The latest and most notable research projects from the University of the Philippines were put on display by their proponents from November 20-21 at the 2017 Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA) Research Symposium. Held at the UP National Institute of Physics (UP NIP), the Symposium featured introductions and updates on many groundbreaking OVPAA-funded projects from around the UP System.
Guests and presenters were welcomed to the venue by UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Maria Cynthia Bautista, who highlighted the importance of good research to the University’s pivotal role in national development. Immediately following this introduction, representatives of diverse disciplines from UP’s different constituent universities took 20 minutes each to present their findings and current progress in their respective research initiatives.
These projects, which the OVPAA funds through its various administered programs, harness the talents of UP researchers here and abroad to help develop a globally competitive Philippines in part via promoting a strong research and creative capability, driven by academic and operational excellence.
Among the OVPAA projects that made the research projects on display possible are the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research (EIDR) Program, the Balik-PhD Program and the Enhanced Creative Work and Research Grant (ECWRG).
The EIDR funds innovative, interdisciplinary, inter-campus research that aim to create new knowledge that contributes to the understanding of natural phenomena, with beneficial applications. Projects funded under the EIDR come from a diverse set of research areas, from health and wellness to Philippine arts and culture. The Balik-PhD Program aims to recruit foreign-trained PhDs and postdoctoral fellows to pursue research and mentor students in UP. Finally, the ECWRG provides funding to help researchers and faculty members to undertake work that will lead to research publications, creative performances, and patented innovations, among other outputs. (Andre DP Encarnacion, UP MPRO)
For more information about the specific research initiatives funded by the OVPAA, and the projects that support them, please visit: http://ovpaa.up.edu.ph/
