DOST to give schools more R&D funds

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will help state universities and colleges (SUCs), particularly those outside the University of the Philippines (UP) system, to expand research and development by giving them more funds.

Executive director Carlos Primo David of the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology (PCIEERD), said they have noted that the UP system, particularly in Diliman, was getting the lion’s share of the DOST’s R&D funds.

David said that PCIEERD, which has more than P500 million in funds each year for grants to industry, energy, and emerging technology R&D activities aside from other funds it gets from DOST also for distribution to R&D activities, will be pushing SUCs to undertake more R&D projects.

“It’s about time that we also capacitate the other schools to do research and provide funding to those that have already started doing research,” David said.

The DOST PCIEERD manages P1.4 billion in grants to SUCs and higher education institutions, as well as DOST institututions undertaking R&D initiatives.

“We’ll have a big program in capacitating SUCs in terms of doing research,”David said.