SGPA PRIZE is a scholarship scheme launched by the Government of Singapore to fund the education and training of the best local talent in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths. Each recipient will be given a scholarship of SGD1 million for four years, a personal mentorship from renowned scientists and entrepreneurs, and access to a global network of experts, researchers and industry leaders to help them develop their ideas into viable products and services.
Founder of the award, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, said that the SGD1 million prize money and support from an international consortium of private investors and experts will allow a group of promising young talents to take their ideas and products to the next level, to make them more competitive, profitable and capable of making a real difference to society. “The SGD1 million prize money and the personal mentoring will provide the necessary resources to enable the young winners to turn their inventions into successful businesses and products, to create jobs, and to contribute towards economic development,” he said.
The winner of this year’s SGD1 million prize will be announced in November, and each of the 15 finalists will receive a grant of SGD500,000 to fund their research. The awards ceremony will be hosted in Singapore, which was chosen for the occasion because of its role as a regional hub of innovation, according to Kensington Palace.
Prince William has established the Earthshot Prize, an annual competition that offers 1 million pounds to entrepreneurs and inventors developing solutions to climate change challenges. This year’s finalists include projects ranging from planting and tracking trees to creating a more environmentally friendly way to treat industrial wastewater. The prize ceremony will be held in Singapore, which was chosen because of its status as a hub for innovation in Southeast Asia. The Prince, who is the heir to the British throne, will meet with finalists and business representatives during his four-day visit.
In addition to the monetary prize, each of the winners will get a specially-designed trophy and a 12-month subscription code from StoryTel, a digital storytelling platform. This is the fifth year of the awards, and this year’s contest included more entries than ever before. The winners were chosen by a panel of judges. This year, two of the oldest winners—Malaysian writer Suratman Markesan and Chinese-American author Wang Gungwu—both 91 years old, won prizes for their work in creative nonfiction. Other winners were Indian Tamil writer R.Maa Cureess, who won the reader’s favorite Tamil fiction prize. She also won the SGD3,000 (US$2,158) runner-up prize. This was her first time being shortlisted. In the English fiction category, SGD3,000 went to Sri Lankan writer Rupert Gomes for his work, titled The God of Small Things. Other writers won a SGD1,000 (US$678) runner-up prize. Each of them received a commissioned trophy. The remaining SGD9,000 was shared among the other finalists. The prize was funded by the Singapore government and a consortium of private investors.
