Opportunities | Urban Analytics Lab | Singapore

Aims and why us

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We are a research group at the National University of Singapore (NUS) focused on the nexus of novel urban data streams, urban analytics, and geospatial data science, a holistic and unique research agenda in Singapore and Southeast Asia and beyond. Read more about us here.

Working at our Lab presents a opportunity to be involved in the entire geo-ecosystem — from the standardisation and generation of geoinformation (in particular, street-level imagery and 3D city models) to their utilisation and visualisation. We continuously explore new frontiers in the geospatial field, such as urban digital twins and street view imagery, leaning towards their confluence with computer science and AI.

Our papers are continuously published in top journals and are impactful across academia, government, and industry.

Our department is consistently ranked among the best in the world.

Working at NUS means being part of a leading global university centred in Asia (world’s top 10 according to QS) with connections to an extensive network of experts across interdisciplinary domains. NUS, a comprehensive university fostering multidisciplinary research, is at the forefront of academic research, facilitating collaboration and promoting innovation, solving real-world problems to advance society.

Beyond the university, our network and collaborations span scores of researchers around the world working on a variety of topics. Our Lab is located at SDE4, the first newly-built net-zero energy building in Singapore, and the first university building in the world to be WELL Certified Gold.

The Principal Investigator of the Lab was awarded the prestigious presidential young professorship in 2020, supporting the longterm development of the research group.

Singapore is a cosmopolitan English-speaking city-state bridging the East and the West. It is considered as the #1 most competitive country, and the safest country in the world. Singapore offers world-class living standards and a very clean, efficient, and low-tax environment which has successfully attracted talents from all over the world.

And of course, it has great food and weather.

National University of Singapore

To learn more about our university, please visit its website.

Fellowship opportunities

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We are open to endorsing well motivated applications for external (mostly postdoc) fellowships and scholarships that facilitate carrying out research at our Lab and at NUS. Depending on your nationality and university, there may be opportunities to partly or fully fund your PhD or postdoc journey. Please see below for selected examples. We are eligible to host awardees of such fellowships.

General (open to many or all nationalities)

Lee Kuan Yew Postdoctoral Fellowship is a prestigious postdoctoral funding option for up to 3 years to promote the development of young and outstanding academics in science, medicine and engineering. The scheme is open to nationals of all countries.
The Branco Weiss Fellowship awards young researchers around the world with a generous personal research grant, giving them the freedom to work on whatever topic they choose anywhere in the world, for up to five years.
Citizens of Commonwealth countries (there are 53 countries in the Commonwealth of Nations; incl. India, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia, several in Africa and the Caribbean, and a few European ones – Cyprus, Malta, and UK) can consider applying for the NUS Commonwealth Scholarship. The scholarship includes a monthly stipend and tuition fees.
The Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future program provides fellowship awards for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from developing and emerging countries to pursue a PhD or a postdoc abroad.
AXA Fellowships are for researchers who completed a PhD degree up to 5 years before the application.
The SG Academies ASEAN Fellowship Programme aims to attract bright postgraduate researchers from ASEAN countries to Singapore research institutions for a 2-year long fellowship.

Country-specific

The Rubicon program of the Dutch Research Council (NWO) offers a fellowship for postdoc abroad for recent PhD graduates from a university in the Netherlands. You may also be interested in the Niels Stensen Fellowship.
The Swiss National Science Foundation has a similar fellowship.
For its citizens, Indonesia offers scholarships from the LPDP (Layanan Beasiswa dan Pendanan Riset Indonesia), for funding a PhD study abroad. Some universities in Indonesia sometimes may have own funds for research visits.
Spanish citizens may benefit from the La Fundación Ramón Areces, which offers scholarships to carry out research work in universities or research centres abroad.
Filipino citizens younger than 45 years and currently faculty members of a university that is part of Engineering Research and Development for Technology consortium may be eligible for the ERDT PhD Foreign Scholarship. The scholarship is given to faculty members of ERDT Consortium who wish to pursue PhD studies in any engineering field in a recognised university or institution abroad.
Canadians have the option to apply for a scholarship to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), which funds overseas doctoral programmes. Depending on the subject matter, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) may be another option to consider.
PRC nationals may want to consider the China Scholarship Council (CSC; 国家留学基金管理委员会) grants, available for both studying abroad and for research visits.
Permanent residents of Hong Kong SAR may want to check the Croucher Fellowships for Postdoctoral Research.
The ASEAN-India Science, Technology & Innovation Cooperation may be of interest to scholars from India.

For a comprehensive list of further opportunities please see the ECRcentral’s Funding schemes and fellowships for early career researchers. We gratefully acknowledge the authors behind the list, from which we compiled the selection above.

Guide for prospective applicants

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Thank you for your interest in joining our research group at the National University of Singapore. We look forward to working together on a research framework focused on the nexus of novel urban data streams, urban analytics, and geospatial data science, a holistic and unique research agenda in Singapore and Southeast Asia and beyond. We continuously welcome motivated and talented prospective researchers from diverse disciplines and countries, who share our research goal of making cities smarter and more (geo)data-driven.

Interested in joining us? This page contains more information and some tips, including answers to frequently asked questions.

