<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Expect the FTrash freeloaders to recommend one another?
Recruit A*Star scholar for $500
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Agency offers incentive to get its scholarship holders to rope in other bright sparks </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Goh Chin Lian
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->BANKS do it to recruit employees. Insurers do it to get more clients.
Now, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) is doing it to get more bright sparks for its PhD scholarships.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>COLD CASH LURE
'Money is a bit colder and transactional.'
Associate Professor Jochen Wirtz, from the National University of Singapore's Business School, saying that those who believed being at A*Star would be the best thing for their friendS would make the referrals without the incentive
CASTING WIDER NET
'This is part of our efforts to reach out to a wider pool of talent, both local and foreign, studying at universities worldwide.'
An A*Star spokesman, saying the referral scheme is more targeted than advertisements
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The government agency is offering its scholarship holders $500 for every fellow student or colleague that they refer for - and who subsequently gets - a scholarship.
An A*Star spokesman told The Straits Times: 'This is part of our efforts to reach out to a wider pool of talent, both local and foreign, studying at universities worldwide. This will ensure our scientific talent base continues to be diverse, international and world-class.'
The referral scheme is also more targeted than advertisements in attracting highly talented people in biomedical sciences, and science and engineering, the spokesman added.
A*Star declined to disclose how many typically apply for its scholarships or the number of scholarship holders, as well as their nationalities.
=> Cos all have gone to FTrash?
But previous press statements indicate that it has more than 800 scholarship holders pursuing or who have completed bachelor and PhD studies.
The agency, which started the referral scheme last month, got the idea from the corporate world, the spokesman said.
A common practice in business, companies would offer a few thousand dollars for successful referrals of employees, particularly middle management.
Mr Mark Ellwood, managing director of recruitment consultancy Robert Walters Singapore, said how well the incentives work would depend on the way it is marketed internally and the amount.
One plus point is that employees who make referrals would speak well of the organisation. 'It's branding. They'll also know these people fairly well and would have worked with them. It's a good internal reference check on the individual,' he said.
Associate Professor Jochen Wirtz, from the National University of Singapore's Business School, noted that a scholarship holder may not make a referral for the money if he was worried his good intentions may be doubted.
He suggested rewarding both the scholarship holder and the successful applicant, or showing appreciation to the scholarship holder in another way, like a dinner with the agency's CEO.
'Money is a bit colder and transactional,' he said.
Prof Wirtz reckoned that those who believed that being at A*Star would be the best thing for their friends would make the referrals without the incentive.
An A*Star scholarship holder, who spoke on condition of anonymity, agreed.
'I will tell people there is such an opportunity even without an incentive, if I feel it suits that person well,' said the student who is pursuing a PhD in engineering in an overseas university.
Several public-sector organisations interviewed said they had no plans to follow in A*Star's footsteps.
The Public Service Commission said it does not see the need for such a scheme. Its secretariat's director, Mr Yeo Whee Jim, said potential scholars are identified through talks and tea sessions with small groups of students.
Similarly, an Economic Development Board (EDB) spokesman said: 'We have never had such a scheme.'
Noting how popular its scholarships are, he said the EDB received about 1,900 applications this year, the highest ever. Only 28 were successful. [email protected]
Recruit A*Star scholar for $500
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Agency offers incentive to get its scholarship holders to rope in other bright sparks </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Goh Chin Lian
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
ST FILE PHOTO
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->BANKS do it to recruit employees. Insurers do it to get more clients.
Now, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) is doing it to get more bright sparks for its PhD scholarships.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>COLD CASH LURE
'Money is a bit colder and transactional.'
Associate Professor Jochen Wirtz, from the National University of Singapore's Business School, saying that those who believed being at A*Star would be the best thing for their friendS would make the referrals without the incentive
CASTING WIDER NET
'This is part of our efforts to reach out to a wider pool of talent, both local and foreign, studying at universities worldwide.'
An A*Star spokesman, saying the referral scheme is more targeted than advertisements
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The government agency is offering its scholarship holders $500 for every fellow student or colleague that they refer for - and who subsequently gets - a scholarship.
An A*Star spokesman told The Straits Times: 'This is part of our efforts to reach out to a wider pool of talent, both local and foreign, studying at universities worldwide. This will ensure our scientific talent base continues to be diverse, international and world-class.'
The referral scheme is also more targeted than advertisements in attracting highly talented people in biomedical sciences, and science and engineering, the spokesman added.
A*Star declined to disclose how many typically apply for its scholarships or the number of scholarship holders, as well as their nationalities.
=> Cos all have gone to FTrash?
But previous press statements indicate that it has more than 800 scholarship holders pursuing or who have completed bachelor and PhD studies.
The agency, which started the referral scheme last month, got the idea from the corporate world, the spokesman said.
A common practice in business, companies would offer a few thousand dollars for successful referrals of employees, particularly middle management.
Mr Mark Ellwood, managing director of recruitment consultancy Robert Walters Singapore, said how well the incentives work would depend on the way it is marketed internally and the amount.
One plus point is that employees who make referrals would speak well of the organisation. 'It's branding. They'll also know these people fairly well and would have worked with them. It's a good internal reference check on the individual,' he said.
Associate Professor Jochen Wirtz, from the National University of Singapore's Business School, noted that a scholarship holder may not make a referral for the money if he was worried his good intentions may be doubted.
He suggested rewarding both the scholarship holder and the successful applicant, or showing appreciation to the scholarship holder in another way, like a dinner with the agency's CEO.
'Money is a bit colder and transactional,' he said.
Prof Wirtz reckoned that those who believed that being at A*Star would be the best thing for their friends would make the referrals without the incentive.
An A*Star scholarship holder, who spoke on condition of anonymity, agreed.
'I will tell people there is such an opportunity even without an incentive, if I feel it suits that person well,' said the student who is pursuing a PhD in engineering in an overseas university.
Several public-sector organisations interviewed said they had no plans to follow in A*Star's footsteps.
The Public Service Commission said it does not see the need for such a scheme. Its secretariat's director, Mr Yeo Whee Jim, said potential scholars are identified through talks and tea sessions with small groups of students.
Similarly, an Economic Development Board (EDB) spokesman said: 'We have never had such a scheme.'
Noting how popular its scholarships are, he said the EDB received about 1,900 applications this year, the highest ever. Only 28 were successful. [email protected]
