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
Socio-cultural factors shaping Singaporean Malay-Muslim workers’ decisions regarding employment and training
Dr Mohamad Shamsuri Juhari, National University of Singapore
The project will focus on the socio-cultural dynamics which serve to motivate or inhibit Singaporean Malay/Muslim Community (MMC) workers from actively seeking pathways to enhance their career and work life. It aims to identify and examine specific socio-cultural factors that serve to frame the decision-making processes of working-age adults from the MM community with regards to enhancing their individual career and work life. The project also seeks to recommend solutions to address the challenges posed by these factors.
Grant Call 2020
Neurophysiological Measures for Task Handling Complexity
Prof Lye Sun Woh, Nanyang Technological University
The proposed project seeks to investigate and possibly develop a new evaluation measure known as the “capability-task quotient” (C-TQ) using neurophysiological characteristics of the operator over a time period when handling various task complexities. The aim is to measure and analyse both short and sustained level of neurophysiological activities and characteristics of the operator over a period of time when handling various task complexities in a certain work environment setting. The results would have potential to reshape how humans are hired, allocated or assessed with regards to a given task or job scope. If market size is an indicator, this would translate into billions of dollars of savings with a more efficient, effective fulfilled workforce with greater latitude to minimise human errors. The type of task learning and training required by the operator can also be enhanced.
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
Changing Mindsets to Enable Workers to Thrive in an Uncertain Job Market
Dr Patricia Chen, National University of Singapore
This research aims to address the psychological barriers that could hinder workers’ motivation to engage in lifelong learning. The study introduces two theoretically novel mindsets as potential solutions to reduce these psychological barriers (i.e. do not believe that they can learn new, different kind of skills, fear of failure). The first is an “expansive growth mindset” (the belief that one can take up and master new, different kinds of skills) and the second, an “experimental mindset” (an orientation towards approaching any problem through iterative experimenting—including generating various possible solutions, trials-and-error, gaining feedback, revising methods based on the feedback and trying again). The team will conduct psychological research on Singapore working adults to measure and test the global efficacy of these mindsets. In Aim 1 (i.e. understanding two important psychological barriers to upskilling and reskilling), the team will design and validate measures of these theoretically novel mindsets, and examine their relation with people’s learning attitudes and motivations. In Aim 2 (i.e. designing and testing mindset interventions to address the psychological barriers), the team will design and test scalable mindset interventions to motivate greater engagement in upskilling and reskilling (e.g. greater uptake of SkillsFuture credits). The findings will contribute to possible solutions to enhance lifelong learning in Singapore.
Grant Call 2020
“Do you know how you present?”: Effectiveness of VR-Augmented Feedback for Effective Oral Presentation
Associate Professor Quek Choon Lang Gwendoline, Nanyang Technological University
This study will design the VR-augmented feedback environment to investigate the effectiveness of VR-augmented feedback in training. With this consideration, the objectives of this project are the following: 1. To develop the presenters' presentation skills for engaging the adult audience in a virtual training environment. 2. To investigate the effectiveness of the virtual reality-based environment in improving presenters’ oral presentation skills.
