The NUS Singapore History Prize, worth a total of S$50,000, was launched in 2014 to mark the Republic’s 50th anniversary. It was set up by former diplomat Kishore Mahbubani and an anonymous donor who wanted to spur public interest in the nation’s history. The prize is awarded every three years to book-length works that focus on Singapore history or include a significant aspect of Singaporean history in their themes.
In addition to the cash prizes, winners will also receive a trophy, certificate of appreciation and an opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The prize is open to all Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 18 years or above who have contributed to society in any way. The winner is selected by a panel of judges that includes leading academics and civil servants. The judges will consider the nominee’s work and contributions in a range of areas, including the impact of his/her research on the wider community and the development of Singapore, as well as the degree to which his/her research contributes to the advancement of science, technology or society.
Last year’s winner was Joseph Schooling, who won a gold in the 100m and silver in the 400m. He is the first Singaporean swimmer to win two Olympic medals in the same event and also the youngest person to do so. He also broke the world record in the 100m twice. This year, the winner will be announced on October 26.
The Young Scientist Awards (YSA) is a national award that recognises outstanding Singapore-based scientists and engineers under the age of 35 for their ground-breaking scientific research and innovations. The YSA is jointly organised by the National Research Foundation and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, or A*STAR.
A judging panel will select one or more winners for each of the five categories and a grand winner to be named at an awards ceremony in 2022. The prize carries a cash prize of up to S$10,000, a trophy and a certificate of appreciation. The winner will also have the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Leong and other top officials.
Professor Rajeev Patke, a distinguished scholar of Anglophone literatures and an expert in postcolonial literary studies, will be the jury chair of this year’s prize. He will lead a panel of scholars, which will choose the final five TEP winners from the shortlist. In line with the prize’s sustainability theme, Prince William donned a 10-year-old dark green blazer from Alexander McQueen to walk the green carpet at the awards ceremony. The event was also attended by actor Hannah Waddingham and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, both of whom wore outfits from sustainable fashion label McCartney. A selection of the winning entries can be viewed on the prize website. The site will feature more winning stories from the TEP awards as they are added over the course of the next year. Traditionally, the winner’s name is kept secret until after the prize ceremony, when the identity of the winning scientist will be revealed.