1) All letters of requests or inquiries on researches are processed by the PCHRD Help Desk or the concerned division within the council.

2) Senders of requests for assistance will be informed of the status of their request by the concerned PCHRD division or focal person (usually a project manager assigned).

3) For requests for research assistance, the following rules will apply:

• Only people employed or affiliated with recognized research institutions whether public or private may qualify for financial support. Free standing individuals with no institutional affiliation are not qualified.
• Free standing individuals with no institutional affiliation should engage recognized research institutions or groups, whether public or private to conduct the research for them. In this case, the said research may then qualify for possible funding support.
• Research on proprietary products cannot be funded using public funds. The developer should seek support from other sources other than public funds.
• Only products and services for public good with no proprietary claims or ownership, whether current or pending will be provided public funds.
• Non- financial assistance in the form of advice or referral to recognized research groups or possible funding sources may be provided to all requesting entities. These, however, should not be construed or interpreted as an endorsement by the council.
• When qualified, all requests with specific research proposals will be processed and evaluated using the following steps:

a.Application documents submitted online will be reviewed by the council for completeness,and alignment of the research proposal to the National Unified Health Research Agenda(NUHRA) and the Harmonized National R and D Agenda (HNRDA) for Health and duplication. Topics other than the priority areas may be considered when topics are considered pressing or urgent to address national emergencies or exigencies.
b. If the proposal is aligned to the HNRDA/NUHRA, the Proponent will then be informed if the documents received are complete or if any other required documents should be submitted. Proponents whose proposal do not align with the HNRDA/NUHRA and /or with duplication will be notified that their proposal will not qualify for the research grant.
c. Once the research proposal and the required documents are assessed to be complete,the project is sent for technical evaluation by an external technical panel composed of experts on the appropriate field or area.
d. Ethical review of the proposal by an accredited Ethics Review Board (ERB) will also bedone (if with human participation or will utilize samples from humans, see No. 12).
e. Recommendations of the external technical panel will be submitted to the council.
f. The results of the said evaluation will then be forwarded to the proponent to address.
g. Only minor revisions will be allowed for the proponent. Major revisions will not be entertained, and the proponent will be advised to either consider another proposal or resubmit the proposal.
h. The final proposal, with the minor revisions, will then be re-submitted by the proponent.and will be reviewed if recommended revisions were addressed. The financial aspects of the proposal will also be reviewed to finalize the recommended budgetary requirements considering the revised proposal.
i. The proponent may be advised by the council to present to the PCHRD Governing Council when needed to secure final approval.
j. After final approval, the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) will be executed between PCHRD and the proponent.
k. For research involving human participants, no funds will be released until the proponent shows proof of approval of the study by a recognized ethics review board. The ethics approval is a requirement for proposals involving human participants.

Reference Links:

Guidelines for the Grants-in-Aid Program of Department of Science and Technology and its Agencies
http://www.dost.gov.ph/knowledge-resources/2014-04-27-01-59-53/guidelines/file/635-administrative-order-no-009-series-of-2017-november-9-2017

Harmonized National R&D Agenda 2017-2022
http://dost.gov.ph/knowledge-resources/downloads/file/791-harmonized-national-r-d-agenda-2017-2022.html

National Unified Health Research Agenda 2017-2022
http://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/index.php/downloads/category/4-nuhra

To increase safety protocols for healthcare workers, Filipino researchers are developing a disinfection technology called SaniPod, a self-containing cubicle similar to air showers meant for sanitizing frontliners as they exit COVID-19 patient wards.

With over 2,000 healthcare workers now infected with COVID-19, the country continues to face a shortage of medical personnel amidst the pandemic. While some nurses have been working for longer shifts to respond to the increasing cases, numbers reveal that there are only six doctors for every 10,000 Filipinos. The infection has made it harder for the country’s health capacity, as nearly 650 doctors are already infected with COVID-19 as of May 12.

Aside from wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), disinfection cubicles such as SaniPod will ensure that medical personnel are given an extra layer of protection from COVID-19, as SaniPod cubicles are more efficient than the existing sanitation tents in terms of disinfection success.

