Home

Extended until June 17, 2022: Call for Submissions: The Gelia Castillo Award for Research on Social Innovations in Health

The call for submissions for the Gelia Castillo Award for Research on Social Innovations in Health (GCARSIH) 2022 is now open.

The Gelia Castillo Award for Research on Social Innovations in Health (GCARSIH) aims to recognize the outstanding social innovations that address persistent, societal and health systems challenges. Through the innovators’ experience, we can better understand why and how social innovations create impact, and discover the keys to scale up or integrate these effective interventions into the larger health system.

This Award is open to ongoing social innovations in health developed by Filipinos for the Filipinos. The entry must be implemented in the Philippines.

For the purposes of this Award, social innovations in health (SIH) are defined as new solutions (product, services, models, market mechanisms, processes) created by multi-sectoral health system actors. The solutions must address a health need more effectively than existing approaches and have the ability to enhance people’s capacity to act and take ownership of their own health. Social innovations have health-system changing potential as it changes and strengthens relationships between people and results in a more effective use of available resources.

Who can submit an entry?

The Award is open to all individuals, groups and institutions that have successfully developed and implemented social innovations in health in the Philippines. Participating institutions may be:

public or private
members of the consortium
scientific, technological and professional societies or associations
research institutes
universities and colleges
others

How to submit an entry

Step 1. Complete the Submission Entry Form (attached below), which includes a comprehensive write-up of the health innovation, a description of future plans for sustainability or scale-up, and relevant supporting documents.

Step 2. Submit your entry in person, via courier or via email on or before June 17, 2022

Email: Send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject GCARSIH SUBMISSION / <Name of Innovation> / <Name of Region>
In-person or courier: Please refer to the Submission Entry Form for the list of RHRDC addresses.

Criteria

Eligibility. The submitted social innovations in health will be considered for shortlisting based on the following eligibility criteria:

Developed by Filipino/s.
Implemented in the Philippines for at least one (1) year
Based on an identified priority health need of a community or geographical context.
Complete submission entry form (that has enough information for a fair review) submitted within the set deadline.

2. Technical Screening. Submitted entries shall be screed based on the following criteria:

A programme, process, product, practice or a market mechanism with a high degree of innovativeness (i.e. new and different in its context)
Demonstrated an inclusive process (engagement of community or stakeholders)
Demonstrated positive health and social outcomes
Not a purely medical or scientific innovation

3. Selection. Entries that pass eligibility and technical screening will be scored by an external independent panel of experts based on the following selection criteria:

Degree of Innovativeness (25%) – The innovation provides a novel approach to address a systemic health challenge within its local context, providing an alternative to the status quo.
Significance (15%) – The innovation addresses a health priority of the Philippines (as defined by the National and/or Regional Unified Health Research Agenda), or a priority in a more localized level such as prevalent yet neglected health problem in a town or a marginalized group/ethnic group
Participatory & Co-owned (15%) – Participatory approach is evident in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the innovation (i.e. contributions from various stakeholders: the patients/families, local health personnel, local leaders, other sectors).
Potential for Further Research or Scale (15%) – There are clear plans for further research and development of the innovation. The innovation shows feasibility to be applied, replicated and scaled-up to other communities with similar problems, or integrated into the broader health system.
Inclusiveness (10%) – The innovation has the potential to be used by a large number of people, enhancing equity and access.
Effectiveness (10%) – The innovation has a demonstrated positive outcome on the health challenge it is addressing.
Affordability (10%) – The innovation is affordable to the poor who are otherwise excluded in the local context or the solution is more cost-effective than the status quo.

Shortlisting and Final Selection

The RHRDC will conduct the initial review and shortlisting of applications based on the eligibility criteria, and endorse the shortlisted entries to the GCARSIH Secretariat. Eligible entries will then be screened based on how the social fits the criteria of social innovation provided above.

The Final Selection will be conducted by an independent panel of experts convened by the GCARSIH Secretariat. The innovations will be scored on a scale of 1-5 in 0.5 increments. The panel may conduct on-site or online validation calls (e.g. telephone or video conference). Only the top 10 finalists for the award will be notified.

The panel has the prerogative not to give the award if the innovations fail to reach the threshold score. The decision of the panel is final.

Prizes and Incentives

The top innovations in health will receive:

cash prize (300,000php for 1^st place, 200,000php for 2^nd place, 100,000php for 3^rd place)
eligibility for funding for a research and development project**

training and mentoring package

Download: GCARSIH 2022 Submission Form and Guidelines

Important Dates

Deadline of submission of entries: June 17, 2022

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we submit on behalf of our partner organizations / partner communities?

Yes, any partner organization involved in the development and implementation of the social innovation in health may submit the entry. The National GCARSIH Secretariat assumes all partners are informed of the submission for consideration for this award. The National GCARSIH Secretariat reserves the right to disqualify entries that have not properly attributed the social innovation described in the entry to the proper organizations/groups/individuals.

2. Can social innovations with foreign partners submit for GCARSIH?

Yes, social innovations in health that have foreign partners or collaborators may be submitted for this Award, so long as there are local organizations/groups/individuals who are co-designer(s) and co-implementor(s) of the innovation.

