BUILDING A DISTINCTIVE ORGANISATION 40 annual report 2003/2004 DSO National Laboratories DSO aspires to be a distinctive organisation. We want to build a DSO that delivers an exceptional experience to our customers, our collaborators and our staff. In FY2003, concerted and integrated efforts were undertaken to boost DSO s competitiveness and effectiveness as an organisation, R&D partner and employer.
DSO National Laboratories annual report 2003/2004 41
42 annual report 2003/2004 DSO National Laboratories RECOGNITION FOR OUR WORK DSO CLINCHED FOUR OUT OF EIGHT AWARDS AT THE PRESTIGIOUS DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY PRIZE 2003 For the 15th consecutive year, DSO is the proud recipient of the Defence Technology Prize. This national honour is conferred on scientists and engineers by the Ministry of Defence in recognition of their significant contributions towards enhancing the defence capability of Singapore. In November 2003, our researchers achieved an impressive record, clinching four out of a total of eight awards. Recipients of this prestigious award were: Dr How Khee Yin (second from left), Head of DSO s Centre for Decision Support, was awarded the R&D (Individual) Award for his outstanding contributions to defence R&D. Dr How was instrumental in building up DSO s capability in artificial intelligence, data fusion, decision support and modelling and simulation. The Chemical Verification Team, led by Ms Sng Mui Tiang (5th from left), received the R&D (Team) Award. This team from DSO s Centre for Chemical Defence was recognised for achieving an internationally benchmarked capability to unambiguously detect, identify and verify chemical agents. The Microwave Electronics Team from DSO s Centre for Electronics was awarded the R&D (Team) Award for the development of an advanced electronics capability for aerospace surveillance applications. Receiving the award on behalf of the team was Dr Chew Siou Teck. DSO was also a member of the Datalink Network Programme Team that won the Engineering (Team) Award. Other members of the team were from the Defence Science & Technology Agency and the Singapore Technologies.
DSO National Laboratories annual report 2003/2004 43 CONSOLIDATING OUR RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES Formation of the Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute @ DSO National Laboratories (DMERI@DSO) DMERI@DSO, was formed on 1 October 2003 as a division in DSO, to spearhead, integrate and conduct biomedical, human sciences, environmental protection and chem-bio defence research to enhance the safety, survivability and performance of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel and where applicable, contribute to the larger national security as well. This new division was formed through the integration of DSO s Centre for Chemical Defence and the Defence Medical Research Institute (DMRI), which was previously part of the Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA). Research activities of DMERI@DSO are undertaken by three centres: Centre for Biomedical Science, Centre for Chemical Defence and Centre for Human Performance. The integration aims to harness the synergy between DMRI and DSO, to better serve the requirements of defence and national security. Re-organisation of the Corporate Affairs Division On 1 January 2004, DSO s Corporate Affairs Division was re-organised into five clusters for better integration between the various corporate departments. The aim is to enable the departments to better facilitate DSO s R&D effort and support the various initiatives that have been put in place in recent years. The new clusters are: Business Management, Infrastructure, ipeople, Partnership and Strategic Planning. In addition, the Learning Hub was set up on 1 January 2004 to initiate, promote and support the learning culture in DSO, including tapping on the unique and rich experiences our staff have to offer. Specifically, the Learning Hub focuses on the conscious identification and development of learning programmes to promote and enhance organisation-wide learning. DMERI@DSO - comprising the Centre for Biomedical Science, Centre for Chemical Defence and Centre for Human Performance - will spearhead, coordinate and conduct biomedical, human sciences, environmental protection and chem-bio defence research to enhance the safety, survivability and performance of the SAF personnel and where applicable, contribute to the larger national security as well.
