The Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize is given to individuals or organisations that have made outstanding contributions in the field of technological innovations and water programmes which benefit humanity. The Prize, which is named after Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, was launched in 2008. Since then, 10 laureates have been recognised for their ground-breaking water innovations. These range from a Dutch academic who developed wastewater surveillance to curb the spread of disease to an Indian company that has built affordable drinking water dispensers for communities in rural areas.
The Singapore Prize is awarded biennially to recognise the best work in Singapore, with the 2022 edition recognizing 12 winners across four categories – Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. The Prize is a national award, with shortlisted works voted on by the public and a jury panel of experts. The winner receives a cash prize of $200,000 and a trophy. The Prize is supported by Temasek Foundation, an organisation that provides philanthropic endowments and gifts to support programmes that uplift lives and communities in Singapore and beyond.
To win the Singapore Prize, contestants must create a product that has the potential to uplift the lives and community of Singaporeans and people in developing countries. In order to submit a bid, participants must have a proven record of success in the past and have a strong desire to develop an innovative solution to a social or environmental problem. The winning entry will be selected based on its effectiveness in solving the problem, the potential impact it can have on the wider community and the feasibility of the solution.
In addition to the cash prize, each of the shortlisted entries will also receive a trophy that will be presented to the final winner at the Awards ceremony in 2026. The entries will be judged by a panel of experts, including the winners from each category in previous years.
The Singapore Prize aims to encourage the development of Singapore as a hub for research excellence. It is also a platform to showcase the nation’s research achievements. The prizes are administered by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the National University of Singapore, the National University of Technology and Design, the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Management University. The winners of the awards will be able to use their awards as bond-free study grants in any Singapore university. They will also be part of a network of leading scientists in Asia, which includes the awardees of the President’s Science and Technology Award and the Young Scientist Awards. In addition to the monetary awards, the winner of the Singapore Prize will have the opportunity to join a research fellowship at A*STAR. The fellowship will be in the form of a full-time, two-year research programme at the organisation. The fellowship is open to international students with outstanding undergraduate and master’s degrees from universities around the world. Applicants must have strong interest in doing research in Singapore.
