IDA launches fellowship programme for data science and tech talents

• Call out to data scientists, technologists and engineers to help steer Smart Nation
• Successful ‘Fellows’ will work with IDA’s GDS team on real-world problems

 
THE Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has launched its Smart Nation Fellowship Programme to get data scientists, technologists and engineers to help the Singapore Government deliver digital and data solutions to improve the lives of citizens.
 
These could include Singaporeans working overseas for technology companies, or others working in the private sector or academia in Singapore, the IDA said in a statement.
 
Successful Fellowship applicants, or Fellows, will be appointed for short stints of three to six months, and work alongside software engineers, data scientists and product developers from the IDA’s Government Digital Services (GDS) team, as well as users and developers from different government agencies.
 
They will design, build and deploy data science or technology solutions to real-world problems, the IDA said.
 
“It is not just about crunching data and playing with the latest, coolest technologies,” said Liu Feng-Yuan, director of the IDA’s Data Science Division.
 
“What’s meaningful is harnessing insights that can improve public policy and operations; and innovating with technology and building products and platforms that can help make a difference in people’s lives,” he added.
 
For a start, the Government aims to appoint an inaugural batch of four to eight Fellows this year. The IDA said it will also establish a global resource network of Fellowship alumni that the Government can continually tap on for their expertise on data science and technology projects over the longer term.
 
To allow the Fellows to commence work immediately, projects will be scoped out before they begin their stint in Singapore, it added.
 
The GDS team works closely with multiple government agencies responsible for areas such as transport, housing, security, healthcare and the environment to leverage data-driven insights to help create experimental applications.
 
These applications include Beeline1 , a mobile app that meets commuter demand for express private bus routes through crowdsourcing; MyResponder2, a mobile app that mobilises the community to respond to cardiac arrest cases within their immediate vicinity; and OneService3 , a one-stop platform that enables citizens to send their immediate feedback on municipal issues they encounter.
 
“Building a Smart Nation requires all hands on deck,” said IDA managing director Jacqueline Poh (pic).
 
“There are many citizen-centric challenges that are best tackled through the use of technology and open data, but we need a core group of software engineers, designers and product developers who can deliver data-driven insights for the public good and develop tech solutions for citizens.
 
“We especially hope that Singaporeans abroad who have established themselves in the tech sector will be excited at the prospect of contributing some of their time to make a difference to our Smart Nation vision and to inspire the next generation of technologists in Singapore,” she added.
 
For more information on the Smart Nation Fellowship Programme, go to https://fellowships.data.gov.sg/.
 
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