The University of Santo Tomas signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to fund scholarships through the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) under the Ph.D. in Health Research program of the Graduate School on February 7, 2022, via Zoom.
The Ph.D. in Health Research was recently launched by the University under the Graduate School. It is an innovative research-based degree that provides foundational coursework that focuses on health research methodologies. The program was developed in collaboration with the International Centre for Allied Health Evidence of the University of South Australia. The cohort includes six students, comprising three medical doctors and three allied health professionals.
Under the MOU, DOST-PCHRD accepted three medical doctor scholars, namely, Dr. Warren Bacorro, Dr. Mary Monica Bueno, and Dr. Ma. Belinda Fidel, who will receive privileges that cover tuition and other school fees, monthly stipend, yearly book allowance, transportation allowance, insurance, and a research grant. Additional support for ethics review fees, language editing, statistics consultation, research dissemination will also be provided.
Representing the UST Graduate School, the program’s host institution, were the Dean, Prof. Michael Anthony Vasco, Ph.D.; Assistant Dean, Prof. Camilla Vizconde, Ph.D., Faculty Secretary, Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth Arenas, Ph.D.; and Program Lead for Ph.D. in Health Research, Prof. Consuelo Gonzalez-Suarez, M.D., Ph.D. The event was also attended by key officials, administrators, and officers of UST and DOST.
The MOU was signed between the UST Rector Very Rev. Fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., Ph.D., and DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya.
The students of the Ph.D. in Health Research program are expected to graduate by 2025.