Table of Contents

What are the general requirements and what makes an application excel

This pretty much depends on the nature of the position and career stage, but in general, here are some of the criteria that enter into consideration when assessing applicants, especially those who already have academic experience, and may help your application stand out:

Perceived commitment and fit in our group, department and university (e.g. evident from a tailored cover letter with an elaborated narrative that is compatible with our current research agenda and builds upon our recent publications).
Compatibility/match of the expertise of the candidate with the actitivies and research developed in our group and complementarity.
The candidate’s ownership in a line of research and evident momentum in output and novelty in research activities so far and their impact (e.g. publications in leading international journals in the last few years, their citations, and impact/relevance in the broad scientific community). The publication record should be commensurate with years of experience (for entry-level researchers such as prospective PhD students, there is no such expectation but having a paper is a plus).
Visibility and proactivity in scholarly communication (e.g. having a GitHub repository or a personal website with up to date information about one’s work and research agenda, as we expect our scientists to be visible, take ownership of their work, and promote it internationally).
Evidence of coding/computational level to support the research and an indication of open science practices (ideally visible from a developed GitHub repository or open-source package, and availability of reproducible workflows and having released open datasets).
Quality of the written English and materials provided, and communication skills.
Community engagement and participation in local or international initiatives (e.g. workshops, talks, membership in working groups/societies).
Indication of independence, self-motivation, and proactivity.

Why us

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is ranked consistently as one of the world’s top universities. It aspires to be a vital community of academics, researchers, staff, students and alumni working together in a spirit of innovation and enterprise for a better world.

Singapore is a cosmopolitan English-speaking city-state bridging the East and the West. It is considered as the #1 most competitive country and the safest country in the world, successfully attracting talents from all parts of the globe by offering first-class living and working experience in the heart of Southeast Asia, and a very clean and efficient environment and unparalleled infrastructure. Residents enjoy also great food and weather. Overall, Singapore provides a fulfilling professional and personal experience in a liveable garden city that is rarely found in the English speaking world.

Researchers joining our group have an opportunity to work on research initiatives in the domains of the Lab as part of existing or upcoming projects, and will have a chance to produce high-impact research. At the same time, researchers have flexibility to explore their interests and establish their agenda. Overall, being part of our Lab presents a rare opportunity in Singapore and this part of Asia to be involved in the entire geospatial ecosystem under the same roof: from standardisation and generation of geoinformation all the way to their utilisation and visualisation, while continuously exploring new frontiers in the field such as interface with AI and domains such as urban planning, mobility, energy, and climate to make cities better and more data-driven.

We believe that our university, college, and research group provide a motivating, conducive, and flexible environment to explore the candidate’s interests, build relevant skills, and develop world-class research required to attain a PhD degree or further qualifications at a research-intensive university such as NUS. Our productive and collaborative setting enables you to integrate your project with existing ones and leverage on our network and other activities to turbocharge your research. Further, our lab provides an academic network that grants a front row opportunity to connect and collaborate with renowned international researchers. In addition, PhD students are encouraged to go for exchange opportunities too.

Our small and friendly Lab is located at SDE4, the first newly-built net-zero energy building in Singapore, and the first university building in the world to be WELL Certified Gold.

Our papers are continuously published in top journals and are impactful across academia, government, and industry.

Our department is consistently ranked among the best in the world. Our university is the first and only one in Asia to be ranked within top 10 universities globally (QS).

On a broader scale, Southeast Asia is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing regions in the world, and it offers excellent travel opportunities to have a nice break from research.

But above all, we are a friendly and supportive team of researchers that works on cool stuff together. 😊

Contacting us

You are welcome to contact us. For PhD applications, you can simply apply directly to the school for a PhD with us without getting in touch with us first, but if you wish to do so – you are welcome.

However, before you drop us an email, please familiarise yourself with our work. We make an effort to maintain a comprehensive website with a variety of information (e.g. we have a blog and all our publications are available open access, together with a lot of open data and open-source code) to become acquainted with our work and research agenda, and decide whether it is aligned with your interests and aspirations. If you do so, we will be happy to answer your questions that are not covered by this guide. Please note that while we are grateful for interest, we do not respond to generic applications. At minimum, we expect prospective students to understand what we do and how we do it, e.g. read this page and more about us on our website (here and here) and check some of our papers.

PhD

What is a PhD and what are the expectations

A PhD is a great way to create a new scholar, an exceptional chance for self-development, and an opportunity to contribute to science. It is one of the rare chances nowadays to produce focused, integrated, comprehensive, and cohesive research and conceive a long-term research agenda and set of interests. Above all, it is your journey.

In our group, PhD students have a considerable degree of autonomy, freedom, and collaborative opportunities. Thanks to the PhD programme and collaboration with multiple seasoned researchers in our group and beyond, they also get support in various scientific tasks such as writing, scientific communication, and latest methods. Some of the expectations from PhD researchers during and at the end of their studies are to:

Achieve independence and excellence in research.
Become an expert in a specialised domain and attain a unique expertise not many others have.
Be able to conduct independent research from start to end (from identifying gaps, conceptualisation and planning to execution and communication). In short, become a great scholar.
Create new knowledge and introduce a significant scientific novelty accepted by the community and be known for it (primarily through impactful publications in leading outlets).
Collaborate and contribute to the scientific community in various ways (i.e. other forms of output such as open data, open-source software, community engagements…).
Attain a valuable set of skills, largely domain-agnostic, both hard (e.g. coding, statistics) and soft (e.g. written communication, presenting, project management) that can be applied to a variety of scientific challenges and in various environments.

