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: Christine Jane M. Gonzalez; Latest News; 18 March 2020; Hits: 137

2020 Call for Applications: PhD Program in Molecular Biomedicine

The Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), the University of Trieste (UNITS) and Fondazione Italiana Fegato (FIF) enter into an Agreement to develop and implement of a program focused on molecular hepatology within the PhD Program in Molecular Biomedicine of UNITS. This Fellowship program integrates basic research and clinics focusing on the study of molecular approaches to cancer biology, genetics, jaundice and metabolic diseases. The duration of the program is for 3 years.

Applicant’s research interests must be aligned with the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA) and National Harmonized Research and Development Agenda.

Objectives

The PhD program aims to achieve the following objectives:

Develop a pool of high-quality human resources in molecular hepatology in particular who will contribute to the country’s global competitiveness and economic development;
Provide opportunities to deserving students to study and obtain PhD degrees in Molecular Biomedicine in reputable institutions abroad;
Contribute to the country’s health research and technological innovation capabilities through training on biomedical research;
Create the basis for a Filipino Liver Network integrating basic and clinical research in liaison with FIF.

Capacity

Two positions of PhD students will be available each year at UNITS (Subject to the availability of funds)

Eligibility

The applicant must:

Be a Filipino citizen;
Be in good health condition;
Not be more than 40 years old at the time of application;
Hold a Master's degree in a field relevant to health and biomedicine;
Have an outstanding academic record;
Passed the admission requirements for the PhD study;
Passed the interview and other screening procedures;
Conduct her/his research for the entire duration of the scholarship and of the PhD Program.

Scholarship Privileges

Living allowance (20,000€/year);
Book allowance (500€/year);
Bench fee (4,000€/year);
Health and accident insurance; and
One round-trip economy fare from residence to Italy.

Selection Procedure

1st Selection

Document Screening

Documentary evaluation of the form and other requirements by DOST-PCHRD

2nd Selection

Technical Interview

Technical interview by a panel composed of DOST-PCHRD Director, FIF Scientific Director (or a FIF delegate), or a member of the PhD Program in Molecular Biomedicine of the UNITS, and other health research experts to assess:

Academic background and learning ability
Capacity for completing the study
Possibility of contributing to the development of the country
Compatibility to the university course

The interview will take place at DOST-PCHRD.

3rd and Final Selection

A panel from the PhD Program in Molecular Biomedicine (UNITS) will identify the successful PhD student(s) from among the candidates selected in the Technical Interview, based on their academic records and the selection criteria as established by UNITS.

Timeline

March 17	Opening of the PCHRD Call for Applications
May 15	Application deadline
June - July	Document Screening, Interview, and Announcement of the selected candidate(s)
August - September	Preparation of necessary documents (visa, insurance, bank account)
November 1	Start of PhD program

List of Application Documents (Forms) for PCHRD screening

CV
Accomplished application form with ID picture
PSA Birth Certificate
Valid NBI Clearance
Endorsement Letter from two (2) former professors in MS program
Certificate of Employment (if employed, recommendation and permission to take a leave of absence from employer or head of agency while on scholarship)
Medical Certificate as to health status from a licensed physician with his/her PRC license number indicated
Certificate of Master Degree
Admission to Graduate Studies/Graduate School
Transcript of Records (certified true copy)
Program of Study/Course Curriculum (if available or to follow)
Re-entry Plan (narrative)
Budgetary Requirements (attach at least 3 airfare canvasses and website references for items requested)

Documents must be submitted to:

Address: Saliksik Building, DOST Compound, Gen. Santos Ave., Bicutan Taguig City 1631 Philippines

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

: Christine Jane M. Gonzalez; Latest News; 18 March 2020; Hits: 111

Call for Proposals: Collaborative Research and Capacity Building Initiative in HIV and Schistosomiasis

One of the strategic objectives of Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) for 2019-2022 is to strengthen the capacity of the network to support health research. To address this objective, the PNHRS Capacity Building Committee (CBC) created the Collaborative Research and Capacity Building Initiative which will integrate the capacity building efforts of the implementing agencies, regional consortia, and member institutions. Harmonizing the efforts in research capacity will result in better use of resources which will contribute to the development of evidence-informed health decisions, programs, and policies.

The Collaborative Research and Capacity Building Initiative has the following objectives:

Promote partnership and collaboration among researchers/research and development
institutions in health research capacity building;
Harmonize R&D capacity building efforts through interregional and interdisciplinary
collaborative research;
Optimize resources for health R&D capacity building programs for researchers and
research and development institutions; and
Develop more relevant and quality health researches aligned with National Unified
Health Research Agenda (NUHRA) and Regional Unified Health Research Agenda.

