Advancing research and partnering with universities in Singapore

Along with a new research hub in Singapore, Google is deepening its academic partnerships in the country with more than $6 million in grants for NUS and NTU — driving breakthroughs in AI for science and compute efficiency, strengthening AI safety frameworks, and nurturing scientific leaders.

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Technology is already transforming how we approach the world’s toughest challenges, and continuing that momentum requires supporting the people driving foundational science. With our newly established research hub in Singapore, and as we continue to scale existing health research initiatives in the country — including bringing open models like MedGemma to frontline care settings — Google is also deepening its academic partnerships in Singapore by investing over $6 million in new research grants and capacity-building initiatives at National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

Alzheimer’s research ($1.5 million grant — NUS): Selected from over 3,500 global applications, NUS has been awarded an AI for Science Google.org Impact Challenge Grant to advance breakthroughs in neurodegenerative disease research using AI models and data science.

Computing efficiency and regional languages ($500,000 grant — NUS): This funding supports machine learning efficiency — focusing on sustainable compute and model serving optimization — and regional language processing.

AI safety and security ($340,000 grant — NTU): We are funding four sponsored research studies at NTU focused on advancing AI safety frameworks, robust evaluation methodologies, trustworthy multi-agent systems, and privacy-preserving LLM watermarking.

The Google team met with NUS leadership, including Senior Vice Provost Prof. Bernard Tan and Dean of Computing Prof. Tulika Mitra, to align on new research infrastructure and cross-disciplinary workstreams.

Beyond individual research projects, true ecosystem enablement requires investing in long-term institutional infrastructure and talent pipelines.

At NTU, a $750,000 AI for Science Capacity Fund Grant will help build permanent research capabilities across Southeast Asia. Under Professor Ho Teck Hua’s regional academic leadership, this initiative will establish lasting infrastructure, foster internal research agents, and build ethical AI frameworks that elevate the region’s scientific capacity.

Google.org and Google DeepMind are also providing $3 million in funding to support INSEAD’s Thrive Lab in Singapore, which aims to advance global research into how people and organizations can thrive alongside rapid technological change. The lab will explore how education, workplaces, and communities can better support people to develop skills, find purpose, and build meaningful relationships in a changing world.

This human-centered research sits alongside a broader wave of scientific breakthroughs driving the region forward. Whether unlocking insights into neurodegenerative diseases, making models more efficient and inclusive of local languages, or establishing safe research infrastructure, Singapore’s academic community continues to set a global benchmark for innovation. We are proud to enable with our tools and models the faculty, researchers, and students who are not just experimenting with AI, but preparing to lead the next era of scientific progress

The Google team met with the NTU Deputy President & Provost, Prof Christian Wolfrum and colleagues to discuss partnerships across frontier research and AI safety, science, and education.

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Yossi Matias is Vice President, Google, and the Head of Google Research. Under Yossi’s leadership, world-class global teams are leading breakthrough research on Foundational Machine Learning & Algorithms, Computing Systems & Quantum Computing, Science, AI for Societal Impact in Health, Climate, Sustainability, Education and Cultural and Behavioral Intelligence. Yossi also leads teams advancing foundational research advancements in Generative AI, including in Factuality and Efficiency, driving real-world impact and shaping the future of technology.