Funded by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), the technology uses advanced features such as acrylic walls for easy cleaning and disinfection of external and internal surfaces when placed in highly contagious and dense areas in the hospital. SaniPod cubicles are also installed with automatic motion sensors to activate the entrance and exit doors, with different disinfectants coupled with UV light and uses a foot sanitation unit to disinfect the undersurface of shoes. This will decrease contact with the surfaces of the cubicle, leading to lesser chances of microbes staying on the surfaces. 

Aiming to distribute more than 100 units to various hospitals after development, the technology can also provide psychological assurance to healthcare workers, and a means of disinfection for Filipinos if placed in highly dense areas where a lot of people congregate such as public markets. 

Developed by a team from the UP Diliman College of Engineering, Prof. Eduardo Magdaluyo, Jr.,  Engr. Jason Pechardo,  and Precision/Instrumentation Technician Edgar Argote, in collaboration with UPD Chemistry (Dr Fe Carino & Eiza Yu-Roberto), Microbiology (Joyce Ibarra), UP Manila College of Medicine (Dr. Cathy Co and Dr. E Wang) & College of Public Health (Dr. Maita Lota and Ms. Mary Ann Sison), SaniPod is one of the efforts under the Surgical Innovation and Biotechnology Laboratory or S.I.B.O.L., a UP Manila College of Medicine program which collaborates with scientists and engineers from UP Diliman.  

SIBOL is supported by DOST-PCHRD and it aims to use locally sourced material and technology to produce much needed surgical and medical devices in the country.

Dr. Edward Wang, Professor at UP College of Medicine and Philippine General Hospital leads the SIBOL Program.  Recently, his team formed the SIBOL COVID Task Force to respond to the increasing need for medical devices amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in collaboration with the United States Government (US) and the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced Dr. Maria Ruth Pineda-Cortel of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) as the country’s finalist for the annual Science Prize for Women last April 27.


Dr. Pineda-Cortel, a Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) scholar, was chosen as finalist for her project on gestational diabetes.


Conducted with support from DOST-PCHRD together with nine graduate students from UST, Dr. Pineda-Cortel’s project entitled, “Blood and placental gene expression in gestational diabetes mellitus: potential identification of early biomarkers” aims to identify biomarkers that can be predictive of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or glucose intolerance during pregnancy.


“I am hopeful for a healthcare system that prioritizes preventive healthcare for pregnant women,” Dr. Pineda-Cortel says. “Although GDM is a transient condition, it has long term effects on both the mother and the baby, such as the future development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and risk of obesity,” she added.


The disease can cause complications during pregnancy that may lead to premature birth, high blood pressure, low blood sugar, diabetes, or in worst-case scenarios, stillbirth. Studying potential biomarkers of GDM will help identify those who are at risk earlier, and in turn contribute to the development of strategies that may improve health and maternal pregnancy. The project was participated by pregnant women in different tertiary hospitals and private clinics in Metro Manila.


“Dr. Pineda-Cortel's project is an example of how we utilize OMIC technologies for health to advance health research for the development of targeted diagnostics which may contribute to better healthcare solutions in the country, particularly in improving Filipino maternal health,” DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Jaime Montoya says.


Along with other national finalists from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, Dr. Pineda-Cortel’s project on GDM will be evaluated for the selection of two regional finalists for the pitch competition in Lao PDR in June 2020.


The annual ASEAN-U.S. Science Prize for Women seeks to recognize exceptional women who are engaged in research or are promoting activities related to preventive healthcare in the region and who are role models for other women working in and pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

References:

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=5039
https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/25/suppl_1/s94
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gestational-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20355339
https://www.longdom.org/open-access/screening-and-diagnosis-of-gestational-diabetes-mellitus-using-75g-oralglucose-tolerance-test-following-the-who-ada-and-iadpsg-cri-2155-6156-1000799.pdf

Dr. Montoya educates us on how the country is leveraging its experience in supporting health researchers and developing technologies to rapidly but carefully develop a treatment and vaccine for COVID-19.

The world has spent most of 2020’s first half in quarantine, countries still struggling to find the best solutions, rolling out plans after plans to get through the pandemic and eventually flatten the coronavirus curve.

While the infection continues to claim lives every day, scientists are racing to find the sure exit path towards the end of the tunnel: a vaccine. 