Priority Areas for Funding

For its initial phase, the initiative accepts proposals on control and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and schistosomiasis. The program must have at least 2-3 of the following research project components: (1) clinical/epidemiology/diagnostics, (2) use of ICT, (3) health social science, and (4) health policy
and systems research.

Minimum Requirements for the Proposals

All proposals submitted for funding must comply with the following requirements:

Must involve the Research and Development Institution’s (RDI) or Higher Education Institutions’ (HEIs) faculty/researcher and early-career scientists
Must include a mechanism for sharing of resources (expertise, data/information,
facilities) for research
Must be collaborative, interregional, and interdisciplinary, involving 2-3 RDIs/HEIs through a letter of support or willingness to collaborate
Must include plans for research dissemination, utilization, and translation
Duration: 1-2 years (PNHRS implementing agencies and counterpart implementing RDIs/non-RDIs shall provide funding for approved proposals for 1-2 years, subject to monitoring and evaluation and annual review)

Who may submit

Principal investigators must be a Filipino with at least a Master’s Degree in a relevant field and employed in universities/colleges, research agencies/institutes, hospitals, and other health-related agencies who are members of the Regional Health Research and Development Consortia (RHRDC) are eligible to apply for the research grant.

How to submit

Interested lead proponents must submit their capsule proposals using the DOST-PCHRD
forms. Research proposals submitted must be duly endorsed by the RHRDC concerned.

The RHRDC shall submit priority capsule proposal to:

The Executive Director
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development
Department of Science and Technology
Saliksik Building, DOST Compound, Gen. Santos Ave., Bicutan Taguig City 1631 Philippines

Successful proponents will be invited to join a write-shop for the development of the full
proposal.

Deadline for submission of capsule proposals is on or before April 30, 2020.

: Christine Jane M. Gonzalez; Latest News; 04 November 2019; Hits: 833

Consortia RUCs participate in harmonization of plans

The PNHRS Research Utilization Committee (RUC) and the RUCs of the different Regional Health Research and Development Consortia (RHRDC) convened for the Consortia RUC Planning held on October 15-16, 2019 at Casa Blanca Suites, Legazpi City, Albay. This was a follow-through activity of the business meeting conducted during the 13^th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week celebration in Cagayan de Oro City last August 2019.

The objective of this two-day planning was to facilitate the harmonization of efforts of the RUC Consortia in the dissemination of research information and maximize its utilization.

Ms. Merlita Opeña (Chief of the Research Information, Communication, and Utilization Division) of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) presented and discussed the PNHRS Strategic Plan 2019-2022, which is the primary basis for the development of the RUC plans of the regions, and technology transfer.

Moreover, the following topics were discussed which are essential in the planning of programs and activities of the RHRDC RUCs: Communicating Research and Research Results; and Translating Research to Policy by Ms. Ullyann Garcia (Senior Science Research Specialist, PCHRD).

The newly updated PNHRS Research Registry, HERDIN+ (Health Research and Development Information Network Plus), was presented by Ms. Violeta Intia (Senior Science Research Specialist, PCHRD) as an online tool for research institutions. This was formerly known as HERDIN, which is still the largest online compendium of health research studies in the country.

Mr. Ricardo Varela (Member, PNHRS RUC) facilitated the presentation of accomplishments of the RHRDC RUCs. The different RUC chairpersons and representatives provided a very productive discussion of the best practices in their respective regions.

During the synthesis on the second day, vital discussions were conducted concerning the alignment of the drafted plans by the regional representatives with that of the PNHRS Strategy Map 2019-2022. Consequently, this will help in the refinement of the plans and programs of the regional RUCs that will be included in their respective Consortia planning.

Written by Carlson Dave Bolinto

: Christine Jane M. Gonzalez; Latest News; 04 November 2019; Hits: 1057

DOST-PCHRD pursues partnership with PH pharma industry on drug discovery

Around 40 potential partners from the pharmaceutical industry met with the lead negotiators of the Tuklas Lunas™ Program during the Philippine Health Research Innovations Matching Event (PHRIME) on Thursday, October 17 to discuss how the outputs of the Drug Discovery and Development Program can further be developed and reach the Filipino consumers.

Organized by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), PHRIME aims to present the pioneering batch of herbal drug candidates developed through DOST-PCHRD’s Tuklas Lunas™ program for various health conditions.

“It is only when the research results from our drug discovery program reach the market can we truly say that research serves the best interest of the Filipino people,” said Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, Executive Director of DOST-PCHRD.

Aiming to produce world-class medicines derived from the Philippine biodiversity, the DOST-PCHRD opens opportunities for the pharmaceutical sector to co-develop medicines with researchers, by investing in drug development, or obtain early license for eventual commercialization.

