FAQ: Questions from the UP Community about the UP ISC Research Grants

What are the key criteria for selecting projects to receive funding? Are there specific areas within complexity science, data science, or artificial intelligence that are prioritized?

Research proposals are evaluated based on these general criteria. As for the specific areas UP ISC will be funding, you may take a look at the Priority areas for FY 2024-2025. 

Are there some examples of past projects that have been funded through the UP ISC research grant? What's the range of research that has been supported?

This is the first time UP ISC will be offering the grant. As soon as projects are successfully completed, they will be showcased in this website or through a newsletter. To get a better idea of the types of project that may be funded, you can browse through the Division Chairpersons' presentations: 

How much can you grant and what is the duration of the grant?

It depends on the type of research project you're submitting. Regular projects can receive up to PHP 1.5 million per year. while High-Impact projects are eligible for up to PHP 5 million per year. For more information, you may browse through the criteria for classifying the types of research projects.

How does the UP ISC support collaboration between different UP units? Are there any specific mechanisms in place to facilitate interdisciplinary research?

The UP ISC's expertise database is a starting point. Other events will also be organized moving forward, including UP symposia/conferences where the community presents their existing research to everyone else.

Are there any expectations or requirements for dissemination of research findings resulting from projects funded by the UP ISC grants? What are the requirements for clearance from UP ISC? Are publication/s required for clearance? What kind of publications and how many?

UP ISC will benchmark against EIDR procedures. Once these procedures are established, affiliates will be informed. 

Can Faculty, REPS, staff, or students outside UP apply for this research grant?

No. However, we can explore the possibility of UP Faculty/REPS/Staff having co-PIs who are not affiliated with UP, with 1) additional funding from outside UP; and 2) signing of MoA.

Can those who are not affiliated with UP still participate in UP ISC events? 

Yes. To keep updated about UP ISC's activities and events, make sure to follow our official Facebook page. In the future, we will also have a newsletter you can sign up to.

Is it possible to apply for a grant to continue a project previously funded by a different institution? 

Yes.

Can students/advisees be involved in finishing the research projects funded through UP ISC?

Yes. As long as the project has an eligible PI, students/advisees may be involved.

Are there grants for short-term research training?

For FY 2024-2025, UP ISC has no research grants for short-term research training. However, this is something that the center will continue to explore in the coming years. 

What is the scope of the Creative sector, cultural industries, and digital humanities priority field?

You may check the priority research areas for F.Y. 2024-2025.

Besides Artificial Intelligence, Complexity, and Data Science, is there a separate division for Digital Humanities?

Digital humanities is one of the priority research areas for FY 2024-2025, and falls under all of UP ISC’s research divisions: AI, complexity science, and data science. In the future, UP ISC may look into creating a digital humanities division.

Should planned usage of the UP Data Commons facilities be included in the LIB?

If you plan to use UPDC's resources, yes. Please contact datacommons@science.upd.edu.ph directly for costing, Should costing be unavailable, you may submit your proposal excluding UPDC's resources in your LIB. However, please make sure to indicate the requirements in your proposal. Once your proposal has been reviewed, UPDC will contact you with their suggestions. 

What rates should be used as a reference for Research Assistants/Associates?

Research Assistant/Associate rates may be based on the prescribed salary rate guidance of DOST.

Under project partners, should we only include representatives from the partners? for instance, under UP Diliman, we have several faculty members who would be part of the research project team, would they be considered as partners?

If they belong to a different department, college, or other administrative unit, then list them as partners. For example, if the College of Science is working with the College of Arts and Letters, you can list the CAL team members as partners. Otherwise, there is no need to list them.

Am I allowed to create an Airtable account and thereby submit the documents on behalf of our director who will apply as a Principal Investigator?

We recommend that the PI be the one to submit the application for purposes of accountability, but if necessary, you can submit on behalf of your PI. However, if you create an Airtable account or log into Airtable, you should do it as yourself; please do not use the login credentials of the PI and log in on their behalf. Please note that all email communication from the ISC will be primarily directed at the PI.

Is there any guideline on the indirect cost in MOOE? In DOST, UP gets 7.5% of the MOOE for indirect which is split 60-40, where 40% goes to the institute. Are we allowed to allot some similar amount for our home institute?

If by indirect funds you mean utilities, you will need to specify this in your budget (e.g., electricity costs, water costs, etc.). You can also allocate a reasonable amount of the grant as contingency. However, you cannot allocate any costs as income to the CU or the proponent unit because unlike DOST funding, UP ISC research grants funds are internal to UP.

Where can we find the strategic thrust of each UP CU? This is needed to answer 3.1 in the grant preview form.

You need only to describe how your project contributes to the strategic plans of the CUs of the partners involved in the project. We assume that you and your partners know what the strategic plans of your own CUs are. If for whatever reason you are not aware of the strategic plans of your own CU, consult with your own department, college, faculty of study, institute, or Office of the Chancellor. 

When submitting the full application for CU endorsement, should I also include a copy of the Application Preview Form (MS Word file)?

No, there is no need to include the Application Preview Form. That form was provided just to help you prepare for the Web submission.

In CU counterpart funding for DOST projects we usually write the percent time devoted by the project leader and staff x their salary x 12 months. Do you require a research load credit application (OVCRD form) for the project staff as proof of counterpart for this kind of counterpart funding to be inserted?

No. We do not need to see research load credit application as some form of proof for counterpart funding.