July 29, 2021

The NUS Social Service Research Centre (SSR) recently received a funding boost of S$1.4 million from the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and Tote Board. The funds will be used to develop and roll out a Capability Development Program over the next three years.

Started in 2015, the Social Service Research Centre aims to bring together resources and integrate multidisciplinary research perspectives to create effective social solutions. Over the past six years, SSR has partnered with social services agencies and government ministries, and has been responsible for applying insights from its social sector research to social service practices, strengthening and developing the capability of Singapore’s social services sector. To date, it has undertaken 17 commissioned research projects. These include studying the impact of chronic debt on the decision-making ability of low-income households and highlighting the need for Singapore to bridge its growing digital divide.

The Capability Development Program builds on the strengths and capabilities of the SSR and fosters the partnerships that the Centre has developed with agencies and organizations in the social services sectors. The program will consist of four key components aimed at improving the capabilities of social services agencies in Singapore. These include research training, research capability development services, conferences and seminars, and publications.

Singapore’s non-profit sector has welcomed rapid transformation through the advancement of digitalization. In addition, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted pressing social concerns such as the asymmetric effects of the pandemic on different income groups in Singapore. These issues have yet to be adequately addressed on our shores, suggesting the increasing importance of the role that social services agencies will play in Singapore’s social cohesion. The Capability Development Program, spearheaded by SSR, is a welcome development to ensure that social service agencies are equipped with the latest social services and practices, thereby future-proofing them for the post-pandemic world and beyond.

Read more about SSR’s MSF funding here!