44 annual report 2003/2004 DSO National Laboratories In FY2003, 18 scholarships were awarded to DSO staff to pursue PhD, Master and undergraduate studies in renowned universities in Singapore and overseas. These photographs have been contributed by DSO scholars who are currently pursuing their PhD studies in Canada, Singapore and United Kingdom. POSITIONING FOR LONG TERM GROWTH Formation of the Delta Team The Delta Team, which is an idea generation group for advanced concepts, was formed on 1 January 2004. This team will spearhead efforts to conceptualise innovative concepts in emerging areas with huge potential impact. TechVenture Fund: Building up Intellectual Capital In FY2003, $10.6 million of the TechVenture Fund was committed to fund 28 projects ranging from communications and unmanned aerial vehicle to pharmacology and toxicology. The TechVenture Fund was set up in 2002 to seed new ideas and concepts that are more uncertain and radical, prior to seeking funding from the Ministry of Defence and the SAF. Staff Satisfaction Survey 2004 The Staff Satisfaction Survey was conducted between 5 and 21 January 2004. This year, the overall level of staff satisfaction topped past surveys that were conducted since 1997. In line with our efforts towards building a learning culture within DSO, Centres of Excellence that had performed well in the survey shared their best practices with other Centres and Departments of DSO. MANAGING PEOPLE, OUR KEY ASSETS DSO Scholarship Programme Each year, DSO sponsors talented and committed staff to further their studies in renowned universities in Singapore and overseas. The aim of our scholarship programme is to encourage DSO staff to constantly enrich and upgrade their knowledge and skills, with the long-term objective of developing a pool of scientific and management talents to meet the future challenges of DSO. In FY2003, we awarded a total of 18 DSO scholarships for PhD, Master and undergraduate programmes. The areas of specialisation for the
DSO National Laboratories annual report 2003/2004 45 scholarships awarded included Computer Science, Aeronautics, Electrical Engineering, Bioengineering and Cognitive Science & Human- Computer Interaction. Leave for Special Assignment (LSA) Launched in 2002, the LSA scheme is a key development scheme for our senior technical staff. The aim of this scheme is to provide them with opportunities to acquire new insights, knowledge, professional competency, ability and skills through participation in research or development projects in other professional organisations. In FY2003, two senior technical staff were awarded the LSA to pursue assignments at the Naval Postgraduate School and the University of Maryland in the US for a duration of one year. Staff Recognition Aligning with DSO s KINETIC core values, we put in place a performance-based reward philosophy. To promote a challenging work environment, a comprehensive award and reward system is also in place to give recognition to staff both individual or group - who demonstrate outstanding performance in both scientific and management work. In FY2003, the following awards and rewards were presented to deserving staff: KINETIC Award: Recognises achievements par excellence with significant 1 contributions to the build up of strategic capabilities for the defence of Singapore Intellectual Property Reward: Recognises the ingenuity of staff who have made 17 novel discoveries in the course of their work Group Achievement Reward: Recognises groups for actively embracing 6 the shared vision and delivering on a stretched target Group Performance Award: Recognises significant contributions of staff to 18 DSO s R&D capabilities or working life within DSO Special Recognition Award: Recognises individuals with exemplary 16 personal qualities or the KINETIC core values
46 annual report 2003/2004 DSO National Laboratories The Recreation Committee members distributing kiwi fruits at the inaugural DSO Fruit Day. Getting ready for a good catch at the kelong fishing trip. PROMOTING WORK-LIFE BALANCE In recognition of the importance of achieving healthy work-life balance, DSO introduced the five-day work week in March 2004. The DSO 19th Recreation Committee (RC), on the other hand, was committed to making RC activities refreshing, satisfying and popular. A total of 23 events were organised to serve diverse needs of DSO staff, ranging from wellness, personal enrichment and community service to sports and special events. To encourage staff to eat right, exercise smart and feel good, the Wellness sub-committee introduced a new event in FY2003 the DSO Fruit Day, which was held once every 3 months to raise awareness of healthy eating. Other wellness-related activities were also designed with a focus on health indicators based on the National Kidney Foundation s health screening results. In addition, the Enrichment/Community Service sub-committee introduced several activities to cater to hobbies such as kelong fishing, radio control car racing and Toastmasters orientation, all of which enjoyed overwhelming response. On top of all these, the RC took the lead to encourage DSO staff to perform volunteer work at the Convalescent Home, the RC s adopted charity for FY2003. The Sports sub-committee organised sporting events such as beach volleyball, street soccer and Ubin cycling, all of which were popular with staff. The 19th RC s sports programme culminated in the DSO SplashOut 2003, a water telematch held on 27 March 2004. In addition, anchor events such
