Google backs Singapore university research on Alzheimer’s, AI efficiency and safety

Researchers in Singapore are getting Google funding to study Alzheimer’s disease, make AI computing more efficient and develop safer systems. In a November 3, 2026 announcement, Google committed more than $6 million to research grants and capacity building at two universities, alongside its already-established research hub in the country.

The recipients are the National University of Singapore, or NUS, and Nanyang Technological University, or NTU. Their projects span scientific uses of AI and work on the technology itself: reducing computing demands, supporting regional languages and improving how AI systems are evaluated.

Disease research and the cost of computing

NUS received a $1.5 million AI for Science Google.org Impact Challenge grant for Alzheimer’s research. The project will use AI models and data science to investigate neurodegenerative disease, with medical breakthroughs the goal rather than an achieved result. Google said the university was selected from more than 3,500 applications worldwide.

A separate $500,000 NUS grant targets machine-learning efficiency and regional language processing. The computing work includes sustainable compute and model-serving optimization—making the process of running models to answer requests more efficient.

Safety studies reach beyond individual models

At NTU, $340,000 will fund four sponsored studies covering AI safety frameworks, robust evaluation methods, trustworthy multi-agent systems and privacy-preserving watermarking for large language models. The agenda includes both assessing AI and studying systems in which several AI agents work together.

$750,000NTU AI for Science Capacity Fund grant

The grant is intended to build permanent research capabilities across Southeast Asia.

Institutions and people, not just projects

NTU’s capacity-building initiative will operate under Professor Ho Teck Hua’s regional academic leadership. Google says it will establish lasting infrastructure, foster internal research agents and develop ethical AI frameworks.

Google.org and Google DeepMind are also providing $3 million for INSEAD’s Thrive Lab in Singapore. The lab will examine how people and organizations can thrive alongside technological change. Its research will explore how education, workplaces and communities help people develop skills, find purpose and build meaningful relationships.