AGENCY FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH ACT
This Act may be cited as the Agency for Science, Technology and Research Act. [26/2002]
"Agency" means the Agency for Science, Technology and Research established under section 3; "chief executive officer" means the chief executive officer appointed under section 16 and includes any temporary chief executive of the Agency; "commercial application" , in relation to any knowledge or technology, means the application, utilization or exploitation of such knowledge or technology in the manufacture, production, sale, distribution or provision of goods or services in the course of any trade, business, enterprise or profession, and includes any business or commercial activity that is necessary for or related to the promotion, development or growth of any such trade, business, enterprise or profession; "financial assistance" includes assistance by way of grant, loan, loan guarantee, the purchase or guarantee of bonds, debentures, notes or other debt obligations or the purchase or acquisition of any stock, shares or other equity securities; "member" means a member of the Agency and includes the Chairman. [18/2000; 26/2002]
(a) suing and being sued; (b) acquiring, owning, holding and developing or disposing of property, both movable and immovable; and (c) doing and suffering such other acts or things as bodies corporate may lawfully do and suffer. [26/2002]
(a) the Chairman or a Deputy Chairman of the Agency; and (b) an employee of the Agency who is authorised by resolution or otherwise in writing (either generally or specially) to act in that behalf, and shall be signed by these persons. [26/2002]
(a) a Chairman; and (b) not less than 8 and not more than 20 other members. [18/2000; 26/2002]
(a) to initiate, promote, stimulate, encourage, facilitate and assist in the development of an environment that is conducive — (i) to the creation and development of world class research and development capabilities in science (including biomedicine and metrology), engineering and technology in Singapore; (ii) to the development and nurture of scientific talent and technical capability in scientific and technological knowledge, research and development that is desirable to support the private sector and public sector and to the creation of intellectual capital in Singapore; and (iii) to the commercial application of scientific knowledge or technology in Singapore; (b) to support, direct, stimulate and undertake research and development in the areas of science (including biomedicine and metrology), engineering and technology; (c) to stimulate, encourage, facilitate, co-ordinate and direct scientific and technological research and development by the Government, educational institutions and research communities within and outside Singapore, and to facilitate co-operation, communication, collaboration and exchange of ideas and knowledge between them; (d) to provide financial assistance for research and development in the areas of science (including biomedicine and metrology), engineering and technology; (e) to promote manpower training and development in the areas of science (including biomedicine and metrology), engineering and technology; (f) to provide advice and guidance to the Government in the formulation of its policies and laws on all aspects of science (including biomedicine and metrology), engineering and technology, and on any matter relating to or affecting the commercial application of scientific knowledge or technology; (g) to establish, develop and manage public institutes and research institutes in the areas of science (including biomedicine and metrology), engineering and technology; (h) to undertake the promotion of science (including biomedicine and metrology), engineering and technology among youths and to create, foster and encourage public awareness and understanding of the importance of science and technology in Singapore; (i) to create, develop, apply for, acquire and hold intellectual property and rights and enter into arrangements for the commercial application of any such intellectual property and rights on such terms as to royalties or otherwise as the Agency thinks fit; (j) to represent Singapore internationally in respect of matters relating to science (including biomedicine and metrology), engineering and technology; [26/2002] (k) to serve as the national body in the area of metrology, and to advise the Government and industrial, commercial and other organisations in respect of matters relating to metrology; and (l) to promote and facilitate the national metrology programme and the participation of Singapore in international metrology activities.
(a) have regard to the needs of Singapore and its resources; (aa) have regard to the policies and directions of the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council established under the National Research Fund Act 2006; and (b) promote developments, commercial applications and innovation in areas of science (including biomedicine and metrology), engineering and technology that increase the economic growth, productivity and employment opportunities in Singapore, that enjoy good export market prospects and that will enhance Singapore’s international competitiveness. [18/2000; 26/2002]
(a) appoint committees or councils consisting of persons who may or may not be members of the Agency and delegate to any such committee or council such of its powers and functions which, in the opinion of the Agency, would be better regulated and managed by means of such committees or councils, except the power of delegation conferred by this paragraph; (b) form or participate in the formation of any company or enter into any joint venture or partnership for the purposes of this Act; (c) establish institutes for the conduct of research and development in the areas of science (including biomedicine and metrology), engineering and technology; (d) provide financial assistance (including scholarships) — (i) for the training and development of manpower in Singapore required for or conducive to the conduct of scientific and technological research and development, or to the commercial application of scientific knowledge or technology; or (ii) to any person in the public or private sector for scientific and technological research and development, or for any commercial application of scientific knowledge or technology, in areas defined by the Agency; (e) provide or develop incubator facilities for new enterprises, and business support facilities to growing enterprises, which are based on or involved in the commercial application of scientific knowledge or technology developed by any public institute, research institute, educational institution, hospital or other specialty centre, whether or not funded by the Agency; (ea) establish a national standard of weights, measures and other quantities, hold custody and disseminate the measurement