Qualified PhD students now have an additional opportunity to study in Australia.
This is through the John Allwright Fellowship-Philippines (JAF-Philippines), which was launched during a virtual information session on February 22, 2023.
The research assistantship program is a collaboration of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) with the DOST-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
“This human capital program comes in a very opportune time as we traverse through the Agriculture 4.0 environment that entails much needed upskilling and reskilling of our researchers and experts in the Philippines,” says Executive Director Reynaldo V. Ebora in his video message during the virtual information session.
According to Dr. Ebora, there is already an increasing number of Filipino scholars and experts trained in Australian R&D organizations and universities through the years.
The PhD Scholarship funded by DOST-PCAARRD, ACIAR, and DOST-SEI and administered by Australia Awards offers premium scholarship benefits that include full tuition fee, health coverage, round trip airfare, and a one-time establishment allowance upon arrival. Scholars will also participate in the JAF Executive Leadership Program and have access to JAF Support Facility.
In addition, scholars will be provided with the research assistantship funded by DOST-PCAARRD through the International Graduate Research and Education Assistantship for Technology (iGREAT) program.
iGREAT scholars are given financial and technical support to conduct their dissertation or PhD research, which will be considered part of an ongoing PCAARRD-ACIAR project in the Philippines. Funding for publication and paper presentations will also be provided.
Graduates of the program may also take advantage of a research grant of up to P10 million. This will help them apply their graduate training in their research and development work in their home institution.
“It is very important for awardees to be passionate about research because you will be doing this for the four years of your stay,” says Ms. Anne Shangrila Fuentes during the said information session. Ms. Fuentes is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Canberra under the JAF Program. She also underscored the importance of establishing a good relationship with the research professor, which will be key to successfully completing your graduate studies.
