Mrs Lee Choon Guan Endowed Research Fund
The Mrs Lee Choon Guan Endowed Research Fund (LCG) was launched in April 2027, a result of the conversations between Dr Rosaleen Ow, former Head of the NUS Department of Social Work, and Mr Keith Chua, a great grandchild of the late Mrs Lee Choon Guan and co-trustee of the Mrs Lee Choon Guan Charitable Trust.
Photo courtesy of Singapore National Archive
The LCG Story
The Mrs Lee Choon Guan Endowed Research Fund (LCG) was established in April 2017. The name pays tribute to the late Mrs Lee Choon Guan, a much loved and admired philanthropist.
At a time when women were usually consigned home to care for the family, the late Mrs Lee was raising funds to buy planes for the British government during the First World War. This led to her being made a Member of the British Empire, the first Chinese lady to be conferred the honour.
A philanthropist at heart, she was the founding member of the Chinese Ladies' Association and spearheaded many charitable initiatives. These initiatives covered heathcare, education, and the care of women and children.
The legacy of the late Mrs Lee Choon Guan continues to this day through the various philanthropic initiatives carried out by her great grandchild, Mr Keith Chua, and his family.
About the Mrs Lee Choon Guan Endowed Research Fund
The Mrs Lee Choon Guan Endowed Research Fund resources the Department to engage with frontline practitioners keen to conduct practice research that will enhance service provision and delivery.
The distinguishing features of practice research projects lie in the involvement of service providers, service users, and caregivers in the entire research process. These stakeholders are involved in the conceptualisation, implementation, analysis and utilisation of research findings. In addition, awardees of the Mrs Lee Choon Guan Endowed Research Fund are assigned an Academic Principal Investigator from the NUS Department of Social Work to guide and advise them.
The objectives of conducting practice research is to turn them into teaching and training materials. Practice research projects have the potential to:
(1) improve the accessibility, delivery and design of services,
(2) enhance the well-being of service users, as well as
(3) contribute to policy discussions at the agency and governmental levels
Our Vision
The development and evolution of an empirical foundation for social work practice through the collaborative efforts of philanthropy, academia and practitioners.
Our Mission
- To fund social work research projects that contribute to service delivery and development.
- To support collaborative extension projects within funded agencies and sharing of findings for practice in agencies working with a similar group of service users.
- To facilitate the sharing of findings and competency development in platforms, such as the development of materials for practice and teaching (toolkits, board games, workshops), attending relevant conferences, writing for professional journals and other forms of literature.
Our Steering Committee Members
Mr Tim Oei
Chief Executive Officer
Mindfull Community
Mr K Achuthappa
Ministry of Social and Family Development
Mr Udhia Kumar
Kampong Kapor Community Services
Mr Ben Png
Senior Principal Medical Social Worker
National University Hospital
Ms Chee Wai Yee
Founder & Executive Director
Compassionate Network
A/P Lee Geok Ling
Head, NUS Department of
Social Work
Mr Keith Chua
Mrs Lee Choon Guan Trustee
(Observer)
Our Secretariat
A/P Choo Hyekyung
Director, LCG
Is there anything you would like to know about the LCG?
Would you like to be notified
of our Grant Calls?
Please leave your contact details with us:
swk_LCGresfund@nus.edu.sg
Imelda Lee
Senior Executive