DOST-NRCP, BPI Foundation continue to nurture young innovators, technologists
The Department of Science and Technology-National Research Council of the Philippines (DOST-NRCP) and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Foundation continue their fruitful partnership through the BPI-DOST Innovation Awards 2024. The winners of this year’s prestigious competition were recognized during a ceremony held at the Makati Diamond Residences on December 11, 2024.
The BPI-DOST Innovation Awards is an annual competition that recognizes outstanding young scientists who are university students with research proposals offering real-world solutions in agriculture, entrepreneurship, education, health, environment and transportation while promoting the financial wellness of communities.
As a collegial body with experts across various fields, NRCP provided mentors under its NRCP Expert Engagement Program (NEEP) to guide the students in transforming their research into competitive proposals through in-depth workshops on topics such as technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, design-thinking, presentation skills, patent management and collaboration.
This year’s awards marked the culmination of these efforts, with three outstanding schools emerging as victors. Judges, drawn from NRCP’s pool of experts, named the winners from the Technological Institute of the Philippines – Quezon City, followed by the West Visayas State University and the Ateneo de Manila University. The winning students were awarded plaques of recognition and cash prizes of Php 100,000 each.
Looking to the future, DOST-NRCP envisions this partnership with BPI Foundation growing stronger, shaping a legacy of excellence and fostering groundbreaking innovations for years to come.
As the event concluded with a networking session, Ms. Mary Charlotte Fresco, Senior Science Research Specialist, highlighted the importance of NRCP’s role in advancing local research. She emphasized the Council’s commitment to supporting Filipino researchers through funding and mentorship opportunities, encouraging them to continue striving for excellence. (Richel Ann Abarico, S&T Media Service)
