SciTech gets a boost from USAID

MANILA, Philippines - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will award scholarships and research grants through its flagship program,  STRIDE (Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development) to support the Philippine Government’s priority on science, technology and innovation.

Qualified universities and students are invited to apply for a limited number of 50 grants and 100 scholarships. The funds will be awarded over the next five years and will strengthen applied research in universities and industries in the country. 

STRIDE is a signature piece of USAID’s Partnership for Growth, a US-Philippine bilateral engagement which promotes inclusive economic growth. The Philippines was one of only four countries selected to participate in this White House initiative.

“Higher education is an engine that drives innovation, productivity, competitiveness, and opportunities,” says USAID Mission Director Gloria Steele. “These grants will place renewed emphasis on the country’s greatest resource — its people. We are investing in some of the nation’s rising stars who will help the Philippines leap-frog stages of development.”

The grants are open to eligible Philippine academic institutions and will support one-year research work.  The Collaborative Applied Research with Industry Grant (CARWIN) allows universities to partner with a Philippine-based industry to participate in joint research. The Philippine-US Research and Exchange Grant (PURE) is an opportunity for local universities to conduct collaborative research with a US university with strong links to global industries. USAID, through STRIDE, will accept applications for CARWIN and PURE grants amounting to $80,000 until April 15. The grant cycle will continue annually through 2018.

One-year scholarships to study in the US will be awarded to Filipino graduate students enrolled in engineering, science and technology related master’s and doctorate degree programs. The Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Scholarships are open to currently-enrolled master’s-level students to supplement their Philippine studies with coursework in a US university beginning September 2014. With PSM, scholars will gain exposure to business and management courses to supplement their core science subjects.

PhD students can avail of the PhD Dissertation Research “Sandwich” scholarships, which allow them to conduct dissertation research in a US university for a full academic year. Proposed research studies should focus on engineering, science and technology disciplines and have relevance to Philippine industries.

The scholarships will include cost of travel, living allowance, student accommodations, tuition or research fees, and health insurance. The application deadline is March 30, 2014 for the PSM scholarships and April 30, 2014 for the “sandwich’ scholarships. Once again, the scholarship cycle will continue until 2018.

More information and guidelines on these scholarships and grants are available at www.rti.org/rfp-stride or through the USAID STRIDE Helpdesk: 8430787/ 8431081/ 0915-4520390/ 0929-9733309/0932-9139621 or email [email protected].