OTS Grant Call 2
Online Trust And Safety Research Programme
2nd Grant Call For Deep Tech Research Proposals And Solutions
21 Apr 2025 – 20 Jun 2025
Introduction
The Online Trust and Safety (OTS) Research Programme is a funding initiative from the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Singapore (MDDI). It is part of the Smart Nation and Digital Economy (SNDE) domain of the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 programme (RIE2025) administered by the National Research Foundation (NRF). The overarching aim of the OTS Research Programme is to develop technological capabilities to combat online harms and align translation efforts with high-impact use cases.
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With support from the MDDI, NRF and partner organisations, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) established the Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety (CATOS) in April 2023 to host the OTS Research Programme as its flagship programme. CATOS comprises functions responsible for key strategic pillars for the OTS Research Programme, including Deep Tech Research Pillar (focusing on selecting and funding low-TRL research with high competitive advantages and potential to move to mid-TRL), System Engineering Pillar (focusing on mid-high TRL technology evaluation, integration and translation of technology outputs into needle-moving use cases), and Programme Coordination activities (focusing on engaging research and practitioner communities through workshops, forums, and collaborative networks).
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CATOS works in close consultation with MDDI to prioritise technologies that address use cases affecting Singapore at the national level. Based in Singapore, we differentiate by building context-aware OTS tech capabilities that can take into account the local user behaviour, local context, and local languages. We envisage that upon
successful execution, technological capabilities developed from the OTS Research Programme will significantly complement existing legislation and education efforts to detect and deal with the rapidly evolving threat of online harms to Singapore and our society.
Objective and Scope of Interest of 2nd Grant Call
The objective of the Online Trust and Safety Research Programme – 2nd Grant Call for Deep Tech Research Proposals and Solutions (hereafter referred to as "OTS Grant Call 2") is to solicit high-quality research proposals that can contribute to the development of novel technologies and tools with innovative operational, policy, and/or public education use or adoption to prevent, detect, or mitigate emerging harmful online content and create a safer online experience for all.
Projects to be funded must address one of the following research themes:
Research Theme 1: Prevention
Research Theme 2: Early Detection
Research Theme 3: Mitigation & Empowerment
OTS Grant Call 2 focuses on solid and novel technological research with innovative applications for operational, policy, or public education use or adoption. We encourage research that examines novel technologies to combat a broader spectrum of online harms, including but beyond misinformation (i.e., there are other forms of online harms,
harms to individuals and communities' well-being, online hate and harassment, etc.), or to effectively empower the community with knowledge and tools. Please refer to Annex A of the document package for further information on the Scope of Interest.
Funding Support
OTS Grant Call 2 provides funding support of up to S$4M (inclusive of 30% indirect cost) over a project term of up to 2 years.
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Full details of the OTS Grant Call 2, including on the eligibility and evaluation criteria can be found in the document package.
Submission Instructions
Principal Investigators (PIs) should use the proposal and budget templates provided and follow the instructions stated in the templates.
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Only the Principal Investigator from each research team can submit the application. ​The PI should be the primary contact for the research team.
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The application must be formally endorsed by the relevant institutional authority/director of research (or equivalent) of the PIs prior to the submission.
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CATOS reserves the right to reject any incomplete applications and the incomplete
applications may be disqualified from further consideration in the evaluation process.
The application must be submitted through the iGrants system before Friday, 20 Jun 2025, 1700 hrs (Singapore Time). Late applications will not be accepted.
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Inquires can be addressed to catos_ots_grants@hq.a-star.edu.sg