“This is history in the making, as this will be the first time that we will show you what we have done through the years with Tuklas Lunas. DOST is seeking partnerships to put these outputs into pre-clinical and clinical studies, and eventually, for commercialization,” Dr. Montoya emphasized.

DOST’s Undersecretary for Research and Development, Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara, who stressed that health, of all interests, must always come first. “You as the industry for pharmaceuticals have the opportunity to improve the health of the Filipino people. Ang challenge lang po namin sa inyo ay to be brave, believe in the Filipino researchers and scientists, and co-invest with the Department of Science and Technology.”

Tuklas Lunas™ is one of the research priority areas of DOST-PCHRD following the National Unified Health Research Agenda 2017-2022. To date, the program has supported and partnered with 28 institutions nationwide in studying the country’s biodiversity potential for drug research.

For more information about Tuklas Lunas, visit http://pchrd.dost.gov.ph.

: Christine Jane M. Gonzalez; Latest News; 23 October 2019; Hits: 1065

DOST launches first Nat’l research agenda for mental health

The country’s lead in health research, Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), announced the conception of the first National Mental Health Research Agenda (NMHRA) during the World Mental Health Week on Friday, October 11, 2019 at the Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City.

Intended to set direction for the country’s future mental health research investments, the development of NMHRA 2019-2022 was facilitated by DOST-PCHRD and the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR) – Philippines, working with various stakeholders. The selection of NMHRA research priority areas is based on the provisions of the Philippine Mental Health Act of 2017.

“We still have much to do in the field of mental health research, and I hope with the NMHRA, we can inspire more evidence-informed research programs on mental health in the country,” said Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, Executive Director of DOST-PCHRD.

According to the Principal Investigator of NMHRA and the President of WAPR-Philippines, Ms. Lucita Lazo, mental health is not a national priority over the years, but now solutions to address the problems are being brought out. Ms. Lazo expressed her high hopes that more government and non-government organizations will initiate and support mental health research efforts in the country.

Ms. Lazo co-developed the NMHRA with Dr. Lourdes L. Ignacio, the Founding President of WAPR-Philippines.

Mental health situation in the Philippines

“In a developing country like the Philippines, the shortage of human and financial resources along with the stigma on anything “mental”, and the low prioritization for mental health hamper the national capacity to respond to the increasing needs of the Filipino to sustain a good quality of life,” said Dr. Ignacio.

Mental health is listed as the third most prevalent form of illness in the Philippines (Lally et. al., 2018). The Department of Health reported that one in every five Filipino adults has some form of mental illness.

Every year, around 3,500 Filipinos commit suicide (World Population Review, 2019). Additionally, the highest percentage of depression affects teenagers and young adults aged 16 to 29.

In terms of healthcare, there are only 2-3 mental health workers for every 100, 000 Filipinos (World Health Organization and DOH, 2006). This, according to experts, accounts for a severe shortage of mental health specialists in the country. Moreover, researchers argue that mental health in the Philippines remains an under-resourced aspect in healthcare.

National developments in mental health

According to Dr. Ignacio, there are two major waves of mental health development in the Philippines. The first was initiated in 2001 by the National Mental Health Policy issued by the Secretary of Health as the country’s commitment in observance of the World Health Day. The second was done in the last two years: the enactment of the Philippine Mental Health Act of 2017, the promulgation of its implementing rules and regulations, and the enactment of the Universal Health Law. These recent developments are all deemed to change the landscape of mental health in the country.

The future of mental health research with NMHRA 2019-2022

Mental health is one of the research priorities in the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA) 2017-2020. However, no mental health research framework existed which the DOST-PCHRD could follow in supporting mental health programs.

With the NMHRA 2019-2022, future mental health research projects are expected to achieve three major outcomes as follows: improved mental health information system; strengthened leadership and governance; and accessible, available, affordable, and responsive mental health services.

According to Ms. Lazo and Dr. Ignacio, a strengthened mental health information system is crucial as it will lay the basis for innovations in the field. More so, this will help steer the provision of mental healthcare services for Filipinos. Subsequently, an improved leadership and governance will ensure adequate supply of resources needed for mental health services in the country. Well-informed duty bearers will fuel the provision of treatment and care in local mental health facilities and mental hospitals, which will increase the availability of mental health services among local communities all over the country.

The new mental health research agenda seeks to support the current policy reforms in mental health, as it is informed by developments at the global level and continues to support a life course perspective on mental health research.

“Now, it seems like there can be reality to the movement towards approaching mental health from a transformative framework to being more wide-ranging, as it’s going to traverse the whole of life, because that’s what mental health is all about, the whole total well-being, so exciting!” Dr. Violeta Bautista, head of UP Diliman’s Clinical Psychology Program stressed.

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