THE country’s premier university is advocating a multidisciplinary approach to promote a productive research environment in the Philippines, believing it will be beneficial for the country’s economic growth and development in the long run.

In a recent press briefing in the celebration of the National Science and Technology Week last week, Dr. Luis Sison, vice chancellor for research and development (R&D) of the University of the Philippines  (UP) Diliman, said there is a need for researchers in the sciences and social sciences to join forces in research works so they can contribute in building a robust research community.

Sison pointed out that implementing an interdisciplinary research will be the initial step to broaden the research community in UP.

“UP believes that we have to start in the fundamental level, meaning all disciplines must join hands in research projects,” said Sison at the press briefing held at the UP Ayala Land Techno Hub in Quezon City.

“Building a critical mass is not the only important matter but collaboration among researchers is the more vital agenda,” added Sison.

The flagship research projects of UP Diliman are the following:

• Translating biodiversity to health solutions (pharma seas, terra pharma);
• Biosphere (marine and land) monitoring management: (coral reefs, fish farming, seaweed, seagrass, DNA barcoding);
• Sensors for health and environmental monitoring applications;
• Nutrient fortification through aseptic processing and packaging techniques;
• Renewable energy: solar, wind, biomass/biofuels, green buildings, energy management;
• Alternative materials for wastewater treatment;
• Microelectronics for radio frequency and low-power applications;
• Computer-assisted cancer detection using image analysis;
• The digital provide: bridging rural communities through emerging and sustaining information technologies and social infrastructure;
• Development of Interdisciplinary Signal Processing for Pinoys program;
• Development of semiconductor nonstructures as optical sensors to quantify antimotor drug efficacy in animal models
• Art beyond appearances: Physics looks into paintings, preventive conservation, digital archiving and analysis; National telehealth project in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), UP Diliman and UP Manila;
• Senslope and Dynaslope: Landslide monitoring in partnership with the DOST and the UP Colleges of Science and Engineering; and
• Statistics, mathematical, informatics in the life and environmental sciences (Smiles).

The National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) also believes that multidisciplinary research is a key component to national development by the crafting of national and local models for effective management in  environment, agriculture, forestry and bioresource management.

Meanwhile, Sen. Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (Comste), said legislation has a crucial role in developing science and technology (S&T).

“Legislation has played an important role in initiating S&T scholarship programs. The Science and Technology Scholarship Act of 1994, for instance, grants financial assistance to poor but talented students pursuing careers in S&T. This policy directs its actions toward encouraging and promoting research-and-development (R&D) strategies to advance the quality of education in areas of science and innovation, especially for students who have high science aptitude,” said Angara in a statement.

To boost R&D in the country, Comste developed a leapfrog strategy, dubbed as “Fast-Track to Innovation,” that will fund a local research team to pursue cutting-edge R&D endeavors with willing Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering members as the principal investigators of the projects.

Through this program, Angara said, “It is intended to fuel the creativity of our local scientists and stimulate a synergy of ideas; forge connections between scientists in the Philippines and the international scientific community; and eventually propel the country as a respectable source of S&T innovations, much like Taiwan and Korea.

“The gain from this program, however, lies beyond training our local scientists. It addresses our shortcomings in S&T in different fronts.”

He said the project hopes to produce state-of-the-art inventions and innovative processes, which, in turn, is connected with the country’s goal of developing globally competitive Filipino brands.

“These factors—human capital, and the quality and quantity of patents produced—all contribute to encouraging investments and stimulating the economy in general,” stressed Angara.

According to the NRCP, research enhances competitiveness and economic growth by advancing knowledge and skills, which sustain innovation.

Experts agree that research can provide the structural solutions of a society, such as those in the economic, social and cultural realm.

The NRCP also said many Third-World countries, such as the Philippines, allotted majority of their scarce resources to applied research and development, describing these efforts as market-driven.