Thesis and Dissertation Grant Program 2021

thesis and dissertation grant program 2021

The Thesis and Dissertation Grant Program of the Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute (PSRTI) is an assistance program designed to provide financial support to students taking up masters and doctorate programs in Statistics or other related courses to facilitate completion of their thesis or dissertation.

This assistance program is made available primarily to upgrade the overall quality of statistical manpower in the country. It gives priority to graduate students whose studies focus on the improvement of the Philippine Statistical System (PSS) thereby encouraging the scholars to pursue studies concerning the development of the country’s statistical system.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for assistance under the program, an applicant must first meet the following qualification requirements:

Must be enrolled either in a masters or doctorate statistics program from a university or college in the Philippines or a graduate student of any course but whose research topic addresses one of the Philippine Statistical Development Plans (PSDPs) 2018-2023;
Has completed the academic requirements of his/her study;
Has a thesis/dissertation proposal which has passed the required thesis/dissertation proposal defense; and
Research work is programmed to be completed within a period of one (1) semester if working on a thesis and two (2) semesters if dissertation

APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Upon meeting all the qualification requirements, an applicant should submit the following documents to PSRTI:

Accomplished application form (TDGP Application Form Revised 2021)
Endorsement letter issued by the dean/director of the institution where the applicant is enrolled for his/her study;
Copy of the approved thesis/dissertation proposal/outline covering introduction, review of related literature and methodology;
Proposal defense approval sheet signed by the adviser and panel members, and containing the comments of the panel members that will serve as guide in revising the proposal/outline and as proof for passing the thesis/dissertation proposal defense. This document usually includes revision of the direction of the study; and
Timetable of research work programmed to be completed as per Item 1, bullet 4

Send completed applications to:
tdgp.psrti@gmail.com

SUBMISSION CLOSING DATE: JUNE 4, 2021

2. Upon receipt of the requirements, PSRTI, through its Evaluation Committee, shall assess the applications. The applicant may be called for by the Monitoring Committee to provide clarifications, if necessary.

3. In the event that the application is approved, the Monitoring Committee shall prepare the following:

Letter of Acceptance; and
Contract of Thesis/Dissertation Grant explicitly stating the terms and conditions of the PSRTI for the conduct of the paper.

APPLICATION PROCESS FLOW

Table 1. Timeline of Application Process

Activity	Minimum Working Days	Maximum Working Days
Acknowledgment of application receipt and checking for completeness of documents	1	3
Evaluation of the study based on grant criteria	2	5
Submission of evaluation for approval/disapproval of the Steering Committee	1	5
Preparation of contracts of grants after Notice of Approval and Letter of Acceptance	1	5
Signing of contracts	1	5
Processing of first tranche payment of the grants after notarization of contracts	5	10
Total Number of Days	11	33

CRITERIA FOR THE APPROVAL OF GRANT

The applicant should pass all the qualification standards stated in Section II.A of this document; and
The Evaluation Committee shall use the following criteria in selecting the applicants.

Table 2. Criteria for Selecting Applicants

Criteria	Points
Graduate student of a statistics program	35
Study addresses one of the issues of the PSDP 2018-2023	45
Number of years of government service (0,1] = 2 points (1,3] = 5 points More than 3 years = 10 points	10
Use of country data	10

3. Ties will be settled using the following criteria:

Table 3. Criteria for Settling Ties

Criteria	Points
Review of Related Literature The proposal must contain a comprehensive review of existing relevant and similar studies.	25
Methodology The methodology is statistically sound: a. Relevant assumptions of the methodology are taken into account b. Statistical tools are used appropriately	40
Significance The results of the analysis must contribute significantly in furthering statistics’ body of knowledge or in solving the statistical needs of the society.	25
Novelty The paper must show the author(s) creativity and critical thinking in formulating the research problem and looking for solutions.	10

AMOUNT OF GRANT

Under the program, a thesis grantee is entitled to a grant of Php 50,000 and a dissertation grantee Php100,000. The grant shall not hinder a grantee in seeking additional support from other institution/s for said thesis/dissertation work.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE GRANTEE

1

The grantee shall complete the research work within one semester if a thesis grantee or within 2 semesters if a dissertation grantee.

2

The grantee is required to submit a progress report on his/her work upon accomplishing major milestone of the study to be determined by the Evaluation Committee. The report shall be the basis for releasing the second tranche of the grant.

3

Upon completion of the thesis/dissertation, the grantee shall submit bound and soft copies of his/her thesis/dissertation covering the whole text and data of the output.

4

A completed thesis/dissertation is required to be presented first in any two of scientific conferences/fora that are widely attended, such as, but not limited to, University of the Philippines Faculty-Student Conference, Annual Conference of the Philippine Statistical Association, Inc., National Statistics Month Celebration, and National Convention in Statistics. However, the grantee may be permitted to initially present his/her output in another forum other than that organized or co-sponsored by PSRTI only upon securing a written permission from PSRTI. The required presentation shall serve as the basis for release of the final tranche of the grant.

5

If the grantee is a government employee, he/she shall be bound by the provisions, terms and conditions of any other contract executed between him/her and his/her government agency, without prejudice to the provisions, terms and conditions of the contract executed between him/her and the PSRTI.

6

The thesis/dissertation of a grantee should always carry with it the acknowledgement that his/her output was made possible through the financial support of PSRTI.

release and reimbursement of grant

Any grant provided under this program shall be released in accordance with the following arrangements:

It shall be released in three (3) separate and equal payments. The first payment shall be given after signing of the grant contract which indicates the formal start of the grant. The second payment shall be made upon completion of major milestone of the study and submission of a progress report. The final payment shall be released upon submission of bound and soft copies of the thesis/dissertation and presentation as mentioned above.
Thesis/Dissertation work completed ahead of schedule shall entitle the grantee the payment of the remaining balance of the grant.

extension and termination

Any request for extension should be made in writing and endorsed by the grantee’s adviser but subject to the approval of PSRTI. Maximum period of extension given to a thesis grantee to finish the work is one (1) semester while two (2) semesters shall be allowed to a dissertation grantee.

Any request for extension due to illness should be accompanied with supporting documents (e.g. medical certificate from a duly recognized physician).
The grant may be terminated by either party upon a 30-day prior written notice if the other party commits substantial breach of its undertaking so as to prevent completion of the grant and thereafter shall fail to take steps to remedy such breach.
For termination due from the grantee who fails willfully to deliver the output as required; or has reneged in his/her responsibilities as grantee under the program (as stipulated in Section II.E), the PSRTI shall have the right to demand the 100% refund with prevailing bank interest rate compounded annually of the total payment made by PSRTI.