On a related note, have a look at this nice illustrated guide to a PhD.

To succeed, a PhD student ideally should:

establish ownership of his/her work, have intellectual and scientific curiosity, be creative, and be excited and passionate about the topic and field;
have initiative and be proactive about a variety of aspects related to the research (e.g. take the lead in identifying gaps, think of new ideas, and follow relevant conferences and journals);
continuously develop transferrable skills, be on top of the developments in the field and broader domains, and seek means to contribute and advance knowledge;
regularly seek opportunities to promote and apply their research;
revisit and adjust plans, and be open to feedback; and
be collaborative and establish collaborations, including those beyond disciplinary lines.

How to apply for a PhD

If the above sounds interesting to you, note that we accept new PhD students every academic year. However, research groups at NUS usually do not admit them directly and do not provide stipends on their own. Applications to the PhD programme should be done directly to our College of Design and Engineering, as they are managing the process, and candidates are expected to devise their funding plan (e.g. applying for a scholarship). However, we are happy to provide some help to applicants if requested.

You will find all requirements on the website of the graduate school, such as GRE and English language test requirement, together with the application process and deadlines (there are two intakes each year). Also, the NUS website on graduate admissions is a good starting point to get more information about doing a PhD at our university. Further, you will also find myriads of websites that give a plenty of tips how to polish your materials. But here are some further tips and requirements on our end.

The most important tip is to tailor your application and make it specific to our environment. PhD applications are examined carefully by the department and college. Your application will be given adequate attention, however, generic applications with boilerplate text and those without a clear motivation and understanding of the scope of our work, and those that do not demonstrate research affinity, are typically rejected. Your PhD application reflects your ability and skill to find and digest information, which is an instrumental skill for a researcher to possess.

Therefore, in your application, you need to be clear with your motivation to spend several years in a PhD programme: why do you want to do a PhD, why are you interested in research and in an academic environment, what makes you a strong candidate, what are your career goals, what are your research interests, what are your relevant skills and accomplishments so far, and why do you want to come specifically to NUS and our department and group. Each of these points should be substantiated with some evidence or motivation.

Prospective candidates who did a bit of research on what we do and those that are able to demonstrate their aptitude for research and motivate their wish to join us in particular have a much better chance getting admitted into the doctoral programme. This is most evident from a tailored and research-focused application pertaining to our Lab, university and Singapore.

When applying for a PhD, you need to prepare your CV. In particular, do highlight your computational and research skills in it, and any publications you may have. PhD applicants are not expected to have a rich publication record and scientific output, but a record of any prior research outputs and activities (code, papers, data, internships, thesis, etc. preferably with evidence such as developed GitHub repositories and materials on a personal website) will be valuable. Some of these are instrumental in proving your technical skills, which are essential in our Lab and the College of Design and Engineering.

The CV needs to be accompanied by:

a brief research proposal and statement of purpose (2-4 pp.) containing a summary of the topics that you find interesting, overview of your previous work, a short literature review that covers recent developments in your area of interest, and an idea and plan for your PhD research. You should be able to briefly formulate existing gaps and think about how do you plan to fill them in the next few years. This does not have to be comprehensive and advanced, as during the initial months of your PhD you’ll have time to work on all that and sharpen your plans, but you should this document as an opportunity to demonstrate your motivation and research skills. Do remember to include other key components in your statement (a common mistake is to overlook including a literature review, contributions, output plan, and schedule) and avoid making your proposal generic (e.g. forgetting to mention the fit for our group, university, and Singapore, as admission/scholarship committees usually turn down such applications). For example, mention why you want to do a PhD particularly here, how does your expertise match our group, what research (i.e. papers) did attract your interest the most and how would you take it forward, etc. In particular, make sure you link the proposed research to a few recent papers of our Lab (identify a few papers that you find most interesting and explain your reasoning). If your proposal gives an impression that it can be submitted also to several other universities, your application will not stand out;
examples of writing samples (if you have not written a paper yet, you might want to submit a thesis or individual assignment; avoid group assignments as it is not easy to isolate and ascertain your contribution to it);
a few words about one of our publications with brief ideas how would you take these results further and/or how would you use them for your research; and
a brief statement how do you envision contributing to our research agenda and group. A PhD is a substantial commitment from both sides for a few years, thus, your fit is no less important than your research finesse.

All the points above should be concise, e.g. a few paragraphs for each aforementioned aspect, so it shouldn’t take much time and effort to stand out. You will find that preparing such documentation is quite beneficial as it will also help you to explore and refine your thoughts and interests.

Finally, we advise to make sure that you write your application in clear and concise English, and that you send your materials in PDF. English is the lingua franca of Singapore, NUS, and academia worldwide, thus, fluency is a must.

We thank you for your interest and time.

