PETALING JAYA: Integrated healthcare provider IHH Healthcare Bhd has launched a transformative S$5 million (RM16.5 million) Research Grant and Innovation Sandbox Programme to accelerate clinical research and innovation across its global network.
Disbursed over five years, the fund empowers IHH clinicians and employees to pursue impactful clinical research and pilot innovative ideas from the ground up, addressing critical health issues and driving advancements that improve patient experiences and outcomes.
Depending on the strength of the proposals and the level of interest, the S$5 million fund has the potential to grow further.
Group CEO Dr Prem Kumar Nair said, “The launch of our first research grant and innovation sandbox marks a pivotal step in our multiyear transformation journey to become a global healthcare leader.
“By investing in our clinicians and employees, we are turning ideas into impact from within, creating solutions that improve lives and elevate care for communities around the world.
“For a start, we are focusing on oncology and chronic disease, two of the most urgent and complex challenges facing healthcare today.
“I am inspired by the ingenuity of our teams and the calibre of ideas they have brought forward. I look forward to seeing each of our shortlisted projects reach their full potential,” he said in a statement.
The first grant call in March this year focused on oncology and chronic diseases, two of the most critical fronts in our fight to improve global health.
Out of 55 submissions, the Grant Governance Committee, comprising senior management and domain experts from across IHH, shortlisted seven research grant projects and eight innovation sandbox projects.
Under the clinical research track, each project is expected to be completed within one year, or up to a maximum of two years for complex cases, with findings and outcomes published as part of the wider healthcare literature on oncology and chronic diseases.
The projects under the innovation sandbox track will prioritise ideas that demonstrate clear impact, such as scalability across IHH markets, cost savings, improved patient outcomes and better patient experience.
The group will open its next call for submissions in September, continuing its commitment to empowering its people to shape the future of healthcare from within.
