US gives P12M to boost PH universities' research

The US government has provided P12 million through USAID to boost research and innovation efforts at five Philippine universities outside Manila.

The beneficiaries include the University of San Carlos, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, Mariano Marcos State University, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, and University of the Philippines-Visayas.

These grants aim to assist these institutions in further pursuing previously USAID-funded research and address new challenges created by the pandemic.

Specific projects include developing antiseptic patches for wound dressing, analyzing high-value extracts from ube and corn, establishing a tuna jerky product enterprise, converting coconut waste into insulating foam substitutes, and expanding village-scale ethanol production for disinfectants.