UPD ChE Conducts Research Planning Workshop

The Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UPD-ChE) held their Research Planning Workshop on October 18-19, 2010 at the Meralco Development Center.According to Dr. Rizalinda de Leon, the Chair of the ChE department, the Department aims to align its goals with the National R&D Priorities for 2010-2016 provided by the Presidential Coordinating Council on Research and Development (PCCRD). By so doing, the Department hopes to have a niche in the Chemical Engineering research and development sector.

In line with this goal, the Department conducted break-out sessions where the faculty members brainstormed possible solutions to problems encountered in the field of Chemical Engineering. These solutions were then presented to the entire department. The faculty then discussed whether these could actually be pursued.Aside from the brainstorming session, the Department also discussed ways of transforming their ideas to marketable products, identifying collaborators, producing a research culture, and writing effective grant proposals.

To learn about these skill sets, various resources speakers were tapped. Engr. Nestor Felicio, Vice-President for Strategic Manufacturing & Supply Chain Management of United Laboratories Inc, described the skills needed by researchers to collaborate efficiently with industry, especially in the field of pharmaceuticals and chemical production. He also discussed the trends of global pharmaceutical research such as the opportunities in the research and production for natural and organic materials. Dr. Luis Sison, Vice Chancellor for Research and Development discussed the process of innovation. Innovation involves a balance between the consumers’ needs or the “market pull” and the inventions developed by the research and development institutions or the “technology push”. The Technology Transfer Officers (TTO) of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development (OVCRD) also discussed technology transfer or the process by which an idea is transformed into a commercializable product or service. They likewise explained how the OVCRD can assist ChE faculty in commercializing their research initiatives. Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering discussed how to create a research culture within the department. Dr. Henry Ramos, the Director of the Project Management and Resource Generation of the OVCRD, presented effective means of writing proposals for obtaining research grants from funding agencies.