At WIFO, Sabine Manning was in charge of several research projects in the field of education in Europe, including monitoring research on the implementation of EU educational programmes, comparative investigations on systems of vocational education in relation to general/ academic education, studies within a PETRA research partnership on the modularisation of vocational education and training; and coordination of a European research partnership on dually oriented qualifications (INTEQUAL/ DUOQUAL) within the framework of LEONARDO. 

For a long period she was involved in initiatives, coordinated by CEDEFOP, of developing approaches and tools for web-based information and communication in the area of European vocational education and training research. In particular, she developed a pilot of the European Research Overview (ERO) for the CEDEFOP Research Arena (CEDRA). This pilot drew on the web based resources already collected by WIFO, and produced both a gateway to research (ERO Gateway, now WIFO Gate) and an information base on experts, papers and projects (ERO Base). In cooperation with the Cedefop ReferNet she developed a new resource base on VET and HRD research in Europe (VET&HRD Base).

Parallel to this, she coordinated an accompanying measure, within the EU Fifth Framework Programme  for Research and Technological Development, on building a research resource base related to human resource development in Europe (EHRD Base). This resource base has been maintained in collaboration with the University Forum for HRD (UK). 

Arising out of these European activities, she has investigated issues of collaboration and content development in project related research. The included network analysis was carried out in cooperation with the Institute of Business Studies at the Free University Berlin. Outcomes of this accompanying research feed into the pilot Research Monitor offered on the WIFO website (WIFO Monitor).