The Workforce Development Applied Research Fund (WDARF), a national-level research fund offered by the SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), aims to foster high quality and rigorous applied research in workforce development and lifelong learning to support the SkillsFuture Singapore's key thrusts and national-level policies. It encourages inter-disciplinary research and seeks to strengthen research capabilities, through leveraging both local and international expertise. The WDARF Grant Call is administered by the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) on behalf of the SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG). The grant is awarded through an open, competitive bidding approach, where submitted proposals go through a technical expert review and evaluation, before they are presented to a Research Committee for approval.
Workforce Development Applied Research Fund (WDARF) 2025 Grant Call
The WDARF 2025 Grant Call is now open. We are now accepting submission for Expression of Interest (EOI) from now till 18 July.
Previous Result
Grant Call 2020
Digital Capacity Building for Own-account Workers in Singapore
Dr Carol Soon, National University of Singapore
The objective of this study is to advance the digital skills and competencies of own-account workers in Singapore through benchmarking a set of job-ready digital skills and mapping a framework for digital skills development. The project seeks to unlock the benefits of digitalisation for a segment of Singaporean workers who tend to be digitally low-skilled so that they too can participate meaningfully in the digital economy. Findings from the study will support the policymaking work of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), the SG Digital Office (SDO) and the National Jobs Council.
Grant Call 2017
Virtual and Augmented Reality Training Systems for the Elderly in Singapore
Associate Professor Jung Younbo, Nanyang Technological University
The project aims to address emerging challenges in an aging society by examining the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) learning programmes for elderly Singaporeans on building their confidence in living independently with dignity and respect. For instance, the newly developed learning programmes may help the elderly pick up new skills that are essential to live in a smart nation and applicable to find appropriate jobs to meet their physical and financial needs. The initial findings will help implement the project in real-life settings, in cooperation with government and welfare organisations so as to benefit the elderly, paving the way towards active ageing.
Grant Call 2018
Work, Well-being, and Resilience: Understanding Singapore’s Mature Workforce
Associate Professor Kang Soon Hock, Singapore University of Social Sciences
This project seeks to investigate the factors that influence work-related decisions, lifelong learning decisions and activities, and the well-being of mature workers aged between 45 and 75. The outcomes include developing a corporate model in matching work motivators of the matured worker to the corporate structure that will enable the former to perform their jobs and maintain their employability, and as a resource to the policy agenda on the integration and retention of mature workers in the Singapore workforce.
Grant Call 2020
Proactive career planning and development for Singapore Female Health Professionals
Dr Trevor Yu, Nanyang Technological University
This study aims to investigate the career planning and development behaviours of Singapore female health professionals (SFHPs), designing a programme to help increase their proactivity in lifelong career planning that considers their personal needs and life plans. An assessment tool will be constructed to evaluate the effectiveness of career planning and development initiatives for SFHPs. The findings will help Singapore healthcare employers and policy-makers better support and invest in SFHPs’ long-term career planning and development. This can lead to better retention of SFHPs, improved career and work satisfaction, as well as supporting Singapore’s drive to future-proof its professional workforce.
Grant Call 2020
Developing an Impact Evaluation Protocol for SSG’s Skills Framework
Prof Remus Ilies, National University of Singapore
The project aims to develop an Impact Evaluation (IE) protocol to quantify Singapore’s return on investment (ROI) on the Skills Framework and other upskilling initiatives. It considers (1) employers’ recognition of the need for skills, (2) their willingness to pay for skills, (3) how they pay for skills, and in turn, how this impacts (4) productivity, (5) employee engagement, and (6) retention. The proposed IE serves two key purposes. The first is accountability, to ensure that the Skills Framework actually leads to outcomes. The second is learning, to offer an evidence base to improve the effectiveness of the Skills Framework in fostering outcomes of interest.
