National Research Foundation and A*STAR to get new CEOs

SINGAPORE: The National Research Foundation (NRF) and Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) will get new chief executives later this year.
Mr John Lim Hua Ern will be CEO (designate) of the NRF and chief (designate) of the Public Sector Science and Technology Policy and Plans Office (S&TPPO) from Sep 1, the NRF announced on Thursday (Aug 29).
He will take over as NRF CEO and S&TPPO chief on Oct 1, as well as relinquish his role as Deputy Secretary (Opportunity and Resilience) at the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on the same day.
The current CEO of the NRF, Mr Beh Kian Teik, will be CEO (designate) of A*STAR from Oct 1, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said in a press release.
He will succeed current A*STAR CEO Frederick Chew on Nov 8. Mr Chew will also relinquish his role as chief of S&TPPO on Oct 1.
Mr Lim joined MSF in September 2016 and oversees policy formulation and the planning and delivery of programmes and social services that help vulnerable people and communities.
He played a leading role in the development of policies and initiatives such as the Enabling Masterplan 2030 and ComCare, a scheme to help lower-income households with basic living expenses.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led an MSF task force to protect the safety and well-being of elderly residents in the ministry’s residential homes.
“He also chaired an inter-agency task force to oversee payouts from The Courage Fund, to support about 8,000 households and families, 4,800 healthcare and frontline workers, and recognise around 40,000 healthcare and social services staff who stepped up with courage in our fight against COVID-19,” said the NRF, a department within the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Mr Lim was previously the divisional director of higher education at the Ministry of Education, and also served in various capacities at the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Public Service Division and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
He is a member of the boards of the JTC Corporation, Agency for Integrated Care, and Gambling Regulatory Authority, as well as a Company Member of KidSTART Singapore Ltd. He also served previously as a member of the Charity Council and as a board member of the Building and Construction Authority.
Mr Beh, the incoming A*STAR CEO, has led the NRF since August 2022. 
“Mr Beh played a key role in shaping the goals and priorities of the Research Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2025 plans, and oversaw the implementation of key programmes,” said MTI.
“He also sharpened the focus on keeping Singapore’s basic research at the cutting edge through NRF’s Foundational Research Capability studies.”
He worked closely with A*STAR, the National University of Singapore, the Nanyang Technological University and economic agencies to further strengthen translational research and value creation.
Outgoing A*STAR CEO Frederick Chew has served in the position since April 2019. Under his leadership, the agency established several national research and innovation platforms, including the National Robotics Programme and the Digital Health Accelerator.
MTI noted that in his concurrent appointment as chief of S&TPPO, Mr Chew set up a new Centre-of-Government unit in 2019 under the PMO to spearhead the building up of Science, Technology and Engineering (STE) capabilities across public agencies.
Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, Permanent Secretary for the NRF and S&TPPO, said: “On behalf of the NRF, I would like to express our deep appreciation to Kian Teik and Frederick for their many leadership contributions.
“Their efforts have advanced our research and translational capabilities, and significantly enhanced Singapore’s overall research, innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“In turn, these are positioning Singapore well to create and capture new opportunities for our economy and country.”