DoST backs regional research health projects

The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) is allocating P3 million of funding support for research health projects in each region.

The regional research fund is a strategy reemployed to encourage researchers in the regions to conduct their own projects, according to the DoST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD).

“It is our mission to build capacities and train Filipino researchers in conducting heath research and development that is aligned to the council’s health research agenda,” said Paula Jane de Leon, officer-in-charge Institutional Development Division of the DoST-PCHRD.

De Leon said the program aims to reach out to as many researchers as possible in all parts of the country.

“One of our efforts towards this is the council’s regional research fund,” she said.

“The regional research fund is a research and development grant service of the DoST-PCHRD. Unlike the regular research and development grants provided by the council which supports big ticket research projects, the regional research fund is intended specifically for beginning researchers, especially those from the regions, so they will be experienced in conducting health research,” De Leon said.

She added that the DoST-PCHRD provides funding up to P1 million for every research project within 6 to 12 months duration.

“We allocate at least P1 million per project, so we allocate three projects per region,” De Leon said, adding that the national government always approves their request whenever they ask for a bigger funding.