Deadlines, supervision, and more information

The application deadlines are usually at the end of the year for the intake in August next year, and in July for the start in January next year. Please start preparing early, and indicate in your application that you would like to be supervised by Dr Filip Biljecki, the PI and PhD supervisor of the group. The supervisor is assigned to the candidate after the successful admission to the PhD programme.

You may also want to read the graduate studies website of either the Department of Architecture (and its FAQ), or the Department of Real Estate (the PI of the Lab is part of both).

After applying

Applications are handed by the administration and graduate admission committee. Do note that we are often not involved in this process nor in admission decisions. Therefore, we are afraid that we do not have an insight in your application status and are not able to keep you updated. However, please rest assured that your application is carefully evaluated and that you will hear back from the university in time.

In the meantime, you are welcome to get in touch with us about other matters.

Funding and scholarships

Funding is a very important aspect of doing a PhD and a common obstacle, and it should be considered as early as possible. While the current reality of academia is that obtaining longterm and full scholarships for a PhD is unfortunately often difficult and highly competitive, securing funding is not impossible. Many of our graduate students and others at our departments have been successful in obtaining it.

An admission to the PhD programme does not imply a scholarship. Most admissions are on a self-funded basis. Some scholarships are awarded at the admission stage, while others may be applied to after the admission.

There are scholarship opportunities to partially or fully fund your PhD journey, and there are external funding options as well. For example, you may want to check the Singapore International Graduate Award – SINGA. Do also check the comprehensive list that we prepared for candidates seeking external funding. For example, if applicable to you, check out the The Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future for a potential scholarship opportunity. There are further opportunities that are not listed on the links above and may be available depending on your particulars such as nationality and residence.

There are also financial aid schemes.

Please note that most external scholarships require a candidate to be admitted to a PhD programme before applying for funding (e.g. providing the letter of acceptance from the university). Thus, we recommend starting as soon as possible. On the other hand, some programmes do not require an admission, rather a letter of interest from a PI or a research group. If there is a match, we’ll be happy to endorse your application.

Good luck!

Visiting scholars (up to 12 months)

We have hosted several visiting scholars in the past few years, including overseas PhD students and senior researchers (e.g. awardees of postdoc fellowships), from a period anywhere from a few months to one year. Such stays have been productive and enriching for both the visitor and our group, resulting in continuous collaborations and publications.

If you are interested – please prepare a short proposal of the research you plan to conduct during your stay in our Lab together with a timeline and other specifics. Further, please select a few papers from our group and describe how your interest are compatible with them.

You are welcome to have a look at our website, recent blog posts, and recent papers, and think of a common overlap or complementary research direction, which will ensure a mutually beneficial research visit. We are excited to learn from each other and have continuous academic exchanges which may continue even beyond the stay here. Fit and match with our research group are quite relevant, as visiting fellowships should be a two-way relationship. We are a small group, so every year, we have bandwidth and space to accept only a few visiting researchers. Thus, we prefer to prioritise those who work on research that is closely aligned with our activities, and ensure a complementary fit and contribution to our projects and team (and vice-versa), and at the same time making sure that you get the most of such a visit for your academic trajectory.

The academic expectations are more or less listed above, but most importantly, we expect a committed integration in our group and an idea of research that matches our agenda and something that you would not normally do if you have simply stayed at your home university.

If you are interested in spending some time with us, contact us with the following information and materials: brief proposal (1 page) aligned with our agenda, CV, desired time period of the stay, and information on the funding scheme that you plan to use or apply for to facilitate the visit.

Unfortunately, NUS does not have funding programmes to support incoming visiting scholars, and most of our visitors have been supported by their home universities, their project budgets, foreign government schemes, or other funding streams.

Visiting scholars who are students need to be enrolled at NUS as non-graduating students, which will organise their residence permit in Singapore for longer stays. The application to this programme needs to be done at least three months before the intended start date, which is done after discussions with us. Thus, if you are interested in a stay with us as visiting scholar, please contact us around 5-6 months in advance.

Research assistants and research fellows (postdocs)

Much of the information on this website may be found of interest as well to those seeking a full-time job (RA, postdocs), but these depend on funded projects. When we have openings, we post them on our website with vacancies, thus, you may want to keep an eye on the website occasionally or follow our social media accounts where we advertise them when they happen. For job opportunities at our university, at other research groups, you may want to check the NUS Careers website.

Postdoctoral research fellows are expected to be moderately independent, and have a demonstrated record of research excellence and a momentum in publishing (i.e. first-author papers in leading venues). In a postdoc job with us, they will spearhead new research initiatives, manage and/or contribute to funding applications, and provide guidance to junior members. Our Lab cultivates an environment that accords a degree of freedom in exploring own research ideas, and fosters careers of postdocs in several ways such as involvements in multiple projects and taking part in strategy development, paving the way for a potential faculty position.

FAQ

Do you accept PhD students?

Yes, we do. For more information, please read the content above.

I see from the website that your department offers only a PhD in Architecture, but I am interested in what you folks do. Is there some other PhD degree you offer?

