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 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