The Workforce Development Applied Research Fund (WDARF), a national-level research fund offered by the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA), aims to foster high quality and rigorous applied research in skills, workforce development and lifelong learning to support the SWDA'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 SWDA. 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) 2026 Grant Call
The Expression of Interest (EOI) submission is now closed.
Previous Result
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
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 2019
Challenge-Learn: Developing and Assessing an Andragogical Programme and System based on Co-Skilling to Enhance Employability and Learning
Asst Prof Pee Loo Geok, Nanyang Technological University
Co-Skilling is a practical approach to adult learning by co-creating ideas and solutions with relevant career stakeholders. It offers systematic guidance to connecting learning to current or future career advancement, as well as demonstrating usable learning outcomes. This research project develops an online system that implements Co-Skilling principles in institutes of adult education. The impacts of Co-Skilling on employability and learning are also assessed.
Grant Call 2019
Development and Evaluation of Building Resilience@Work Training among Healthcare Workers
Associate Professor Lau Ying, National University of Singapore
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-paced training programme (that includes six online sessions, self-monitoring, homework, peer and therapist supports) on resilience, job engagement, intention to leave, employability, and work performance. This study also seeks to explore healthcare workers’ experience of the training programme.
Grant Call 2019
Empowering Singaporean Workers to Transition, and Map Careers Better in the Future of Work through Open Loop Careers
Mr Poon King Wang, Singapore University of Technology and Design
The project is aimed at measuring changes in career circumstances and attitudes over time (12 months), as well as qualitative interviews which glean deeper insights on Singaporean workers' personal experiences.
