Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrative Sandbox (TCMIS)

The TCMIS seeks to explore how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be safely and effectively integrated with conventional medical care within a controlled environment. The sandbox focuses on clinical conditions where conventional treatment alone may not achieve optimal treatment outcomes, and where TCM may offer meaningful complementary value and cost-effective integrated care.

Last updated on 3 November 2026

Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrative Sandbox (TCMIS)

Principal Investigators (PIs) from our Public Healthcare Institutions (PHIs) are invited to submit proposals that examine the integration of TCM with conventional treatment. Proposals should clearly articulate the clinical rationale for integration, the intended patient population, and the expected outcomes. Proposed sandboxes that meet eligibility criteria will be subject to review by the TCMIS Selection Committee and must comply with the relevant ethical and regulatory requirements before commencement.

At a glance

Who can apply	Principal Investigators in Public Healthcare Institutions (PHIs)
Treatments covered	Established TCM modalities with sufficient evidence of effectiveness and safety, i.e. acupuncture and/or Chinese Proprietary Medicines (CPMs).
Project duration	Between 12 to 24 months
Funding	MOH will not be providing funding for this initiative.
Submission period	3 Nov 2026 to 2 Nov 2029
Review cycle	Half-yearly review cycle; please allow three to six months from the date of submission for the review process
How to submit	Email your proposal to Trad_CompMed@moh.gov.sg

What is the TCMIS?

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrative Sandbox (TCMIS) supports PHIs in exploring the integration of TCM with conventional medicine within a controlled environment for specific conditions over a specified period. It seeks to comprehensively assess the potential of TCM integration while enabling PHIs to develop and refine their integrated care models, and explore the feasibility of mainstreaming evidence-based TCM treatments as sustainable services in the broader healthcare system.

The TCMIS does not seek to improve access to TCM, which is already widely available and used in the community. Instead, it focuses on clinical conditions where conventional medicine has limitations in achieving optimal treatment outcomes, and where TCM may offer meaningful complementary value and cost-effective integrated care.

The TCMIS will also evaluate whether structured co-management within PHIs is needed to ensure patient safety and optimise clinical outcomes, especially for patients who have complex conditions or multiple comorbidities, and those receiving multiple medications. Through the generation of robust evidence on safety, clinical- and cost-effectiveness, the TCMIS aims to build a stronger foundation for informed policy decisions.

The TCMIS aims to:

evaluate the safety and effectiveness of combining TCM with conventional medical care in inpatient or outpatient settings;
measure patient outcomes and satisfaction, such as improvements in quality of life, when TCM and conventional treatments are offered together;
develop collaborative care protocols for TCM practitioners and conventionally trained healthcare professionals;
identify the challenges of integrating TCM in inpatient and/or outpatient settings, and ways to address them; and
assess the cost-effectiveness and resource needs of TCM integration.

Details on the TCMIS call for proposals

Scope of TCMIS proposals

Proposals should focus on established TCM modalities, i.e. acupuncture and/or Chinese Proprietary Medicines (CPMs), that have sufficient evidence of effectiveness and safety for a specific clinical condition. Treatments may be delivered in inpatient or outpatient settings within public hospitals.

Projects should generally run for 12 to 24 months, to allow enough time for meaningful data collection and analysis.

How proposals are assessed

The TCMIS Selection Committee will assess whether each proposal:

(i) demonstrates sufficient level of evidence in terms of the clinical efficacy and safety of the proposed TCM treatment for the specified clinical condition(s);

(ii) identifies gaps in current conventional treatment for the condition, and explains the therapeutic value of adding TCM as an adjunctive modality; and

(iii) targets patient populations with the specified clinical condition(s) whose complexity and acuity require close monitoring in a hospital setting, so that TCM can be delivered alongside conventional treatment under proper clinical supervision, with outcomes systematically observed and documented.

What to include in your proposal

Your proposal should cover at least the areas listed in the table below. Each proposal will be assessed on its potential impact on health outcomes and service use for the population.

Priority will be given to proposals that clearly show how Western medicine and TCM services can be better integrated to improve clinical outcomes (e.g. reduce the adverse effects of conventional treatment), and that are cost-effective and scalable as a sustainable mainstream clinical service.

Components of a TCMIS proposal

No.	Component	What to include
1	Target clinical condition	A concise rationale for selecting this condition for TCM integration, including relevant background and published evidence on the efficacy and safety of the combined treatment.
2	Proposed integrated care model	A detailed description of how integration will work, including but not limited to, the patient journey, triage, handover between healthcare professionals, and the roles and responsibilities of each professional involved in the patient’s care. Explain how TCM-related information will be captured in the hospital's existing medical records system so that patient data is complete and accessible.
3	Patient demographics	The target patient profile, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and estimated patient load.
4	Safety and monitoring	Safety protocols and procedures, including monitoring systems on adverse events and drug–herb interactions arising from the integrated treatment.
5	Operational requirements	Any additional manpower, infrastructure, space and equipment required.
6	Governance	Describe the clinical governance structure put in place to ensure patient safety and clinical oversight.
7	Medical capabilities and standards	The Levels of Medical Capabilities (LMCs) required to assure continuity of care; the minimum qualifications and experience required of TCM practitioners; and the governance and capabilities of any TCM institutional partners, if any.
8	Financial model and insurance	Financing considerations (including source of funding), payment models for TCM treatment by patients, practitioners' medical malpractice insurance (MMI), and liability considerations for the hospital. Mainstream subsidies and MediSave/MediShield should not be factored in for the sandbox.
9	Regulatory compliance and considerations	Any temporary regulatory exemptions required for the sandbox, e.g. licensing conditions to provide TCM treatment under the Healthcare Services Act (HCSA).
10	Ethical framework	Informed consent process, conflict resolution with existing protocols, and patient rights protection.
11	Data management and analysis	Data collection methods, outcome measures, and analysis tools and techniques.
12	Key performance indicators (KPIs)	The KPIs that will determine the success of the sandbox (e.g. patient outcomes, cost, funding secured, manpower, partnerships, patient satisfaction and regulatory requirements). KPIs should align with the objectives of the proposed sandbox.
13	Post-sandbox transition	Plan for transitioning from the sandbox to permanent integration as a sustainable mainstream clinical service.

