MOE Tertiary Education Research Fund (MOE-TRF)
Objectives
The Ministry of Education's Tertiary Education Research Fund (TRF) supports applied educational research at Singapore’s institutes of higher learning (IHLs), to fulfil the following objectives:
- Empower educators and institutions to actively and continuously improve teaching and learning (T&L) practices based on reliable research and data
- Promote effective and innovative T&L practices that have the potential to improve the quality of T&L across all IHLs in Singapore
Award Information
The TRF funds projects on a competitive basis across the IHLs. The quantum awarded and duration of each project are shown below:
| Category | Quantum of Award | Duration of project |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $40,000–$250,000 | Up to 2 years |
| Programmatic | Up to $1M | Up to 3 years |
Who Can Apply?
- All SIT academic staff are eligible to apply for the MOE-TRF grant. The team can comprise staff from the same cluster, across clusters, or across divisions.
- TRF projects allow for joint submissions from the IHLs.
Requirements
It is important that all proposed TRF projects have a direct impact on students’ learning outcomes. The projects should be strongly grounded in reliable research and data. TRF projects may take on one of the following forms:
- Ideation or Proof-of-Concept Projects
These projects develop existing ideas into implementable models (e.g. synthesis of existing principles or theories to develop a curriculum/lesson for a class or division). - Translation Projects
These projects implement proven and tested ideas in new contexts (e.g. the implementation of a practice from one faculty/school to another). - Scaling Projects
These projects implement tested ideas in a larger number of sites than currently in practice (e.g. implementing an idea across the different faculties/schools in an institution). - Evaluation Projects
These projects verify the value or effectiveness of new and/or existing projects, programmes, procedures and/or interventions, as well as the overall outcome or change (e.g. how successful the implementation of an idea has been).
How to Apply?
The TRF is currently administered by the Applied Research Office (ARO) at SIT. SIT Teaching and Learning Academy (STLA) supports and works closely with SIT academic staff to imbue applied learning pedagogy into their projects.