Soft Skills Research Fund

Submitted by cvu@poverty-ac… on
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IPA announces new funding for research on Soft Skills for Entrepreneurship and Workforce Development, in collaboration with J-PAL

Through this funding, IPA aims to support research in low—and middle-income countries that examines the relationship to soft skills and employment-related outcomes. Priority will be given to projects that respond to existing evidence gaps, incorporate a common framework for measuring soft skills and economic outcomes, and generate implementation-relevant evidence. Learn more in our full announcement.

IPA will source research projects through two key approaches:

1. Curated Portfolio of Research Projects


We will leverage IPA’s extensive experience and strong partnerships to develop a portfolio of full-scale research projects. These projects will be co-designed with leading implementers and researchers, focusing on:

  • Developing research questions
  • Collecting and analyzing implementation data
  • Thoughtful use of soft-skills measurement
  • Projects will be selected on a rolling basis by an internal committee, prioritizing:
  • Alignment with the research agenda
  • Potential for policy impact
  • Collaboration with interdisciplinary teams that are flexible, knowledgeable, and strategic in using soft-skills measures

For more information, please contact epsd@poverty-action.org.

2. Competitive Open Call for Proposals - Fall 2025


This call will identify high-potential projects focused on implementation questions, coordination in soft-skills measurement, and best research practices. Priority will be given to projects that:

  • Use interdisciplinary teams
  • Develop open-source tools
  • Conduct psychometric analysis
  • Collect long-term labor outcomes

The call will support:

  • Nimble RCTs
  • Additional data collection for ongoing projects
  • Implementer-driven research initiatives

More details on how to apply will be available soon.

Advancing Comparable Soft Skills Research


Despite growing research, the nebulous and multifaceted nature of soft skills inhibits the development of actionable policy recommendations. Programs and researchers often use popular but not necessarily appropriate terms and measures. We seek to encourage a common language among research projects by promoting:

  • Common skills framework
  • Measures of soft skills that fit the intervention
  • Common outcomes measures for labor
  • Common implementation and process data: with details on which soft skills are in the intervention, the curricula used, details of the target population and its aspirations, dosage, mode, and cost