New NUS Medicine scholarship to strengthen Singapore’s mental health workforce
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Scholarship recipients will have their tuition fees fully covered, and a monthly stipend of $3,000 for the programme’s 18-month duration.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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- NUS receives $3 million for mental health scholarships from the Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation to train front-line professionals.
- The scholarship covers tuition and provides a $3,000 monthly stipend for 24 students in the Master's programme over three years.
- The programme aims to address rising mental health needs by training individuals to support those with mild to moderate conditions.
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SINGAPORE – Singapore’s mental health workforce is set to receive a boost with the launch of a new scholarship aimed at training front-line professionals in clinical mental health and psychotherapy.
The new scholarship for National University of Singapore (NUS) Medicine’s Master of Clinical Mental Health and Psychotherapy programme will be awarded to up to 24 full-time students over the next three years, starting from 2026.
Recipients will have their tuition fees fully covered, and a monthly stipend of $3,000 for the programme’s 18-month duration, said NUS on Nov 26.
This new scholarship is funded by a $3 million gift from the Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation, established by Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and his wife Elaine, to the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine).
The university said this was the largest single scholarship gift the programme has received to date.
The scholarship is open to both local and international applicants and carries no service bond, said NUS, though scholarship recipients are encouraged to make a two-year moral commitment to work in the mental health or related sectors.
Scholarship recipients will be selected by a joint committee from NUS Medicine and the foundation.
Expressing gratitude to the foundation for the donation, Professor Chong Yap Seng, dean of NUS Medicine, said: “At a time when mental health challenges are becoming increasingly urgent and widespread, this donation will enable us to train more individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to support those in need.”
He hopes this contribution will strengthen both NUS Medicine’s capacity for mental health education and drive “meaningful transformation” across the sector.
Launched in 2024, the Master of Clinical Mental Health and Psychotherapy programme was developed to meet the increasing demand for trained mental health professionals in Singapore and the region, said NUS.
It also prepares graduates to support individuals with mild to moderate mental health needs in community and clinical settings.
The programme began in January 2025, with around 25 students in the inaugural cohort drawn from healthcare, education, social services and allied health backgrounds. Applications for the next intake open on Dec 1 and close on March 3, 2026, with classes beginning in August that year.
“Mental health is the foundation of human potential,” said Ms Saverin. “When we invest in those who care for others, we strengthen the well-being of entire communities.
“Through the scholarship, we aim to empower visionary individuals to lead with compassion, challenge the norms that hold us back and drive lasting change that uplifts communities everywhere.”
The Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation gave $11.5 million to education, health and sustainability causes in 2024, and in 2025, made its debut in the top 10 list of Singapore’s largest private donors.
The list was in the 2025 edition of the Singapore’s Biggest Philanthropic Organisations report released on Nov 20.
Mr Saverin, a Singapore permanent resident, was ranked by Forbes in September 2025 as Singapore’s richest man, with a net worth of US$43 billion (S$56.2 billion).
