The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) is offering 432 graduate scholarship slots for school year 2010-2011 in a bid to beef up the country’s pool of scientists and engineers.

The DoST, through the Science Education Institute (SEI), is offering 358 slots for Master of Science (MS) degree and 74 slots for Doctorate degree (PhD).

DoST Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro said the government’s graduate scholarship programs is a manifestation of the government’s commitment to increase and enhance competitiveness of the country’s human capital on research and development.

“The graduates from these programs will join the existing cadre of engineering professionals to carry out business incubation and acceleration efforts in the industry and the academe. We are determined to sustain our support to intensively and massively build our S&T human resource,” she said.

SEI Director Dr. Ester B. Ogena said the country needs more researchers in science and technology to bankroll the development breakthrough that could propel the nation’s economy to sustainable development.

“Research, especially in the sciences, remains one of the rays of hope that developing countries see to enable them to join the ranks of high performing economies. The generation of scientific knowledge is important in providing the backbone to the upgrading of a developing country,” she said.

Under the Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resource Development (ASTHRD) Program, DoST is offering 150 slots for MS Degree and 30 for PhD. Applicants to this program may avail of a University-based MS/PhD Program or a Thesis/Dissertation Grant Support for R&D priority areas of DoST.

Applicants who are eligible to the ASTHRD should either be professionals doing research or those from industry, newly graduated students or ongoing MS/PhD students in priority S&T fields and DoST network schools; Filipino citizens; not more than 45 years old at the time of the application; in good health condition; have passed the admission requirements for graduate studies at any of the DOST identified institutions; and have passed the interview and other screening procedures.

Their specialization should also fall under the priority fields of study of DoST, namely: Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Chemical Sciences, Earth, Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Fisheries and Marine Science, Information and Communication Technology, Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Pure and Applied Mathematics, Health and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pure and Applied Physics.

In the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) program, 208 slots are open for MS students and 44 slots for PhD.

Applicants to the ERDT Program should have a BS/MS degree in engineering or related field; not more than 45 years old at the time of the application; Filipino citizens; in good health; and have passed the admission requirement for graduate studies at any of the ERDT consortium universities.

Their specialization should fall under the DoST priority fields of study which include computer science, electronics engineering, agricultural engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electronics and communications engineering, environmental engineering, industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, materials science and mining engineering, remote sensing/geo informatics, energy engineering, metallurgical engineering, water resources, and agrometeorology.

Qualified scholars under the ASHTRD and ERDT programs will enjoy free tuition, monthly stipends, book allowances, transportation allowance, group insurance and thesis/dissertation grants.

Deadline of application for the ASTHRD Program for the first semester is on May 14, 2010 and September 17, 2010 for the second semester. For the ERDT Program, deadline of application for the second semester is on September 15, 2010. However for those taking up their graduate studies at the Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT), application period for the first semester is from July to September 2010 and for the second semester, October to December 2010.

Application forms may be secured and filed at the SEI office or at any of the consortium member universities including Ateneo de Manila University, Central Luzon State University, De La Salle University, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, University of the Philippines-Diliman, UP-Los Baños, UP-Manila, UP-Visayas, University of Sto. Tomas, Visayas State University, University of San Carlos, and MIT.