Early Career Award (ECA)

About

The ECA provides outstanding Singaporeans who have recently completed their PhD or postdoctoral training an opportunity to enhance their teaching capabilities as well as establish a strong research portfolio before they are considered for a tenure track appointment at SMU. Awardees will hold appointment as Lecturer for a period of up to three years during which they will receive a research grant, reduced teaching load and guidance of an academic mentor.

Upon completion of the award, awardees will be considered to join SMU’s faculty as an Assistant Professor on the tenure track.

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

  • Singapore citizens
  • Graduates with good Bachelor’s or Master Degrees in, but not limited to accountancy, business, computer science, economics, law, statistics and/or social sciences
  • Excellent academic record plus a high degree of proficiency and motivation for a research area that is strongly aligned with SMU’s core areas of excellence
  • A keen interest in an academic career at SMU

Supported Fields of Study

The following fields of study will be supported for ECA:

  • Accountancy
  • Computer Science
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Geography
  • History
  • Information Systems
  • Law
  • Literature
  • Marketing
  • Operations Management
  • Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Religious Studies
  • Sociology
  • Strategy & Organisation
  • Urban Studies / Urban Informatics

Find out more about SMU's research strategies and areas of excellence.

Find out more about schools’ and College of Integrative Studies’ research areas.

Application Process

Application for Intake 2027 commences on 13 Nov 2026.

Only shortlisted applicants (those selected for March 2027 Final Interview) will be notified of the outcome of their applications.

Timeline for Intake 2027

  • Application Submission - 13 November 2026 to 13 January 2027
  • Interview by Respective Schools (shortlisted applicants only) - January to February 2027
  • Final Interview by SMU Selection Panel (shortlisted applicants only) - End March 2027
  • Start of Award - July 2027 (depending on the programme)

Contact Information

Should you require further assistance, you may wish to contact our START Coordinator at: START_Coordinator@smu.edu.sg.