PCAARRD offers innovative graduate assistantship program

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INNOVATIVE scholarship program which enables qualified graduate students to become active players in generating quality research that addresses the country’s priority concerns in the Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources sector is now being offered.

This bright opportunity developed after the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCAARRD- DOST) has teamed up with another DOST agency, the Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI).

The fellowship program dubbed “Graduate Research and Education Assistantship Program for Technology (GREAT)” is now seeking qualified graduate students for the current academic year.

Following this development, an orientation- seminar for the said scholarship program was recently held at the Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte.

Eligible for the program are graduate students who are about to start their graduate programs or have enrolled in at most 12 units of course work, at the time of application.

They should have identified the proposed PCAARRD project that they will be involved with and should seek the endorsement of the project leader, who will later serve as their thesis adviser or guidance committee member.

Interested graduate students are encouraged to get in touch with the Institution Development Division (IDD) of PCAARRD for details on the application requirements and procedures through email: pcarrd.idd@gmail.com.

Aside from the usual financial entitlements like monthly stipend, book allowance, tuition fee, thesis budget, travel allowance and insurance, the program gives its scholars the opportunity to be involved in identified PCAARRD funded project, which will also serve as the platform for the graduate scholar’s thesis or dissertation.

“PCAARRD has been a long partner of VSU in its research and development activities, and these projects can now serve as a venue for qualified graduate students to pursue their master’s or doctorate degree at VSU,” says Dr. Juanito T. Batalon, director of PCAARRD’s IDD.

The graduate students can complete their study program on time while the project achieves its goals and objectives, in general.

PCAARRD prefers that at the start of their study program even before starting their thesis or dissertation, the graduate scholars can already immerse themselves with the project.

Under the GREAT, the graduate scholars are also qualified to submit to PCAARRD a re-entry grant proposal related to their thesis or within the agency’s priority R&D programs, after they graduate. The maximum grant for an approved re-entry project proposal is P5 million.

On the other hand, PCAARRD acting executive director Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora says they would like to attract the best graduate students for this new and innovative program, which is why we are providing above-industry standard benefits.

The program, which has a global perspective, would eventually evolve to include providing opportunity for selected scholars to conduct a portion of their research in a partner R&D institution abroad.

PCAARRD also foresees the assistantship program as a vital element of the agency’s Industry Science and Technology (ISP) Strategic Roadmap.

GREAT can supply their needed human resources through strategic graduate education coupled with an efficient implementation of R&D projects.

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