But on average, it takes more than a decade to develop a full-fledged vaccine. That of Ebola vaccine was record-breaking, which still took scientists five years to create one. This is because vaccine development is a lengthy and rigorous process, which involves a series of pre-clinical and clinical trials to ensure safety and efficacy prior to public use. 

On top of that, it requires multiple expertise from specialized institutions, not to mention a massive investment which is estimated to reach $1 Billion for just one candidate.

During this crisis where every second is vital, people are always looking for updates on vaccine development efforts. We’ll let you in on some of the highlights of our talks with Dr. Jaime Montoya:

When asked about where the Philippines is at on COVID vaccine development efforts, here’s what Dr. Montoya has to say:

“As the lead coordinating body for health research in the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) is leveraging its experience in supporting health researchers and developing technologies to rapidly but carefully develop a treatment and vaccine for COVID-19.

Considering the available resources in the Philippines, and the required expertise and facilities needed for vaccine development, the Council builds on collaboration opportunities with international partners by participating in the clinical trials of the most advanced candidates.

This is a strategy that puts the country in advantage, as it will ensure that the successful vaccine becomes readily available in the Philippines. Right now, we are in discussion with international partners for their vaccine development initiatives, and DOST is making significant investments in support of this international collaboration.”

So, then we asked, can you tell us more about the specific partnerships we have?

“We are  in contact with the British Embassy for the possibility of a Filipino and British scientists collaboration on vaccine-related research. The PCHRD has identified the study conducted by Professor Sarah Gilbert from the University of Oxford to be of high potential and advantageous  to the Philippine situation considering they are already near to implementing a clinical trial. The prospective Filipino partners are already identified for this collaboration. 

Scientific discussions have already commenced between Filipino scientists and scientists from China. SinoPharma and Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, have vaccine candidates already in the advanced phases. We plan to be involved in the clinical trial for these vaccines to ensure its availability in our country once the vaccine has satisfied all the requirements of the Chinese and Philippine FDA. But these are just some of the potential international research collaborations that we may have in vaccine development.”

With all these in mind, what should be our biggest takeaway from all our efforts?

“It is interesting to note that on top of all of these vaccine efforts, we still have a lot of ongoing local initiatives to fight the pandemic. We also have local strategies on repurposing existing drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Let’s also not forget that our researchers have recently developed a rapid diagnostic kit for COVID-19.

We have provided our policymakers and LGUs expert information on COVID-19 forecasts through FASSSTER. Also, our investments on PPE development and telehealth devices have also contributed to ensuring the safety of our health workers and patients.

And while we are in the middle of fighting a pandemic, our Filipino researchers, with all the support from our science and technology department, are exhausting all means to still come out with products and technologies that may be useful in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

In our exploratory talks with different countries and scientists, we have formed a panel of leading experts on vaccine research and development. This panel is headed by  Dr. Nina Gloriani, a highly experienced vaccine researcher and Professor Emeritus from the University of the Philippine College of Public Health. She is also accompanied by Dr. Mario Jiz from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, immunobiologist and scientist with extensive experience in the development of a vaccine for Schistosomiasis which is an endemic disease in the Philippines, and Dr. Isagani Padolina, scientist and head of the research division of Pascual Laboratories. The panel members also include eminent clinicians  Dr. Rontgene Solante, head of Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at San Lazaro Hospital, and Dr. Ma. Liza Antoinette Gonzales, Associate Dean at UP College of Medicine.”

...

Nearing the second half of 2020, the world’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic still continues. With over 4 million cases, and nearly 300, 000 deaths worldwide, it is important for everyone to make “flattening the curve” happen: by staying at home, maintaining social distance, getting educated, and taking quite good care of ourselves. 

Sources:

• https://publichealthonline.gwu.edu/blog/producing-prevention-the-complex-development-of-vaccines/
• https://www.nature.com/articles/d41573-020-00073-5
• https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/05/07/science.abb8923
• https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24632804-000-why-itll-still-be-a-long-time-before-we-get-a-coronavirus-vaccine/
• http://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/index.php/news/6551-on-covid-vaccine-what-efforts-do-we-have-in-ph-a-talk-with-ph-health-research-council-director-dr-jaime-montoya