Funding

MOH will not provide funding for this open call. PHIs are encouraged to use their cluster funding to support their TCMIS projects.

Exclusion criteria

The TCMIS open call will not consider proposals that:

(i) set up new services or infrastructure, e.g. herbal pharmacies;

(ii) establish the baseline efficacy and safety of the chosen TCM treatment for which there is currently no established evidence;

(iii) test collaborative care models between hospitals and community partners;

(iv) involve only the use of TCM-related artificial intelligence (AI) tools or equipment; or

(v) test the health benefits of mind–body practices, exercise or lifestyle interventions that are mainly self-administered.

TCMIS Selection Committee

The TCMIS Selection Committee (TCMISSC) will oversee the evaluation and selection TCMIS proposals, and reviews the progress and outcomes of selected TCMIS projects.

How to submit a proposal

The call for proposals is open from 3 Nov 2026 to 2 Nov 2029.

TCMIS Submission Form [DOCX, 44.48 KB] (opens in new tab)

Please email one soft copy of your proposal to Trad_CompMed@moh.gov.sg.

Proposals are reviewed in half-yearly cycles. Reviews take about three to six months from the date of submission. Proposals that need regulatory exemption may take a longer period to review.

Proposals are grouped into two tracks, based on their regulatory requirements:

(A) Regulatory approval required from MOH

(i) Proposals involving TCM modalities that require regulatory exemption, i.e,, not allowed under existing licensing conditions, including Chinese Proprietary Medicines (CPMs) or manipulative therapies like tuina; and

(ii) Proposals involving variations of acupuncture with a higher risk profile, such as moxibustion, cupping and laser acupuncture.

(B) For MOH's information

Proposals involving TCM modalities that do not need regulatory exemption, i.e. acupuncture (with or without electrical stimulation).

Although acupuncture proposals do not need regulatory approval, PHIs should keep MOH informed, including submission of progress reports. This helps MOH assess their potential for mainstreaming and subsidy roll-out for the specified clinical condition.

The table below illustrates the types of proposals to be submitted under each track, and their respective additional submission requirements for each type of proposal.

Table caption is required

Track	Regulatory consideration	Type of proposal	Additional requirements
(A) For approval	Requires regulatory exemption	TCM treatments not allowed under existing licensing conditions, e.g. CPMs	(i) CPMs with a sufficient level of evidence for clinical effectiveness and safety (including herb–drug interactions) (ii) Clear clinical governance, patient safety protocols (including escalation pathways and credentialling of TCM practitioners), and clinical responsibility and accountability (iii) Whether treatment and care protocols can be standardised
	Requires regulatory exemption	Manipulative therapies, e.g. *tuina*	(i) The proposed TCM treatment must meet the evidence threshold before any need for regulatory exemption is assessed (ii) Risk profile of the condition, e.g. inpatients tend to have more complex conditions and more comorbidities and contraindications, which may increase patient risk (iii) Clear clinical governance, patient safety protocols (including escalation pathways and credentialling of TCM practitioners), and clinical responsibility and accountability (iv) A defined care pathway and care continuity pathway
	Treatments with a higher risk profile	Variations of acupuncture, including moxibustion, cupping and laser acupuncture.
(B) For information	Does not require regulatory exemption	Acupuncture (with or without electrical stimulation)	Assessment of potential for mainstreaming and subsidy roll-out, covering: (i) Risk profile of the condition; (ii) Clinical and cost-effectiveness evaluation; and (iii) Sustainability and scalability of the integrated care model

Awarded TCMIS projects

Inaugural call

Date of Award: 31 July 2026

S/N	TCMIS Project Title	Lead Institution	Lead Principal Investigator	Collaborating Public Healthcare Institutions (for multi-site projects)
1	Acupuncture in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy	National Neuroscience Institute	Dr Tan Zhibin	Singapore General Hospital
2	Acupuncture in Migraine (AIM)	National Neuroscience Institute	Dr Nijanth Manohararaj	Singapore General Hospital
3	Acupuncture in cancer-related supportive care	National University Hospital (National Cancer Institute of Singapore)	Dr Chong Wan Qin	Tan Tock Seng Hospital Woodlands Health
4	Acupuncture in non-operative knee osteoarthritis	Woodlands Hospital	Dr Ang Mu Liang	Singapore General Hospital
5	Acupuncture in female infertility	National University Hospital	A/Prof Lau Tang Ching	-
6	Acupuncture in stroke rehabilitation	Tan Tock Seng Hospital	A/Prof Loh Yong Joo	-
7	Traditional Chinese Medicine in cancer-related supportive care (Acupuncture)	National Cancer Centre Singapore	Dr Rose Fok	-

Contact information

For enquiries, please email the MOH Traditional and Complementary Medicine Branch at Trad_CompMed@moh.gov.sg.