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Singapore has come a long way since the first hemodialysis treatment was performed at the old Singapore General Hospital (SGH, then Outram Road General Hospital) in September 1961 for a patient with acute kidney failure.1 Professor Khoo Oon Teik, was instrumental in establishing the nation’s first renal unit that same year and became its first Director, laying the foundation for modern kidney care in Singapore.
In 1968, Prof Khoo spearheaded Singapore’s first chronic haemodialysis programme, operating from a small ten-bedded nurse-assisted unit located in a converted attic at the old SGH. Despite the modest setup, it marked a major step forward in kidney care, and the unit was later moved to its current location in 1981 when SGH was rebuilt.2
On World Health Day (7 April 1969), Prof Khoo went on to establish the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), initiating a nationwide effort to combat kidney disease and improve access to treatment across Singapore.
Today, kidney disease remains a serious health challenge. Singapore ranks 4th globally for number of people living with kidney failure and 5th for newly diagnosed cases each year.3 The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has risen sharply, from 8.7% in 2019-2020 to 13.8% in 2021-2022, placing many Singaporeans at risk of progressing to kidney failure.4
To mark the 50th anniversary of the SGH Department of Renal Medicine, SGH and NKF are once again joining forces in the fight against kidney disease in Singapore. The SGH-NKF Renal Research Fund, established in 2025 with S$11 million in joint funding from NKF and Duke-NUS, is dedicated to advancing research, innovation and programmes that improve patient care and prevent kidney failure.
Areas of Focus
The fund will support annual grant calls in the following areas:
- Prevention and Management of CKD and its complication through screening and timely diagnosis
- Reno-retardation programme to slow down progression of CKD
- Renal Replacement therapies (RRT), with a preference of home-based RRT
- Kidney Transplantation
- Advocacy research on CKD prevention and management
- Psychosocial aspects of patient's and caregiver’s journey
| SGH-NKF Renal Research Fund | Closes on | 1 Mar 2026 | |||
| Funding source | SGH-NKF | PI Salary Support | No | ACP/SDDC Affiliation | ACP Affiliation |
| Funding Per Grant Amount | S$100,000 | Qualification | Renal Physician | Academic Appointment | No |
| Funding period | 1 Year | Citizenship | S/PR/Foreigner | Call Opens | 01 Jan 2026 |
| SMC/SDC Registered | No | ||||
Funding Details
The inaugural SGH-NKF Renal Research Fund Grant Call opens on 1 January 2026. Researchers are invited to submit their proposals by 1 March 2026, with each successful project eligible for funding of up to S$100,000 for a 1-year project duration. Applications will be reviewed from March to June, and the grant awards will be announced on 1 July 2026.
Review Committee
Eligibility Criteria
- The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a Renal physician in Singapore
- For non-SGH PIs, at least one Co-PI or Collaborator should hold a primary appointment at SGH
Submission
Interested applicants are to submit a complete application form. Further details on the submission process will be provided in due course.
1Pwee, H.S. and Khoo, O.T. (1982) ‘The history of dialysis in Singapore’, Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore, 11(3), pp. 370–373.
2Choong, H.L. et al. (1991) ‘Maintenance Haemodialysis in Singapore’, Singapore Medical Journal, 32, pp. 133–138.
3United States Renal Data System (USRDS) 2024 Annual Data Report
4National Population Health Survey 2022
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