The National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL), in cooperation with DOST-NCR Regional Office and the Outstanding Young Scientists, Inc. (OYSI), conducted the first virtual Research Upgrading and Performance Evaluation (RUPE) Training Workshop on Writing and Presenting Research Proposals Toward Building A Science Culture on October 14, 21, and 28, 2021. The workshop was conducted by a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions via Zoom.

The program is part of the RUPE project of NAST PHL, which aims to build the capacity of young and aspiring researchers in preparing good quality and highly competitive research proposals. The RUPE project aims to improve the productivity and the international visibility of the country's science and technology community. It also aims to make an impact in the field of research and development by creating an exchange of ideas from different expertise and collaborations in the scientific community to upgrade the quality of research, scientific outputs, and publications.

Invited experts were Dr. Maribel L. Dionisio-Sese, Professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Dr. Allan N. Soriano, Professor at the De La Salle University, and Dr. Windell L. Rivera, Professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Dr. Dionisio-Sese, who served as the focal person of the workshop, welcomed the participants to the event. She also introduced the mechanics, rationale, and overview of the training workshop. This was followed by a message from Regional Director Jose B. Patalinjug III of the DOST National Capital Region.

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Dr. Dionisio-Sese also discussed preparation of research proposal. Her discussion included the steps in the preparation of the research proposal, elements/parts of the research proposal and characteristics of a well-prepared proposal. Online audiences have actively participated in the open forum of the presentation.

Dr. Soriano comprehensively discussed how to develop the methodology, work plan, and line item budget. Dr. Soriano also presented some guides in describing the methodology.
The guidelines on how to present the research proposal were presented by Dr. Rivera. His presentation includes illustrative examples and effective visual style for research presentation to help the participants present their proposals clearly when they present to funding agencies.

A mock presentation of proposals by the attendees was done on October 28, 2021. During this activity, the resource persons from the OYSI namely: Dr. Maria Genaleen Q. Diaz, Dr. Raymond Francis R. Sarmiento, Dr. Jose Ernie C. Lope, Dr. Nathaniel C. Anasco, Dr. Claro N. Mingala, Dr. Richard S. Lemence, Dr. Allan N. Soriano, Dr. Jessie Pascual P. Bitog and Academician Mudjekeewis D. Santos critiqued the presentations and suggested improvements for a feasible research and an effective proposal presentation.

Ms. Luningning E. Samarita-Domingo, NAST PHL Director, in her closing remarks, encouraged the participants to contribute more to the scientific and technological progress of the country. by doing research and publishing their outputs in internationally indexed journals.

The Outstanding Young Scientists, Inc. (OYSI) is a collegial group of scientists who have been recipients of the Outstanding Young Scientist Awards of the NAST PHL. The OYSI is also known as the Philippine Academy of Young Scientists, a member of the Global Young Academy.

NAST PHL is an attached body of the Department of Science and Technology mandated to embark on programs to create scientific productivity and provide meaningful incentives to those engaged in scientific and technological researches. In teamwork with the OYSI, the conduct of RUPE aimed better scientific productivity, expand the capacity of our researchers towards a progressive Philippines anchored on science (Khasmer Marbella/NASTPHL).