DSO National Laboratories annual report 2003/2004 47 Left: Staff having a whale of a time at DSO SplashOut 2003 a water telematch event. Right: Prof and Mrs Lui Pao Chuen, Guests-of-Honour, dressing up to the Wild Wild West theme at the annual Dinner and Dance. as the National Day Celebrations and the annual Dinner and Dance were organised by the Special Events sub-committee. Themed Wild Wild West, the annual Dinner and Dance garnered good response from staff. PROMOTING INTEREST IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DSO continues to be a strong supporter of efforts to inculcate an interest in science and technology among our young. In November 2003, DSO partnered the Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to organise the NTU-JC-DSTA- DSO Challenge 2003/2004 Materials Frontier for junior college students. DSO s scientists contributed as speakers and judges for the event. Consequent to this competition, the Advanced Materials Laboratory in DSO s Centre for Physical Sciences started a mentorship programme with Hwa Chong Junior College where DSO scientists supervised students on a material science project. In addition, DSO also supports the Young Defence Scientist Programme organised by DSTA. During FY2003, DSO researchers mentored students under the Programme. Each year, DSO offers Industrial Attachment (IA) opportunities to undergraduates of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the NTU. In January 2004, 49 undergraduates from NTU and NUS were selected and attached to 17 laboratories in DSO. Our IA programme proved to be a good opportunity for aspiring researchers to gain first-hand experience in R&D work. At DSO s Applied Physics Laboratory, IA students were involved in designing a photonics bandgap fibre for wideband tuneable laser source. The students also experienced first-hand the use of various commercial fibre optics components and testing instruments.
48 annual report 2003/2004 DSO National Laboratories RESPONDING TO THE NATION S NEEDS CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS SINGAPORE S FIGHT AGAINST SARS National Day Award In recognition of her role in spearheading DSO s efforts in the national fight against SARS, Dr Ng Lee Ching of DSO s Centre for Chemical Defence received the Commendation Medal in the 2003 National Day Award. Dr Ng s team assisted the SARS Clinical Consortium to validate their diagnostic test kits for the SARS virus and she also led her team to screen more than 1,000 clinical samples of suspected and probable SARS cases. Although she was then six to seven months into her pregnancy, she continued to put in long hours. Her dedication and expertise won her the respect from other members of the Consortium. Courage Medal 28 staff from DSO s Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute were awarded the Courage Medal by The Courage Fund. This award honours and pays tribute to those who had demonstrated immense courage and self-sacrifice in the fight against SARS. The following were the proud recipients of the award: Ms Aw Lay Tin Mr Adrian Boey Hui Kuang Ms Janet Chew Seok Wei Ms Susie Koh Li Meng Mr Victor Koh Wee Hong Ms Lau Sok Kiang Dr Lee May Ann Dr Lee Soo Sim Ms Carol Leong Pue Paik Mr Jasper Liaw Chin Wen Ms Elizabeth Lim Ai Sim Ms Eileen Lim Chew Ping Mr Lim Jim Jim Ms Loh Gek Kee Mr Jimmy Loh Jin Phang Mr Loke Weng Keong Dr Ng Lee Ching Ms Catherine Ong Ee Ling Ms Shirley Seah Gek Kheng Ms Sng Mui Tiang Dr Tan Boon Huan Mr Tan Yian Kim Ms Tan Yong Teng Mr Jeffrey Toh Huang Beng Ms Wang Dongling Ms Michelle Wong Su Yen Mr Jerry Woo Khee Keong Ms Yap Shiao Hui Medal and Letter of Commendation by the Ministry of Defence The Ministry of Defence presented 13 DSO staff with a medal and a letter of commendation for their dedication and contribution in support of the effort against SARS. The recipients were: Mr Adrian Boey Hui Kuang Ms Susie Koh Li Meng Dr Lee Soo Sim Ms Carol Leong Pue Paik Mr Lim Jim Jim Ms Loh Gek Kee Mr Loke Weng Keong Dr Ng Lee Ching Ms Soh Jyue Theng Ms Sng Mui Tiang Ms Tan Yong Teng Mr Kelvin Toh Mr Jerry Woo Khee Keong
DSO National Laboratories annual report 2003/2004 49 Mr Quek Tong Boon (ex-ceo, DSO) receiving the Certificate of Commendation from President S R Nathan at a ceremony held on 9 October 2003. DSO was commended for our significant contribution in helping Singapore overcome SARS.