**The eligibility for funding for a research and development project will require the organization to be accredited by DOST to release the funding. If the organization is not accredited, you may partner with an accredited institution for the research project

DETAILS

DATE POSTED	POSTED BY	FILESIZE
April 5, 2022	PCHRD	0 B

Source: https://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/news_and_updates/call-for-applications-the-gelia-castillo-award-for-research-on-social-innovations-in-health/

1st CRADLE Conference – I-CRADLE Launch

WATCH HOW R&D INNOVATE BUSINESS!

Join the 1st CRADLE Conference entitled “CRADLE Journey – Witnessing innovative breakthroughs through collaborative R&D” to learn how the research collaborations and technologies developed under the Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (CRADLE) of the Science for Change Program (S4CP) helped the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME’s) innovate their businesses through the funded projects. This event will be presented in three sessions: The CRADLE Journey – Stories of Success, The CRADLE Journey with Women in Science, and Science for Women, and The CRADLE Journey Towards Inclusive Development and the I-CRADLE Launch.

Register Now: https://bit.ly/CRADLEConference
When｜05 April 2022, Tuesday, 9:00 AM – 12:00NN
Where｜Lives via Zoom with Facebook Live stream @dost.s4cp

What’s in It｜

Prepare yourself for the stories of successes, research collaboration between an academe or R&D Institution (RDI) and a partner company, and how both of them find solutions to the company’s existing problem and pressing needs. Ask our experts, company owners/representatives and find out the success stories of having collaborative research for both the academe and the industry. Hear how our women leaders champion collaborative R&D. Watch how the CRADLE projects contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. DOST Executive officials will give presentations on the national science, technology and innovation (STI) landscape and efforts for social and economic benefits.

In the event the webinar reaches its maximum capacity, you may tune in the Conference thru the Facebook Livestream

Source: https://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/news_and_updates/1st-cradle-conference-i-cradle-launch/

Building a Safer Future: Exit Report Presentation of the VIP Balik Scientist Advisers

Last year, seven Balik Scientists served as advisers in establishing the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines. This May 3, 2022, find out their list of accomplishments in helping the country build a safer future.

Register Now at tinyurl.com/ERPVIP2022

This event is organized by the Balik Scientist Program, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, and Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development.

Source: https://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/news_and_updates/building-a-safer-future-exit-report-presentation-of-the-vip-balik-scientist-advisers/

3rd Talakayang HeaRT Beat: Fellowship in Epidemiology

For this month’s Talakayang HeaRT Beat press conference, we are featuring the DOST-PCHRD Fellowship in Epidemiology program!

Engage with DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Pena, DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Jaime Montoya, our invited lead program implementer, program mentor, and fellow to know about their experiences in the fellowship and how it can impact Philippine healthcare.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Health

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) announced Saturday, June 26, that it will unveil its three major health research projects under the disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation (DRR-CCA) program of its Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD).

The three DDR-CCA projects will be presented during the second Talakayang HeaRT Beat (Health Research and Technology) of 2021 on Monday, June 28 via Zoom.

In a statement issued to the media on Saturday, the DOST said one of the completed DRR-CCA projects is the development of ready-to-eat food products for children aged one to five years old in response to nutrition and food security concerns during disaster events.

“This research developed emergency food products that will address age-appropriate nutrient requirements of children. Enriched with essential micronutrients, the ready to eat food products are developed to treat possible nutritional deficiencies and acute malnutrition of children in events of disaster,” it said.

The second project that will be featured during the event is the development of microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADS) for the detection of diarrhea causing pathogens in water.

“After the onset of disasters, water-borne diseases like diarrhea are among the most documented outbreaks caused by poor water quality. Recognizing the importance of monitoring water quality, this project developed a microfluidic paper-based analytical device or µPADs that can detect diarrhea-causing pathogens by assessing the water-quality after disaster events,” the DOST said.

“It uses the “lab-on-paper” concept which condenses the equipment, resources, personnel and time needed to obtain an accurate result,” it added.

The development of Health Index and Vulnerability Reduction System for Region 4B (D-HIVE 4B Capital) will be the third project to be unveiled.

“To increase resiliency of island provinces in the country, this project developed the eSalba system, a web-based and mobile application that aids emergency responders in making absolute decision during disasters and helps prepare the local government unit of Region 4B in health monitoring, route planning, defining optimal evacuation policies and adaptation measures in events of disaster,” the DOST said.

Included in the list of resource persons of the Talakayang HeaRT Beat are DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña, DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Rowena Cristina Guevara, DOST Undersecretary for S&T Services Renato Solidum, PCHRD Executive Director Jaime Montoya, and the DRR-CCA project leaders—Ms. Ma. Christina Ramos of Philippine Women’s College of Davao, Dr. Lori Shayne Busa of Nueva Vizcaya State University, and Dr. Delia B. Senoro of Mapua University.

Reference: https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/26/dost-to-unveil-3-health-research-breakthroughs-under-ddr-climate-change-adaptation-program/