PhD degrees at NUS are not awarded by research groups, they are managed by higher levels such as the department and graduate school. PhD programmes at NUS follow the nomenclature of the hosting departments, thus, if you pursue a PhD on a topic in this domain (i.e. urban analytics, etc.) and under the supervision of the PI of the group, it will be nominally part of the PhD in Architecture programme, since we are part of the Department of Architecture. The department and its PhD cohort work on a wide array of topics, and the PhD per se is not necessarily related to architecture. In practice, as far as we know, this will not make or break your chances later in your career. Your work, publications, and attained skills matter the most.

I am preparing my application but I don’t see you listed in the NUS application system. How to apply?

This is related to the question above. Please select the PhD in Architecture programme in the application portal.

Can I do a part-time PhD?

You can (NUS allows it), but we think you shouldn’t. A PhD is a significant undertaking that is time and energy consuming, and it is quite difficult to combine it with a full-time job. In fact, it is challenging even when it is full-time. Thus, we do not accept part-time PhD students. If you want to do a great job, take the full-time route.

How long does it take to finish a PhD?

It takes about four years. The maximum period of candidature at NUS is five years. In practice, four years is the minimum time required, and doing a PhD in less than that is possible only in exceptional circumstances.

After I finish a PhD or postdoc at NUS, what are my career opportunities?

That much depends on your profile, accomplishments, experience, and the country you want to work in. Academia tends to be the desired path of those who do a PhD and/or postdoc (and NUS is a highly reputable university, which helps in getting a job elsewhere afterwards), but we don’t see these positions constrained to an academic future and a PhD should open doors also elsewhere. Developing expertise in a particular niche and transferrable skills makes you attractive also to government agencies, national institutes, and industry. You could also think about starting a company, NUS offers some support for startups. Our alumni have ended up in decent places, including faculty positions, after working with us. Further, consulting is also another viable path.

Why should I choose your research group and NUS? Why should I do a PhD or postdoc in Asia?

The section above provides numerous reasons. Singapore and NUS are an excellent place to do a PhD and do research (and in terms of living as well), and are very well recognised around the world. Further, both NUS and Singapore are quite well connected with the rest of Asia and the world. For example, we regularly host people from Europe, USA, China, ASEAN, and other places, allowing our members to develop extensive and diverse connections and get exposed to a variety of latest developments, and our scholars have opportunities to do international visits too. Finally, our group and department have a global footprint, evidenced by the impact of our publications and invited lectures in several countries worldwide.

I got an offer from NUS but also from another university. What should I do?

Choose what works best for you! However, please note that if you have an offer from a highly ranked university, which is peer or aspirant to ours, you can update your application and increase your chances for a scholarship.

Do I need to have a paper published for a PhD application?

No. A publication record is not a requirement for a PhD. That said, of course, it will be a plus if you have one, as it demonstrates research skills and aptitude, and will make it easier to get into the PhD mode.

Do you care about my GPA?

Unlike many other places, no. We recognise that coursework (bachelor, master) is very different from research (PhD/Postdoc). One can excel in the former without shining in the latter, and vice-versa. A high GPA may help a bit in the application, but it is by no means the main criteria.

How is the working atmosphere in your group and department?

In brief, you work with a supervisor, not under a supervisor. We have a flexible environment with not much hierarchy and formalities. We are a small and friendly group. There is no micromanaging and meetings are conducted depending on the need. There are also lots of collaborative opportunities, many of our publications involve multiple people within the group and the department, and sometimes elsewhere at the university and internationally.

I do not think that I am ready yet for a PhD / I plan to apply but have some time and would like to prepare for the PhD – What should I do?

That much depends on your current skillset and what you will be working on during your PhD. One thing you usually cannot go wrong with is enhance your technical skills (e.g. programming in Python, machine learning packages, data visualisation, get acquainted with the most recent developments in AI…), communication (e.g. English oral and writing skills), and start casually following journals in the field and have a cursory look at recent papers. You might also want to consider having a break and enjoying a longer holiday before starting your doctoral programme.

I am not technical and I don’t know how to code. Can I still apply?

We are not computer scientists and we don’t pretend to be. However, our research is technical and many of us are engineers. If you are at the beginner level with technical skills such as programming, doing research here is a great opportunity to advance these skills after some time and patience. However, if you have zero technical experience and affinity, and no computational skills, we do not recommend applying for a PhD in our domain. Please consider other research groups at NUS and our department that may match your profile and aspirations better.

I want to do a PhD, but how can I choose a topic and am I free to do that on my own?

One of the best parts of doing a PhD is to learn how to identify gaps and set a research direction. Barring some circumstances such as funding/sponsoring project constraints, a PhD researcher will determine the topic in collaboration with the supervisor, after several iterations and with a high degree of freedom. We are open to a variety of topics and PhD projects, as long as they make sense, bridge a clear gap in the field, and fit within our group, and as long as they match your profile, strengths, skills, and interests. The fit in our research agenda is important because it would make it easier to get support and initiate collaborations. For visiting scholars, e.g. if they are doing a PhD, we need to make sure what they do here will be compatible with their PhD at their home university, and not deviate too much from it, so what they do here can directly contribute towards their PhD at their home university.

I was not able to get a scholarship to support my PhD. Can I get an RA job?

