The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) invites interested Filipino researchers to submit proposals for COVID-19 under the e-ASIA Joint Research Program (e-ASIA JRP). 

Possible research fields identified by the e-ASIA Joint Research Program include but are not limited to: 

1. Public health and epidemiology 
2. Drug discovery 
3. Vaccines 
4. Inspection and diagnostic technology 
5. Fundamental technology of inspection, prevention and medical treatment
   1. Bio-nanotechnology
   2. Chemical biology
   3. Biomaterial sensor
   4. Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
   5. Model organisms 
6. Immunology (Immunology of coronavirus infection)

Characterize:

• Disease Immunopathogenesis
• Immunological Predictors of Disease Severity
• Immunological Host Response to Infection

Develop and/or Improve:

• Diagnostic + Immunological Assays
• Immunotherapies for Prevention and Early Treatment 

1. Evolutionary biology of SARS- CoV2, including phylogenetics and mechanisms of emergence (e.g., animal-human interface) 
2. Clinical Characterization / Management of Disease Caused by the Virus

PCHRD as one of the Member Organizations of –e-ASIA JRP will select two (2) COVID-19 proposals.   
Review Procedures Approval of proposals for research grants will be based on a multi-level review process:

1. In-house screening and evaluation in terms of alignment to the research priorities, duplication, and completeness of requirements. 
2. Technical review and scoring by external consultants (Technical Panel) based on the following criteria: 
1. Relevance & Sensitivity
• Alignment to national S&T priorities, strategic relevance to national development and sensitivity to Philippine political context, culture, tradition and gender and development.
2. Technical/Scientific
• Merit Sound scientific basis to generate new knowledge or apply existing knowledge in an innovative manner. 
3. Financial Feasibility 
• Financial viability of the undertaking with proponent’s and institutional capacity to manage R&D funds vis-à-vis the proposed work plan and budget Proponent’s / Institutional Capacity Good track record or CV with proven competence to implement and complete the R&D program / project within the approved duration and budget. 
4. Program Contribution 
• How much the proposal will contribute to the overall achievement of the program? Other potential socio-economic, environmental, and health impact. 
3. Final approval by the PCHRD Governing Council or the PCHRD Executive Director depending on the recommended total budgetary requirement of the proposal. 
4. In each stage of the review process, the proponent may need to revise the proposal on the basis of the recommendations of the reviewers. The review process will take 40 working days or less provided that all the requirements had been submitted. 

Who may apply for the grant?
 Filipinos with at least a Master’s Degree in a relevant field, have proven research competence / track record, and employed in universities/colleges, research agencies/institutes, hospitals, and other health related agencies are eligible to apply for the research grant. 
How to apply:
The Filipino research proponent who have his/her research project endorsed by e-ASIA for further evaluation should submit the following requirements online through the PCHRD Project Management System (http://www.projects.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/) from 23 -28 October 2020:

• Project Proposal following the PCHRD Detailed Proposal Form (downloadable from the DOST-PCHRD website)
• Work plan Schedule (Gantt Chart of Activities)
• Proposed Line-Item Budget (LIB) (DOST-GIA LIB Form)
• Counterpart Funding of Implementing Agency
• Informed Consent Form
• Case Report Form, if applicable
• Endorsement of Agency Head
• Curriculum Vitae of Proponent(s) 
• Duties and Responsibilities of each Project Personnel 

DOST-PCHRD will also require the proponent to submit the following documents before the start of project implementation: 

• Biosafety Clearance, if applicable
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Clearance, if applicable 
• Bureau of Animal Industry Clearance, if applicable
• Ethics Clearance (for studies involving human subjects)

  
The DOST-PCHRD will allocate up to 200,000 USD for each research project for a duration of 1 year and can be extended following DOST Grants-in-Aid Guidelines. In-kind modality will be an option. This Call shall be subject to rules and regulations set by the DOST Grants-in-Aid Guidelines. 

For further information on eASIA COVID 19 Call, you may visit the eASIA website: https://www.the-easia.org/jrp/ .