LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Saint Louis University (SLU) was identified as one of the 13 universities and colleges in the country to offer graduate and post-graduate government scholarship in identified Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) degrees under the Science and Technology Regional Alliance of Universities for National Development (STRAND) Project of the Department of Science and Technology Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) for the upcoming academic year 2019-2020.
In 2017, the DOST-SEI set-up the STRAND Project with the vision of expanding the list of universities that can provide graduate scholarships for STEM courses in the country. This will allow science and technology (S&T) professionals in the regions opportunities to access advanced degree studies in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with high quality education.
Project STRAND is also included in the DOST-SEIs grand plan for the country’s S&T Human Resource Development which targets 380 researchers, scientists and engineers (RSEs) by 2020. This will hopefully address the 110 research and development (R&D) gap as compared to the UNESCO Benchmark of 380 R&D personnel per million population.
For SLU, applicants may avail graduate scholarship for courses in Biology, Pharmacy, Information Technology (IT), and Environmental Engineering. However, slots for the upcoming academic year 2019-2020 are limited to ten (10) slots for the master’s (MS) program and five (5) slots for the doctorate (Ph.D.) program.
All applicants must be a Filipino citizen, not more than 45 years old at the time of application, be in good health, pass the admission requirements for graduate studies (for faculty-applicant, he/she must seek admission in any of the member-universities of the DOST-SEI Graduate Scholarship Consortia, i.e. ASTHRDP-NSC and ERDT Consortium), and pass the interview and screening procedure.
Applicants should likewise submit the following documentary requirements to the office of the SLU President, Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, with assistance from the program/department head: accomplished STRAND Information Sheet; Birth Certificate; Certified True Copy of their Transcript of Records; Endorsement (MS-two former college professors/PhD-two former professors in the Master’s Program); if employed, recommendation to go on leave of absence while on scholarship from employer or head of agency; Medical Certificate with PRC license number of licensed physician; valid NBI clearance; letter of admission from Program Head of the accepting institution which will include the evaluation sheet; and approved program of study.
Scholars accepted to the program will receive the following privileges: actual amount for tuition and other school fees will be paid in full for both MS and PhD; a monthly stipend of P 25,000 (MS) or P 33,000 (PhD); an annual book allowance of P 10,000; actual economy class round trip fare per A.Y. for those who opt to study outside their home province; P 1 million (premium) accident and health insurance; thesis/dissertation allowance based on the type of research, whether dry P 30,000 (MS) or P 60,000 (PhD)]or wet P 50,000 (MS) or P 100,000 (PhD)]; and lastly, a research grant amounting to P 200,000 for MS or P 475,000 for PhD.
SLU and DOST-SEI will be working hand-and-hand in selecting the scholarship awardee through evaluation of their accomplished application form and requirements submitted, final screening and selection of qualifiers. Meanwhile, the final approval of the list of awardees will be done by the DOST Secretary.
By Divina Gracia L. Castillo
