, weekly seminars and talks, and information sessions about NUS graduate programs.
• End of research: You present a poster and an oral presentation, and submit a written report.
• Early August: You fly to Kyoto for the three-day Amgen Scholars Asia Symposium, where you present your research and meet scholars from other host universities.

Scholars live in NUS accommodation and can use campus facilities such as the library, health services and sports centre. There are also social activities and excursions during the summer.

Where You Could Be Placed

Host labs come from the NUS Department of Biological Sciences and from several departments at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine: Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology and Immunology. That means projects can range from molecular and cell biology to immunology, neuroscience and drug research.

You don't choose a project when you apply. Project options are shared only with shortlisted applicants, who then rank them. Assignments follow the rankings, but your first choice isn't guaranteed. The program also asks applicants not to contact potential supervisors directly.

Understanding the Money

The SGD 6,000 stipend is meant to cover your daily living costs during the program, such as meals, local transport and social activities, since meals aren't provided separately. It's paid in two parts, around the second or third week and again in the sixth week. You'll need some money of your own for the first couple of weeks until the first payment arrives.

The travel grant works as a reimbursement. You buy your own ticket (after confirming your itinerary with the program team), and NUS pays you back after you arrive. So you'll also need to cover the airfare upfront.

The program doesn't provide health insurance, so you'll need to arrange your own private health and travel insurance before you travel.

A Note for Medical Students

MBBS students can apply, but they need to show a genuine interest in a research career. Students in the third or fourth year of MBBS who are heading into clinical internships are unlikely to be a good fit.

Tips for a Strong Application

• Pick referees who know your work. Your two letters must come from faculty who currently teach you or supervise your research. A supervisor from a research project or lab course is ideal.
• Follow up with your referees. Referees get two weeks to submit their letters, and it's your job to remind them. Missing letters mean your application won't succeed.
• Have your transcript ready in English. If it isn't in English, get an official translation from your university and upload both versions.
• Make your PhD interest clear. The program is designed for future researchers, so show where your interest in research comes from and where you want it to lead.
• Don't leave uploads to the last minute. You'll get a separate three-day window after the online form to upload documents. Use it carefully, because incomplete applications are rejected.

Eligibility

• Be a current undergraduate student (recent graduates are not eligible)
• Be enrolled at a university in Asia that awards a bachelor's degree in biology, biotechnology, biomedical sciences or pharmaceutical sciences
• Have completed at least your first year of university by the program start
• Not graduate before the program ends, and return to your studies for at least one more semester or quarter afterwards
• Have a strong academic record
• Be interested in pursuing a PhD
• Be able to attend the full program, including the symposium in Japan
• Any nationality can apply

Eligible countries (by university location):

• East Asia: China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea, North Korea
• Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam
• Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
• South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
• West Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

English proficiency:

You need one of the following, unless your university teaches entirely in English, in which case a letter from your university confirming this is enough:

• TOEFL iBT: 72 or higher
• IELTS: overall 5.5 or higher
• Cambridge English: B2 First (FCE)
• TOEIC: 1095 or higher (or Listening & Reading 785, Speaking & Writing 310)

The Duolingo English Test is not accepted.

Benefits / Funding

International scholars receive:

• Accommodation arranged by NUS
• A travel grant of up to SGD 1,500 for your flight to Singapore and your return flight home from Japan after the symposium
• A stipend of SGD 6,000 for the full program
• A Training Employment Pass (TEP), applied for by NUS, with the fees covered
• Travel to the Amgen Scholars Asia Symposium in Kyoto, Japan

Scholars based in Singapore receive:

• Accommodation for the program
• Round-trip airfare to the symposium in Japan
• A stipend of SGD 6,000

All scholars get:

• About eight weeks of full-time research in an NUS lab
• One-on-one mentorship from faculty and lab staff
• Weekly seminars, lab meetings and graduate school information sessions
• Experience presenting a poster, an oral talk and a written report
• Access to NUS campus facilities and social activities
• Membership in the global Amgen Scholars alumni network

Required Documents

• Online application form
• Academic transcripts. Unofficial transcripts on university letterhead or official electronic PDFs are accepted. Non-English transcripts need an official English translation, and both versions must be uploaded.
• Two reference letters from faculty who currently teach you or supervise your research. Letters must be on university or department letterhead and signed. No special form is needed.
• Proof of English proficiency (test score or a letter from your university)

The official page links to a full "Amgen Application Checklist 2027." Download it before you start so you don't miss anything.

How to Apply

1. Check you're eligible: your university, year of study, graduation date and English requirement.
2. Download the application checklist from the official page and gather your documents.
3. Ask two faculty members for reference letters early, and tell them the deadline.
4. Fill in the online application form using the "Apply Here" link on the official page before 1 February 2027, 18:00 Singapore time.
5. Upload your documents. After submitting the form, you'll get an email with upload instructions and a three-day window to upload everything.
6. Follow up with your referees so their letters arrive within their two-week window.
7. Wait for results. Shortlisted applicants are contacted from mid-March 2027. The team asks applicants not to email about application status.

Important Dates

• 1 November 2026: Applications open
• 1 February 2027, 18:00 SGT: Application deadline
• Mid-March 2027 onward: Shortlisted applicants notified
• 30 May 2027: Scholars arrive in Singapore
• 31 May 2027: Orientation and research begin
• 30 July 2027: Research ends
• 2 August 2027: Scholars fly to Japan
• 3–5 August 2027: Amgen Scholars Asia Symposium in Kyoto
• 5 August 2027: Program ends