CCCS Invites Research Proposals On Sustainability, Competition and Consumer Protection

17 September 2021

1. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCCS”) invites researchers to submit proposals on the topic of “Sustainability, Competition and Consumer Protection in Singapore” in its launch of a research grant (the “Grant”) to encourage research on competition and consumer protection issues in Singapore relating to sustainability.

2. The research output may inform CCCS’s formulation of policies and initiatives on such issues. Areas of research may include:^[1]

a) quantifying environmental benefits of business collaborations that may harm competition;

b) the empirical impact of misleading sustainability claims (i.e. greenwashing) on consumers and competition; and

c) evaluating the merits of the right to repair movement by weighing sustainability, competition and consumer choice against safety, quality and intellectual property considerations.

Eligibility and Funding

3. The call for proposals is open to all, including academics worldwide.

4. The successful applicant will receive a total of S$50,000 in funding for his/her research project.

5. 30% of the awarded Grant will be paid upon signing of the letter of offer, 30% will be paid upon submission of the interim draft research paper and the remaining 40% of the Grant will be paid upon successful completion of the research paper and acceptable delivery of output of the research.

Application and Closing Date

6. All applicants are required to complete the CCCS Research Grant Proposal Application Form. The application and all supporting documents (in Microsoft Word or pdf format) must be submitted by 5pm Singapore time, 17 December 2021, via email to: cccs_research_grant@cccs.gov.sg.

7. Please refer to the Brief to Applicants on the CCCS Research Grant 2021 for more information on the conditions and application process. Enquiries on the Grant should be sent to cccs_research_grant@cccs.gov.sg.

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About The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS)

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCCS”) is a statutory board of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. CCCS administers and enforces the Competition Act (Cap. 50B) which empowers CCCS to investigate and adjudicate anti-competitive activities, issue directions to stop and/or prevent anti-competitive activities and impose financial penalties. CCCS is also the administering agency of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (Cap. 52A) or CPFTA which protects consumers against unfair trade practices in Singapore. Our mission is to make markets work well to create opportunities and choices for business and consumers in Singapore. For more information, please visit www.cccs.gov.sg.

^[1] Other areas of research may include broader policy issues associated with sustainability considerations such as whether there is any potential conflict between competition and sustainability goals.