RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
AND COLLABORATIONS
Usec. Lilibeth C. David, MD, MPH, MPM, CESO III
Department of Health
How does the DOH
engage in research
partnerships and
collaborations?
Research in the DOH:
BACKGROUND
 Out of the 187 DOH priority research topics in the
2005-2010 NUHRA, only 12 were implemented
(6% accomplishment rate)
 The 279 researches presented annually in Health
Research for Action National Forum in a span of
10 years (2001 to 2011) had been translated into
194 policy and 236 programmatic
recommendations
Research in the DOH:
BACKGROUND
 Most research projects were programmatic and
operational in nature
 Majority of these researches were contracted out to
institutions and funded by partners (e.g., development
partners [DP])
DOH
FUNDING
Program 1
Program 2
Program 3
Researcher
Research
Organization
Research
Organization
DP 1
DP 2
DP 3
DOH’s Health Systems Research
Management (HSRM)
 A strategy started in 2012 to address issues on
health research implementation and
management
 Address the need for evidence-based policies,
plans and programs and improve the capacity
of the DOH in research and policy development
 Engages other government research institutions as
Institutional Partners to generate research and build
capacity to strengthen the health policy and research
systems management, and policy, plan and program
development
Research Management
DOH HSRM
Philippine Council for
Health Research and
Development
Managed a total of 88
research projects from
2012 – 2013; currently
managing 2015 HSRM
Philippine
Institute for
Development
Studies
Managed a total of 27
research projects in
2012
Capacity Building
Improving research and
policymaking capacity of DOH
personnel through hiring and
training of young professionals/
future researchers
2012 - 2013
Philippine
Institute for
Development
Studies
Trained 29 young
professionals under its
Fellowship Program
2013 - 2014
University of the
Philippines – National
Institutes of Health
Trained 24 young
professionals under its
Internship Program
2014 - 2015
Ateneo de Manila
University – Health
Sciences Program
Trained 24 young
professionals under its
Capacity Building
Program
Regional Health Research
Consortia
Continued support for the local health research community
through capacity-building (e.g., research management and
translation workshops and opportunities for research)
How does the DOH
contribute to fairness in
research
collaborations?
Fairness in Research
Collaboration
In terms of opportunity –
◦ Implementation of a research agenda that is –
◦ Aligned with national priorities (as identified in the National
Unified Health Research Agenda and Kalusugan
Pangkalahatan-Universal Health Care)
◦ Developed through a participatory process
◦ Deliberated by Executive Board of HSRM and approved by
DOH Executive Committee
◦ Coordinating ideas of end-user (DOH) and research
proponents through TOR orientation meetings with
proponents, and their translation of TOR into research
proposals
Fairness in Research
Collaboration
% of research projects implemented, by
affiliation
3
In terms of
opportunity –
◦ Implementation by
Research Partner
Institutions with
technical
competence in
research and
contracting
mechanisms
◦ Reach both large
and small researchers
11
26
11
17
22
10
Universities
University-based foundations
Foundations and other NGOs
Private research companies
Individuals
Research Institutions
Others
Note: Others include hospitals, medical society, and NGA
Fairness in Research
Collaboration
In terms of process –
◦ Funding is adequate for health systems
researches, but bound by Institutional Partner
“rules”
◦ Common issue is Principal Researches low
remuneration level
◦ Facilitates ethics review of proposals for all
proponents
Fairness in Research
Collaboration
In terms of benefit sharing –
◦ Proponents are encouraged to publish their research
but proper citation of DOH role required
◦ Opportunities provided for Results of research work to
be disseminated through
◦ the Department’s annual National Health Research Forum
for Action
◦ Subnational forum organized by HSRM Institutional partners
◦ Assistance for presentation in international fora, publication
in journals
Way Forward
◦ Need to build more researchers and
research capacity within the country
◦ Increase and institutionalize incentives for
researchers
◦ Collaboration and Twinning
arrangements between international and
local research institutions for research
and for building capacity in the country
◦ Need for more awareness and use of
COHRED Research Fairness Initiative
THANK YOU