When we have RA openings, we post them on our website with vacancies. However, note that doing a PhD without a scholarship can be difficult and stressful because an RA job rarely covers the entire duration of the programme and it is not always perfectly aligned with a PhD project. We do not accept self-funded PhD students.

Do you accept self-funded PhD scholars?

No. We accept only those that have a scholarship (either a Singapore-based or a foreign one).

Is it possible to do a PhD remotely?

No.

Can the university waive the PhD tuition fee if my scholarship funds only a stipend for living and research expenses, and the funding agency is not willing to cover also the tuition fee?

No, NUS does not provide waivers, sorry, we can’t do much about it.

I didn’t receive a reply to my email. Should I send it again?

While we appreciate interest, we do not entertain generic emails and applications. Research abilities and commitment are key characteristics of a successful PhD researcher. If you have not invested time in researching a bit and in preparing your email accordingly, it is not good to have an expectation that someone will invest time to reply to you, sorry.

Do I need a masters degree to apply for a PhD?

Yes, a masters degree is pretty much a hard requirement. If you have a bachelor degree, and you are interested in a PhD with us, we recommend you getting a masters degree first and build your research skills and experience, and then apply for a PhD. Our two departments (NUS Architecture and NUS Real Estate) offer nice master programmes that you might want to consider in furthering your studies. PhD admission with only a bachelor degree is possible, but only under exceptional circumstances and we don’t see such cases often.

Can I do a masters at your group?

No, we don’t offer master degrees. Our department offers coursework master programmes that you might want to consider in furthering your studies, such as the Master of Urban Planning. As part of the coursework, it is possible to do a thesis or internship in a research group, but we don’t offer entire master programmes, we are just a research group. Research masters (‘Master by Research’ – MbR) is also a possibility at our department. But for more information, refer directly to our NUS Department of Architecture.

How many papers do I need to apply for a position, postdoc, PhD, etc?

Most research groups and departments at NUS don’t really count papers like it is a sad and unfortunate practice at many other places. We care more about quality and impact, they are more important than quantity. One paper can be more valuable than 3 papers that are incremental and don’t have much value. Thus, we do not have quantifiable requirements.

Do I have to take courses during the PhD?

Yes, but the coursework requirement is not as heavy as in some other places such as the USA. You can also request to waive certain courses if you have taken relevant ones at the graduate school level. Further, our department offers the option of one or two independent study courses, which count as a regular course, during which a piece of research is executed and submitted as a report. which can be integrated in the PhD. This is an attractive option also because during one semester it allows you to have two supervisors, one of which is a co-supervisor from elsewhere at the department or another department.

I am looking for a postdoc position, but you have no openings at the moment. Can I apply for some fellowship that would fund my postdoc in your group?

Yes. We are happy to endorse candidates who are seeking external funding as long as they are a match (e.g. read the information above to get a better idea about it). Check the comprehensive list that we prepared for candidates seeking external funding.

I got admitted to the PhD programme, but I want to start half year later. Is it possible to defer the admission?

Usually yes. There are lots of valid reasons for that, e.g. waiting for an external scholarship outcome. Please contact the graduate school if you got admitted but would like to start at the next intake instead.

Guide for prospective PhD students

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This website has been moved to a new link, centralising information for a variety of applications.

Theses, dissertations, and capstone projects

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If you are a motivated and talented graduate student, it is possible to conduct your thesis with us. Each year, we offer supervision and guidance to a few students interested in pursuing projects related to urban data science, GIScience, and 3D city modelling.

Some student projects in the past were accepted for academic conference or even published in leading journals. Conducting such a project enables the learning of new skills (e.g. tool or programming language), mastering a new multidisciplinary topic, working on a exciting real-world problem, and the possibility of making a real impact. In principle, most topics require at least a basic level of programming and/or data science, and managing geospatial data.

A thesis can be a great way to gauge your interest in an academic career and boost your applications for PhD programmes.

While the exact topic is shaped based on the interests, learning goals, and skills of the candidate, it would be beneficial if you could come up with a general topic on your own or at least some overall directions. Feel free to check out past student projects below, and please get in touch if you are interested in working with us.

Please note that such engagements are not paid. Students use them to obtain credits and clear requirements by study programmes. We advertise part-time RA and similar opportunities in internal channels of the university and/or on our website, please refer to those if you are looking for such position.

