CHED seeks proposals for multibillion peso international research project

MANILA, Philippines - After years of delay, the multibillion-peso international research project of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is now in full swing.

The agency recently released the guidelines for the third cycle of the Philippine-California Advanced Research Institutes (PCARI) project, a grants-based program for researchers funded by the government.

CHED chair Patricia Licuanan said interested researchers can submit their proposals for the latest cycle until Feb. 29.

Preference will be given to project proposals addressing development issues in agriculture, health innovation and translational medicine, and information and communication technology.

Launched in partnership with California-based and leading Philippine academic institutions, PCARI aims to provide a platform for capacity-building for Filipino researchers to address various development problems in the country.

“PCARI is a capacity-building, technology-generating collaborative initiative designed to upgrade to global standards the research development and innovation capabilities and competencies of Philippine higher education institutions,” Licuanan said. 

The project received an initial funding of P1.763 billion in 2013, followed by another P1.767 billion in 2014. No funding was allotted last year due to several delays in the project’s implementation.

Early last year, CHED was able to formally announce the start of the project with the initial eight proposals approved for implementation.

A second cycle was announced in July last year, although CHED has yet to announce the specific projects approved for implementation.

Congress has reinstated the funding for PCARI in the 2016 budget.