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
Aligning the Polytechnic Provision of CET with SkillsFuture: Meeting Learners' and Employers' Needs
Professor Stephen Billett (Griffith University) and Dr Anthony Leow, Republic Polytechnic
Against the backdrop of the SkillsFuture national movement to promote skills mastery and lifelong learning, the research seeks to identify and address gaps in existing educational provisions and capacities of teachers in the post-secondary education institutions (PSEIs) for employability-related continuing education and training (CET) across the Singaporean workforce. It also investigates CET educators’ viewpoints and their teaching practices by examining (i) their perspectives regarding the facilitators and barriers to CET teaching and learning, and (ii) how their professional development in the CET terrain can be realised. By investigating the CET experience from aspects of both students and CET educators in the teaching-learning partnership, the study can potentially illuminate the personal, professional and organisational dimensions of the CET experience.
A Blended Learning Course through Academic Practice Partnership to Enhance Workplace Clinical Teaching and Learning
Associate Professor Liaw Sok Ying, National University of Singapore
The research seeks to inform professional development of clinical nurses who are critical in facilitating nursing students’ learning at work in the clinical setting. The study will explore the experiences of clinical nurses and academic educators in supporting workplace clinical teaching and learning, and examine the effects of a blended learning course to enhance workplace clinical teaching and learning. The outcomes can therefore contribute to developing a successful partnership model of best practices between healthcare workplace and academic institutions.
Course Suggestion for Career Planning: Evaluating Strategies to Support Lifelong Learning. A Pilot on Using Analytics to Recommend SkillsFuture Credit Courses
Professor Robert Kamei, National University of Singapore
The aim of this study is to create a recommender system that can help Singaporeans find, select and complete CET programmes that are suited to both their personal strengths and the needs of the broader Singapore economy. It uses both recent artifical intelligence and data mining techniques as well as behavourial science to better understand how and why people pursue opportunities for lifelong learning. The pilot will test and evaluate the quality of its recommendations.
Course Suggestion for Career Planning: Evaluating Strategies to Support Lifelong Learning. A Pilot on Using Analytics to Recommend SkillsFuture Credit Courses
Professor Robert Kamei, National University of Singapore
The aim of this study is to create a recommender system that can help Singaporeans find, select and complete CET programmes that are suited to both their personal strengths and the needs of the broader Singapore economy. It uses both recent artifical intelligence and data mining techniques as well as behavourial science to better understand how and why people pursue opportunities for lifelong learning. The pilot will test and evaluate the quality of its recommendations.
Understanding and Promoting Work Skill Learning Among Lower-Income Employees
Associate Professor Marko Pitesa, Singapore Management University
The research seeks to understand how the learning of new work skills can be promoted amongst lower-income workers. It will also test novel, cost-effective, and scalable interventions that can help lower-income workers learn new work skills. The designed interventions will be implemented in local organisations through a randomised controlled trial to reveal which approaches produce the most benefit for low-income workers and their organisations.
