The Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology – National Research Council of the Philippines (DOST-NRCP) – initiated its call for proposals for 2023 funding. NRCP will start receiving project proposals at the DOST Project Management Information System (DPMIS) portal.
The NRCP continuously provides financial support to relevant fundamental/basic research and policy research with socio-economic benefits for the people to ensure that new knowledge and information are generated. NRCP has 13 areas for research which are clustered in six (6) priority areas under its National Integrated Basic Research Agenda (NIBRA). Aside from generating new information or new research areas for further development, it is expected that projects also strengthen governance through the fusion of science and the arts, technology and innovation and subsequently increase productivity and ensure efficient processes in the delivery of research results for the public good.
The priority research areas and programmes of the council should be aligned to the NIBRA which is part of the existing Harmonised National Research and Development Agenda (HNRDA) of DOST. The six components of NIBRA are:
- (1) Sustainable Community (SAKLAW Programme),
- (2) Food and Nutrition Security (SAPAT Programme),
- (3) Water Security (TUBIG Programme),
- (4) Clean Energy (ALERT Programme),
- (5) Inclusive Nation Building (ATIN Programme) and
- (6) Health Sufficiency (LIKAS Programme).
This SAKLAW programme focuses on assessment studies of vulnerable ecosystems particularly lakes and mined-out areas. Research topics include risk-assessment, social and environmental (water quality parameters and biomonitoring indicators), carrying capacities, hydrological dynamics (surface waters, flood and sediment), and economic resource valuation for the lakes, as well as the reduction of heavy metals exposure among communities and policy studies on bioremediation strategies for the programme on Greening the Mined-out Areas in the Philippines (GMAP).
It also focuses on risk communication studies for disaster management which will generate risk communication plans and strategies for local government units.
The expected deliverables include assessment reports of vulnerable ecosystems, remediation strategies, and policy recommendations for development and conservation as well as inclusive and sustainable development.
The SAPAT programme focuses on the food safety of raw or processed food products (particularly on contaminants and adulterants. It likewise includes taxonomic studies of flora and fauna (e.g. genetic analysis, morphological, allelopathic, bioecology studies) for food security and sustainability which will generate policy recommendations. The expected deliverables are regulatory policies and policy recommendations.
The TUBIG programme will put its efforts into studies of water quality, and its accessibility and availability for safe drinking purposes. It also includes characterisation of water resources (pollutants/contaminants/toxicity, physicochemical, socio-economic, biological and morphological). It will address the impacts of La Nina, El Nino, Climate Change threats, regional climate and saltwater intrusion on potable water supply.
The deliverable outputs will eventually address water quality issues for policy recommendations per geographical area and may generate standards on water availability and quality indices. The Clean Energy ALERT priority programme covers resource assessment of potential alternative sources of energy (wind, solar, biofuels, hydro and others) for Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA). The expected output includes prototypes of commercially viable alternative energy technology.
The ATIN programme gives attention to documentation on Philippine indigenous knowledge, culture, and heritage; national security and sovereignty studies; “Filipinnovation” of Arts, Culture and Heritage for Creative Industries; and “Kapakanan ng Tao sa Oras ng Pandemya” (KTOP) research initiatives dealing with the social dimensions of the pandemic. The expected deliverables include creative works (i.e., documentaries, monographs, dictionaries and others), models and systems, case studies, assessment reports and policy recommendations.
Lastly, the LIKAS programme will concentrate on fundamental and taxonomic studies on potential sources of natural products from the rare environment (e.g., volcanoes, caves, mud springs, lahar, marine sediments, mined-out areas, mesophotic reefs, mangroves and others), and also on basic veterinary studies – zoonotic diseases (etiology, transmission and control). The deliverable outputs will be policy recommendations and new bioactive compounds for potential medicinal use.
Aside from studies that generate new knowledge and discoveries, the Council prioritises proposals that forge linkages between the government particularly local government units (LGUs), academe, industry sector, and civil society. It also looks for proposals that will ensure translation and transfer of social technologies to the people and various publics. These are aligned to NRCP’s mandate to promote frontier and problem-oriented research in the sciences and humanities that provide solutions to pressing and national issues.
