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 2019
Preparing PSEI Learners for Changing Working Lives
Dr Chue Shien, Nanyang Technological University
This project seeks to: (a) Understand the challenges of how Singapore Post-Secondary Education (PSEI) students can learn to be ready for working life (b) Understand the mechanism of how education institutions and business organisations afford work-learn opportunities for young adults.
Grant Call 2019
Understanding and Promoting Networked Learning in the Workplace: A Learning Analytics Approach
Dr Khor Ean Teng, Nanyang Technological University
The research project aims to understand networked learning and gain insights into how individuals learn through networks by investigating different components of the learning process using a learning analytics approach. The findings from the project will provide an understanding of the learning process in the case of networked learning for individuals.
Grant Call 2018
Establishing Work Readiness Benchmarks and Standards to Ensure Singapore International Competitiveness
Professor Remus Illes, National University of Singapore
The objective of this study is to inform individuals, training organisations, and employers on what essential skills are required for success, and thus build, select, and promote work ready and likely successful individuals. Leveraging the Education and Skills Online (ESOL), an online computer adaptive programme that administers, scores and report adult competencies in cognitive skills, these essential skills will be benchmarked across a range of jobs within selected career clusters that are key to Singapore’s economic growth.
Grant Call 2018
Mastery in the Digital Age: Accelerating Effective Skills Development Through Social Learning and Workplace Environment Prototyping
Mr Poon King Wang, Singapore University of Technology and Design
This study examines what mastery means given the digital disruption and transformation of work through the lens of craftsmanship in the Energy & Chemical and Precision Engineering sectors. It focuses on both accelerating and deepening skills development, with particular emphasis on the role of social learning and workplace learning environments. This is achieved through an ethnographic study, including observations and interviews, of how digital technology impacts the work of technicians in both sectors, how this influences their sense of mastery and, subsequently, how social learning contributes to develop the skills necessary to thrive in digital working environments.
Grant Call 2018
Orchestration of Microlearning to Support Singapore's Workforce in their Lifelong Learning Journey: Learner, Design and Performance
Professor Looi Chee Kit, Nanyang Technological University
The aim of this research project is to explore microlearning at the learner, course design and system levels. The goals are two-fold: (i) provide empirical findings with Singapore as the context of study, and (ii) catalyze more research on microlearning in Singapore. The research will produce empirical knowledge and will be useful to inform the policy, design and implementation of microlearning.
