Community Engagement

• Provide interdisciplinary learning opportunities for architecture, design and engineering students to work in interdisciplinary teams to engage and address needs in the community with their disciplinary-specific knowledge and training.
• Develop humanistic empathy in students as they are exposed to needs in the Southeast Asia community.
• Provide resources to encourage ground-up initiatives by CDE departments and student groups for community engagements to support regional developments across Southeast Asia using the discipline-specific knowledge and skillsets of CDE students

Applicants may apply for the CDE IOCEP Student Award to help defray their programme expenses. The value of the award and minimum programme duration is as follows:

• Value of the CDE IOCEP Student Award: Up to SGD 500 per student for student-led programmes and up to SGD1,000 per student for college or department-initiated programmes
• Minimum duration: 7 days 6 nights*
• *The minimum duration is calculated from the first official programme activity to the final official programme activity, excluding the time spent travelling to and from the destination country. The fly-in/fly-out day will only be counted if there is at least 6 hours of scheduled programme activities on those days.
• Programme Destination: applicable only to countries in ASEAN
• Application for the CDE IOCEP Award is administered via EduRec. The student must apply to, receive an offer, and accept the offer for the IOCEP Student Award on EduRec.
• The CDE IOCEP Student Award is disbursed after the awardee has completed the approved programme and fulfilled all post-programme requirements. Funds will be disbursed into students’ individual bank accounts as registered in EduRec.
• The award is a flat funding amount intended to defray student participation costs and is not calculated based on actual expenditure incurred.
• Awardees are required to submit receipts and proof of payment for airfare, accommodation, and programme fees to CDE OSP for audit, verification, and compliance purposes.The minimum duration is calculated from the first official programme activity to the final official programme activity, excluding the time spent travelling to and from the destination country. The fly-in/fly-out day will only be counted if there is at least 6 hours of scheduled programme activities on those days.

• The student must be a full-time NUS CDE undergraduate at point of application and participation regardless of citizenship.
• The programme must include participation of CDE undergraduate students from at least two different primary majors (e.g., Mechanical Engineering with Civil Engineering and/or Architecture).
• Students in the programme should aim to pursue their passion, apply their skills and knowledge in real-life community projects in the local communities in ASEAN.
• The CDE IOCEP should aim to bring positive and meaningful impact to the well-being of the local communities and/or their environment.
• The CDE IOCEP should have an external local community partner in the overseas country e.g. NGO, community organisation or local university.
• Students may receive the IOCEP Award more than once during their undergraduate candidature. However, priority will be given to first-time applicants if the programme or award quota is oversubscribed. Repeat applicants may be considered if places or funding remain available. This will be the same for department-led programmes.
• Students who have applied for or received funding through STEER for the programme they are participating in are not eligible to apply for the IOCEP Student Award. Dual funding for the same programme is not permitted.
• Application for the funding must be submitted at least four months before the intended travel date and will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Non-CDE students may participate in IOCEP where appropriate, subject to programme approval, but they are not eligible for the CDE IOCEP Student Award unless otherwise approved.

Please read the application steps carefully:

• Application opens year-round.
• For trips taking place in FY26/27 i.e. 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, the trip must be completed and IOCEP Student Award to be awarded before 31 March 2027 or the finance black-out period, whichever is earlier.
• Applications should be submitted at least four months before the intended travel date.

• The IOCEP Student Award is intended to help defray student participation costs. It is not intended to fund programme operating expenses directly, unless otherwise approved by CDE Dean’s Office.
• For programme operating expenses of college-led programmes, the supplementary budget from PVO can be used to fund the programme. The qualifying and non-qualifying expenses are given below.
• For department-led programmes, the programme operating expenses would be supported by the department.

• Prior to travel, approved programmes must complete all applicable NUS/CDE travel, safety, risk assessment, insurance and student conduct requirements.
• Programmes must also provide confirmation of overseas partner arrangements and emergency contact details where required.
• Programme leads must inform CDE OSP of any material changes to the approved programme, including changes to destination, travel dates, overseas partner, programme duration, project scope, budget or risk profile. Continued award support is subject to CDE OSP’s review.
• If an approved IOCEP programme is cancelled, postponed, substantially changed, or no longer meets the award criteria, CDE OSP reserves the right to withdraw or revise the award offer.

• Each approved programme team is required to complete and submit the following post-programme deliverables on behalf of participating awardees within two weeks after the conclusion of the trip. These deliverables must be submitted before award disbursement can be processed:

1. A 3–4 minutes video reflection (vlog)
2. A 2 – 3 minutes video reels, together with at least 10 images documenting the experience and community impact.

• Images and recordings submitted to CDE Special Projects may be used by NUS CDE for publicity, promotional, and communication purposes in print and digital media. Acceptance of this Award constitutes consent to such use.
• The student must complete the full programme duration unless otherwise approved. Students who withdraw from the programme, do not complete the programme, or fail to submit required post-programme deliverables without valid reason(s) may not be eligible for reimbursement.
• CDE OSP reserves the right to withhold, reduce or recover the award funding if the awardee fails to meet the award conditions.
• If an approved IOCEP programme is cancelled, postponed, substantially changed, or no longer meets the award criteria, CDE OSP reserves the right to withdraw or revise the award offer.
• Programme leads must inform CDE OSP of any material changes to the approved programme, including changes to destination, travel dates, overseas partner, programme duration, project scope or risk profile. Continued award support is subject to CDE OSP’s review.