Some examples of completed theses / graduation projects in the past few years

Assessing visual environmental quality evolution and equity in public housing neighborhoods with time series street-level imagery Wang Zeyu Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2023) This research has also been published as a paper.
Unsupervised visual discovery of urban morphology Wang Jing Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2022) This research has also been published as a paper.
Automatic assessment of public open spaces using street view imagery Chen Shuting Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2022) This research has also been published as a paper.
Clustering and spatio-temporal evolution of urban visual environment with street view imagery Liang Xiucheng Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2022) This research has also been published as a paper.
Insights of A City Through the Eyes of Airbnb Reviews: Inferring Urban Characteristics from Homestay Guest Experiences Wang Jiaxuan Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2022) This research has also been published as a paper.
3D building reconstruction using deep learning methods Pang Hui En MSc in Applied GIS (NUS, 2021) This research has also been published as a paper.
Exploiting real estate data for the enrichment of spatial data infrastructure Chen Xinyu MSc in Applied GIS (NUS, 2021) This research has also been published as a paper.
Usability of Street View Imagery in Assessing Bikeability Koichi Ito Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2021) This research has also been published as a paper.
Classification of Urban Morphology with Deep Learning: A Case Study of its Application on Urban Vitality Prediction Chen Wangyang Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2021) This research has also been published as a paper.
Using 3D city models to uncover urban farming potential in public housing blocks of Singapore Ankit Palliwal MSc in Applied GIS (NUS, 2020) This research has also been published as a paper.
Enhanced population estimation beyond counts: exploring age patterns Noée Szarka MSc GIS (University of Edinburgh, 2020) The thesis is available here. The code is open-sourced here. This research has also been published as a paper.
Assessing the quality of OpenStreetMap building data in Singapore Ethan Chen Wai Hoong MSc in Applied GIS (NUS, 2020) The thesis is available here.
Height Inference for all US Building Footprints in the Absence of Height Data Imke Lánský MSc in Geomatics (TU Delft, 2020) The thesis is available here. The code is open-sourced here.
The effect of real void decks in Singapore ventilation Aviva Opsomer MSc in Building Technology (TU Delft, 2020) The thesis is available here.
The Implementation of Big Data Analysis in Regulating Online Short-Term Rental Business: A case of Airbnb in Beijing Li Jialin Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2019) This research has also been published as a paper.

A Bayesian approach to crime prediction with high-spatial resolution: insights from London Mathieu Bubert Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2023)
Assessing visual environmental quality evolution and equity in public housing neighborhoods with time series street-level imagery Wang Zeyu Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2023) This research has also been published as a paper.
POI-based shrinking city identification and its spatial-temporal evolution characteristics Su Yongqun MSc in Applied GIS (NUS, 2022)
Impact of data quality on spatial green view using street view imagery Li Yangyang MSc in Applied GIS (NUS, 2022)
Unsupervised visual discovery of urban morphology Wang Jing Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2022) This research has also been published as a paper.
Automatic assessment of public open spaces using street view imagery Chen Shuting Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2022) This research has also been published as a paper.
Clustering and spatio-temporal evolution of urban visual environment with street view imagery Liang Xiucheng Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2022) This research has also been published as a paper.
Insights of A City Through the Eyes of Airbnb Reviews: Inferring Urban Characteristics from Homestay Guest Experiences Wang Jiaxuan Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2022) This research has also been published as a paper.
3D building reconstruction using deep learning methods Pang Hui En MSc in Applied GIS (NUS, 2021) This research has also been published as a paper.
Exploiting real estate data for the enrichment of spatial data infrastructure Chen Xinyu MSc in Applied GIS (NUS, 2021) This research has also been published as a paper.
Usability of Street View Imagery in Assessing Bikeability Koichi Ito Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2021) This research has also been published as a paper.
Classification of Urban Morphology with Deep Learning: A Case Study of its Application on Urban Vitality Prediction Chen Wangyang Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2021) This research has also been published as a paper.
Using 3D city models to uncover urban farming potential in public housing blocks of Singapore Ankit Palliwal MSc in Applied GIS (NUS, 2020) This research has also been published as a paper.
Enhanced population estimation beyond counts: exploring age patterns Noée Szarka MSc GIS (University of Edinburgh, 2020) The thesis is available here. The code is open-sourced here. This research has also been published as a paper.
Assessing the quality of OpenStreetMap building data in Singapore Ethan Chen Wai Hoong MSc in Applied GIS (NUS, 2020) The thesis is available here.
Height Inference for all US Building Footprints in the Absence of Height Data Imke Lánský MSc in Geomatics (TU Delft, 2020) The thesis is available here. The code is open-sourced here.
The effect of real void decks in Singapore ventilation Aviva Opsomer MSc in Building Technology (TU Delft, 2020) The thesis is available here.
The Implementation of Big Data Analysis in Regulating Online Short-Term Rental Business: A case of Airbnb in Beijing Li Jialin Master of Urban Planning (NUS, 2019) This research has also been published as a paper.

Potential topics

You may approach us to discuss potential topics for research. The topics will depend on many factors, such as our ongoing research projects (in which we might be able to accommodate a student project), latest publications (which we may want to extend), and the background/interests/study programme/learning goals of the student.

Vacancies

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Before contacting us, please read our guide for prospective applicants.

Current openings

PhD Scholarships at NUS

PhD Scholarship (NUS IDS)

Past openings

~~PhD Scholarship (SINGA)~~

~~Postdoctoral Research Fellow (GIScience/GeoAI)~~

~~Postdoctoral Research Fellow through the NUS Fellows Programme (ASEAN Citizens & Residents only)~~

~~Research Fellow (Geographic Information Science/System)~~

~~Research Fellow (Digital Twin)~~

~~Research Assistant (Digital Twin Development)~~

~~Postdoctoral research fellow (2 positions)~~

~~Postdoctoral research fellow (Singapore Citizens/PR only)~~

~~Postdoctoral research fellow (ASEAN Citizens only)~~

~~Postdoctoral research fellow~~

~~Research assistant~~

~~Developer / Research associate~~

~~Postdoctoral research fellow (data quality/GIScience/digital twins)~~

~~Postdoctoral research fellow (GIScience/3D/urban analytics)~~

~~Student researcher in GIS/urban analytics/urban data science~~

~~Researcher (traineeship) in urban analytics~~

~~Postdoctoral research fellow in 3D underground modelling~~

~~Research assistant in 3D underground modelling (2 positions)~~

~~Software developer in 3D underground modelling~~

~~Scientific developer in 3D geographic data science~~

~~Student researcher in GIS (internship)~~

Open applications and general info about positions

If you like what we do and think you can contribute to our research agenda, consider getting in touch!

