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The Science and Humanities Research Olympiad (SHRO) is a research mentorship programme open to Upper Secondary, Junior College and Polytechnic students. It aims to provide structured mentorship to aspiring young researchers. The programme is supported by the National Youth Council under the Young ChangeMakers’ (YCM) programme. Students were required to pitch their project proposals to a panel of distinguished mentors and successful candidates were given the opportunity to conduct their research project over a six-month period (May – Dec 2025) at research institutes in A*STAR, NUS or NTU.

For the inaugural edition of SHRO 2025, a total of 41 student teams were selected from various schools across Singapore. Among these were two teams from Singapore Polytechnic’s Diploma in Applied Chemistry (DAPC) and the Diploma in Biomedical Science (DBS).

The DAPC team, comprising Hafsah Tayab, Damita Kalyana and Fahia Alam Smriti, was mentored by Miss Nazreen Abdul Muthaliff from A*STAR. The students conducted a survey-based study investigating public perceptions of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance and the use of natural remedies for minor ailments. Their research was recognised with a Gold award, which is presented to projects that explored novel areas of inquiry and demonstrate a strong research foundation through rigorous methodology and analysis. Their work will be published in the ASEAN Young Researchers’ Journal later this year.

From Left To Right: Fahia Alam Smriti, Hafsah Tayab, Damita Kalyana And Professor Stephen Baker

The DBS team, comprising Chua Cheng Ye, Zakris Lim En Rui and Isaac Ho Yong Jun, was mentored by Dr Santhakumar Sampath from A*STAR. Their project focused on optimising acoustic frequencies to maximise separation of microplastics from water. The team developed a small acoustic resonator prototype using piezoelectric elements, which was used to separate microplastics from various water sources collected around Singapore. The team received a Merit award for their work.

Reflecting on the experience Hafsah shared “The experience gave us valuable insight into the realities of research. From crafting effective and unbiased survey questions to analysing data meaningfully, we came to appreciate how meticulous and iterative the research process can be.” Similarly, Issac commented “During the programme, we experienced what it is like to conduct research at a professional level. We collaborated with professionals to design experiments and develop prototypes for our investigations. The project also required a high level of independence. While we faced challenges such as anomalous results and the need to repeat experiments, as well as balancing the project with our academic and personal commitments, the experience was extremely memorable and rewarding.”