Research Skills for Social Services Mentoring Programme (August 2022)
Registration
Interested applicants can register for the course via NUS Online Application Portal.
Registration has closed.
Kindly note that in addition to registering through the NUS Online Application Portal, interested applicants must submit a brief research proposal at this link.
About
This 13-week course is a research mentoring programme that offers social service professionals an opportunity to complete a small-scale research project with guidance from experienced researcher-mentors. Participants in this programme will be supported by workshops, peer group discussions, and regular feedback from mentors. Throughout the programme, social service professionals will be guided from the conceptualisation of the research problem to data collection, data analysis, and presentation of their research findings.
While the workshops and mentors may provide support on specific research methods or skills, these would tailor towards the needs and requirements of the research projects proposed. The programme strives to provide a holistic guidance and support on the different stages of research for each proposed research project.
At the end of the programme, participants are expected to achieve the following objectives:
• Conceptualise and construct sound research questions relevant to their social service practice that would develop into feasible research projects completed within the programme time-frame;
• Apply appropriate research methods to their research projects;
• Understand and appreciate ethical concerns on social service research;
• Conduct data collection or fieldwork necessary for their research projects;
• Conduct appropriate data analyses and provide accurate data interpretations for their research projects; and
• Prepare and present research findings for a mini-conference.
Programme Structure
The research mentoring programme will be conducted over 13 weeks. There will be 2 full-day workshops, 6 mentoring sessions, and 1 end-of-course graduation presentation.
• Workshop 1: 1 Aug 2022, 9:30AM – 5:00PM (in-person)
• Workshop 2: 2 Aug 2022, 9:30AM – 5:00PM (in-person)
• 6 mentoring sessions: to be arranged with mentors (online or in-person)
• Graduation presentation (for participants): 1 Nov 2022 (in-person)
Programme Mentor
Dr Ng Guat Tin is an Associate at the Social Service Research Centre (SSR), NUS. Her past research and evaluation studies were related to recovery from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, well-being of older persons, family caregiving, family violence, training needs assessment, and service design. Her current research interests include aged care, family caregiving, transnational families, and documentation of social services.
Programme Trainers
Dr Gerard Chung is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Social Service Research Centre (SSR), NUS. He completed his Ph.D. in social work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. He is interested in researching parenting and families, intervention development, and casework processes in social service agencies.
Dr Hana Alhadad is an independent researcher, an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, and is currently helming the Public Policy Taskforce in participatory research at the Singapore Management University. She has extensive international community development experience working with vulnerable groups using participatory methods for positive change, conflict transformation and civic engagement. Her research projects include exploring the arts in community development as well as the relationships between people, place and power. Her current practice and research interests focus on the intersections of equity-centred, trauma-informed practice, and social emotional learning in community building and engagement.
Programme Fee
This course is SSG-approved. Participants who are Singaporeans or Singaporean Permanent Residents will be eligible for subsidies of 70% of the course fees, excluding GST. Singaporean participants who are aged 40 years old and above will be eligible for higher subsidies of up to 90% of course fees. Participants are required to attend at least 75% of the course and obtain a pass grade for the required assignments.
Programme Fee Breakdown