We appreciate open enquiries from motivated prospective PhD candidates, research assistants, postdoctoral research fellows, and visiting scholars but we expect dedicated applications. Before getting in touch, please read the sections below and more about us (here and here). Most importantly, please read our guide for prospective applicants.

We would appreciate to learn more about your specific interest and expect you to have at least a basic understanding of what we do and what our research lines are about. We suggest that you have a look at some of our publications, provide your perspective and motivation (e.g. write a few words on how you would take these results further), and let us know how do you envision contributing to our research group. In your application, please highlight your computational, programming, and geospatial skills. Your experience should be evident from the courses followed, publications (optional if you are applying to a junior role), and preferably also from your GitHub account as evidence of coding and open science affinity. From researchers with some experience, having first-author papers in leading venues is expected, while for all roles technical skills are a must. As an English speaking university, language fluency is also a requirement.

While we appreciate interest, we cannot entertain generic applications without a clear motivation and understanding of the scope of our work. We are more likely to reply and support prospective candidates who did a bit of research on what we do and those that are able to motivate their wish to join us in particular. This is most obvious from a tailored and research-focused application pertaining to our Lab (you may also check this link for further details, especially if you are a prospective PhD candidate or visiting scholar).

Postdocs

Postdoctoral research fellows are expected to be moderately independent, and have a demonstrated record of research excellence and a momentum in publishing (i.e. first-author papers in leading venues). In a postdoc job with us, they will spearhead new research initiatives, contribute to funding applications, and provide guidance to junior members. Our Lab cultivates an environment that accords a degree of freedom in exploring own research ideas, and fosters careers of postdocs in several ways such as involvements in multiple projects and taking part in strategy development, paving the way for a potential faculty position.

We announce available postdoc positions in the openings section above, but you are welcome to send an open application, as sometimes there might be a new funded project just around the corner. Other than that, we welcome prospective postdoctoral fellows on fellowships (see the other page for some options).

PhD candidates and research assistants

Working as RA and/or doing a PhD at NUS is a great opportunity to grow as a scientist and follow your passion in research, and our Lab offers a vibrant and stimulating environment for academic growth. RA positions depend on funded projects. We announce available RA positions in the openings section above, but you are also welcome to send an open application. In most cases, computational & programming skills are a must, and an evidence of them (e.g. developed GitHub repositories) will be appreciated.

We accept well-motivated and talented prospective PhD candidates, but we do not admit them directly as the applications are processed by the school. Before applying, please read our guide for prospective applicants.

Visiting scholars and research visits

Feel free to get in touch with us if you are interested in conducting a research visit at the NUS Urban Analytics Lab. If you are a prospective visiting PhD scholar or researcher, please have a look at our guide for prospective applicants.

Depending on your country of residence and position, sometimes there are opportunities for a funded stay, such as the French-Singaporean research collaboration programme Merlion, China Scholarship Council, and the US Fulbright Program.

External (non-NUS) PhD students may carry out a portion of their doctoral research at our Lab in the form of a research visit. Please refer to the NUS Non-Graduating Programme for the framework of the scheme.

Opportunities for master students

Every year, we work with a number of highly motivated, independent, and talented (primarily master) students to work on graduation projects (theses/dissertations) in our research domain. That is the main channel how students work with us.

Such mode of work has been mutually quite productive, as above average quality projects have been published in top journals and conferences, enhancing students’ CVs and boosting their applications to PhD programmes. At the same time, we are happy that the multidisciplinary spectrum and interest of the students and the research has enriched the breadth of expertise and knowledge of our group. Further, the students have used this opportunity to advance their analytical, coding, and research skills, and build proficiency in a new topic of their interest.

If you are looking for a topic, have a look at examples of completed theses to get an impression of the scope. It is possible to discuss a topic that will suit your background and interest.

Students from outside NUS looking for an internship

In principle, we are not able to offer internships to students who are not studying at our university. However, there are some exceptions depending on bilateral agreements and similar. For example, we are accepting undergraduates from universities in Germany thanks to the DAAD RISE Worldwide program. If your university or country has a similar programme, or it is associated with NUS in one way or another, or if you have another funding arrangement to come and spend time in Singapore, contact us to enquiry whether we are able to welcome you and have you join an ongoing project.

Contact

Are some of the options listed above of your interest or you have a general enquiry? Feel free to get in touch with us through email (listed on the home page). While we appreciate interest, we cannot attend to generic applications without a clear motivation and understanding of the scope of our work.

National University of Singapore

To learn more about our university, please visit its website.