[Updated in March 2025]
Launched on 5th November 2020, the Climate Science Research Programme Office (CSRPO) was set up under the Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS) to drive Singapore’s climate science research efforts in response to the nation’s growing need for robust climate adaptation strategies.
CSRPO worked with agencies to set up the $6.5mil RIE2020 National Sea Level Research Programme (NSLP) in 2020 and the $23.5mil RIE2025 Climate Impact Science Research (CISR) Programme in 2022.
Climate change poses significant challenges for Singapore and the wider Southeast Asian region. Singapore’s Third National Climate Change Study, led by CCRS, projects higher temperatures, more extreme wet and dry periods, and rising mean sea levels by the end of the century.
In March 2025, a new $25mil RIE2025 Weather Science Research Programme (WSRP) was launched to enhance Singapore’s ability to understand and predict our tropical urban weather, including extreme weather arising from climate change. Through the WSRP, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) aims to build weather science capability in the national research ecosystem. Under a new framework for collaborative research, CCRS will work with Institutes of Higher Learning and Research Institutes (IHLs/RIs) to improve weather prediction for Singapore and the region by incorporating the latest scientific and technological developments in this area.
With effect from 10 February 2025, CSRPO was renamed to Climate and Weather Research Programme Office (CWRPO) to better reflect the programme office’s expanded role in administering research programmes for both weather and climate science. CWRPO operates under the direct oversight of the Assistant Chief Executive of Meteorological Services and Radiation Protection, National Environment Agency.
CWRPO plays a crucial role in:
Information on NRF Funding Initiatives administered by the CWRPO is provided on this page.
NSLP seeks to address key knowledge gaps in the understanding and modelling of the physical mechanisms of sea level rise and variability, with specific focus on Singapore and the wider Southeast Asia region.
The $6.5mil programme launched in 2020 aims to deepen our capabilities to address the gaps in sea level rise for national adaptation planning & climate change resilience. There are five ongoing projects awarded under the NSLP.
The $23.5mil CISR programme launched in 2022 aims to:
There are 12 ongoing projects awarded under the CISR through Grant Call 1 and Grant Call 2.
The new $25 million Weather Science Research Programme (WSRP) programme launched in March 2025 aims to enhance Singapore’s ability to understand and predict our tropical urban weather, including extreme weather arising from climate change.
Singapore is located in the deep-tropics where weather prediction is particularly challenging, due to the complexity of dominant local weather processes like thunderstorms and fine-scale interactions with local features such as coasts and the urban landscape. Recent advancements in weather research and technology, such as high-resolution modelling, artificial intelligence and enhanced remote-sensing observational networks, present opportunities to tackle the challenges of tropical local weather prediction.
Through the new programme, CCRS will work with Institutes of Higher Learning and Research Institutes to improve weather prediction for Singapore and the region starting with four foundational research clusters:
The use of Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ML) methods will be a cross-cutting theme to be explored under each of these research clusters.
WSRP projects are expected to be awarded in the second half of 2025.
