MANILA – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is urging researchers to apply for the Leadership in Innovation Fellowship (LIF) program, which sends Filipino researchers to the UK to undergo intensive training on innovation.
The LIF is part of the Newton Agham Programme and aims to help the grantees boost their potentials for entrepreneurship and commercialization.
According to the website of the DOST-attached agency, Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, qualified researchers with previously received assistance or funding from the DOST have until Nov. 5 to send an online application.
Successful grantees will undergo training supported by the DOST and the UK Royal Academy of Engineering. The two have partnered for this initiative to help researchers develop solutions that would address the challenges in the country.
Established in 2014 and now opening for its fifth batch, LIF encourages fellowships and research collaborations. Upon finishing their training in the UK, grantees undergo further training here.
Based on the website announcement, researchers, technology transfer officers, and those who plan to develop a business based on their innovation may apply for the LIP program.
Those who have already tested their innovations in the market and those who are seeking for commercialization of their innovations are both welcome to apply.
Earlier this year, DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña said the agency looks for technologies developed by Filipinos and would benefit fellow Filipinos. Undergoing training via the LIF program would better enable researchers to deliver their works to target beneficiaries, he said.
The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development, another DOST-attached agency, will be the primary implementing and monitoring arm for the duration of the 5th LIF program.
Meanwhile, the Newton Agham Programme is a collaboration between the UK and Philippine governments that aims to boost science, research, and innovation. (/PNA)