parameters of standards of such weights, measures and other quantities, and verify and develop methods for the measurement of such weights, measures and other quantities; (eb) develop, verify and calibrate instruments and equipment and issue certificates to the effect that an instrument or equipment complies with the specifications applicable to it and control the use of such certificates; (ec) undertake such measurement activities as the Agency considers necessary for the upgrading of quality standards in industry or for gaining international recognition; (ed) establish, administer and operate any scheme considered by the Agency to be necessary or desirable to the development of the metrology infrastructure; (ee) provide information resources on matters relating to metrology; (ef) conduct tests of proficiency on matters relating to metrology; (eg) initiate and undertake or enter into contractual testing, consultancy, research or development projects for the purposes of its functions; (eh) collect, compile, analyse and disseminate by any convenient means information of a statistical nature or otherwise concerning matters relating to its functions; (f) receive, acquire, develop or hold, or sell, mortgage or otherwise dispose of any property, movable or immovable, or any interest therein; (g) establish and maintain offices within and outside Singapore; (h) promote or undertake publicity in any form; (i) publish, produce or sponsor the publication or production of periodicals, booklets, films and other materials in written, electronic or other media; (j) receive donations and contributions from any source and raise funds by all lawful means; (k) with the approval of the Minister, establish any scheme for the payment of gratuities, pensions, provident fund or other superannuation benefits to such employees or classes of employees of the Agency as it may determine on their death in or retirement from the service of the Agency or on their otherwise leaving the service of the Agency; and (l) generally do anything incidental to or consequential upon the exercise of any of its powers or the discharge of its functions under this Act. [18/2000; 26/2002]
For the purpose of enabling the Agency to carry out its functions under this Act, the Minister may from time to time make grants-in-aid to the Agency of such sums of money as the Minister may determine out of moneys to be provided by Parliament. [7 [26/2002]
The Agency may from time to time for the purposes of this Act raise loans from the Government or, with the consent of the Minister, from any other source. [8 [26/2002]
As a consequence of the vesting of any property, rights or liabilities of the Government in the Agency under this Act, or of any capital injection or other investment by the Government in the Agency in accordance with any written law, the Agency shall issue such shares or other securities to the Minister for Finance as that Minister may from time to time direct. [8A [5/2002]
The Agency may invest its moneys in accordance with the standard investment power of statutory bodies as defined in section 33A of the Interpretation Act (Cap. 1).
The financial provisions set out in the Second Schedule shall apply to the Agency. [12 [26/2002]
(a) be known by such designation as the Agency may determine; (b) be responsible to the Agency for the proper administration and management of the functions and affairs of the Agency in accordance with the policy laid down by the Agency; and (c) not be removed from office without the consent of the Minister. [26/2002]
No suit or other legal proceedings shall lie personally against any member, officer or employee of the Agency or other person acting under the direction of the Agency for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done in the execution or purported execution of this Act. [15 [26/2002]
All members, officers and employees of the Agency shall be deemed to be public servants for the purposes of the Penal Code (Cap. 224) [16 [26/2002]
(a) operate to create a new legal entity; (b) prejudice or affect the identity of the body corporate constituted by the Board or its continuity as a body corporate; (c) affect the exercise of any right, or the enforcement of any obligation by or against the Board, or any other person; or (d) render defective any legal proceedings by or against the Board, and any legal proceedings that might have been continued or started by or against it by its former name may be continued or started by or against it by its new name “Agency for Science, Technology and Research”. [26/2002]
"appointed day" means the date of commencement of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (Amendment) Act 2007; "Board" means the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board established under section 3 of the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board Act (Cap. 303A).
(a) the national metrology centre of the Board; (b) any property, asset, interest, right, privilege, liability or obligation transferred to and vested in the Agency under section 22; or (c) any employee of the Board transferred to the service of the Agency under section 23, shall continue in force on and after that day and shall be enforceable by or against the Agency as if, instead of the Board or the person acting on its behalf, the Agency had been named therein or had been a party thereto.
(a) the national metrology centre of the Board; (b) any property, asset, interest, right, privilege, liability or obligation transferred to and vested in the Agency under section 22; or (c) any employee of the Board transferred to the service of the Agency under section 23, pending or existing immediately before the appointed day by or against the Board, or any person acting on its behalf, may be continued and shall be enforced by or against the Agency.
(a) any disciplinary proceedings were pending against any employee of the Board transferred to the service of the Agency under section 23, the proceedings shall be carried on and completed by the Agency; and (b) any matter against any employee so transferred was in the course of being heard or investigated or had been heard or investigated by a committee acting under due authority but no order, ruling or direction had been made thereon, the committee shall complete the hearing or investigation and shall make such order, ruling or direction as it could have made under the authority vested in it before that day.
The Agency may reprimand, reduce in rank, retire, dismiss or punish in some other manner a person transferred to the service of the Agency under section 23 who had, whilst he was in the employment of the Board, been guilty of any misconduct or neglect of duty which would have rendered him liable to be reprimanded, reduced in rank, retired, dismissed or punished in some other manner if he had continued to be in the employment of the Board, and if section 23 had not been enacted.