USAID Awards P12-M Grants to 5 PH Universities for Research and Innovation

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded nearly PHP12 million (USD244,000) in grants to five Philippine universities for research and innovation during the pandemic, the US Embassy in Manila said on April 28.  Dubbed “Widening Applications of Research within the Pandemic” or WARP, these grants will help Philippine universities build on previous USAID-funded research to address new challenges created by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis.

The WARP grants will also create partnerships among universities, industries, and local governments. Among the five recipients is the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, which will convert waste from coconut oil processing into an economically viable substitute to imported chemicals used in insulating foam production.  

“As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the US-Philippines diplomatic relations, these grants are another milestone in this longstanding partnership as we work together to make higher education and innovation a driver of inclusive growth in the Philippines,” said USAID Mission Director Lawrence Hardy II during the WARP grant virtual launch on April 27.  USAID, through its Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) project, has provided grants supporting innovation initiatives to almost 60 research groups in 20 higher education institutions throughout the country since 2013.