The Los Baños Science Community Foundation Inc. (LBSCFI) will once more recognize outstanding research and development (R&D) accomplishments of groups and individuals in line with the celebration of the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) this July.

LBSCFI will be giving three awards in recognition of productive and meaningful R&D undertakings: the F.S. Pollisco R&D Award, Philippine Agriculture and Resources Research Foundation, Inc. (PARRFI) R&D Award, and the F.O. Tesoro Technology Transfer Award.

The F.S. Pollisco R&D Award is given to a project showcasing integrated R&D in forestry, environment, and natural resources. On the hand, the PARFFI R&D Award is given to outstanding R&D works in agriculture, forestry and environment projects for research and development; while the F.O. Tesoro Technology Transfer Award is given to technology transfer and commercialization projects in agriculture, forestry, environment, and natural resources.

For a project to qualify for any of the three awards, the Awards Committee said that it must be implemented by development workers of LBSCFI and their collaborators within the Philippines, while projects for the F.O. Tesoro Technology Transfer Award must be implemented by any of the Southern Tagalog Agriculture Resources Research and Development Consortium (STARRDEC) member agencies and their collaborators within the Philippines. An R&D project can be nominated for only one award, the Committee clarified.

General guidelines relative to the award, among other things, include: relevance to the thrusts of the government programs in agriculture, forestry, environment and natural resources; completion within the last three years (2005-2007); and the projects' paper being reduced in publishable form.

Dr. Danilo C. Cardenas, chairperson of the LBSCFI R&D Awards Committee, and PCARRD deputy executive director for R&Dsaid that masteral and doctoral theses of staff from LBSCFI member agencies can also qualify for the award, as long as it is authored by at least one Filipino citizen. The award will be given to the student and the advisers.

Cardenas also clarified that research/development projects that have received award(s) from any national/international award giving body are still eligible for the awards.

Each of the winners will be provided with P20,000, plaque of recognition and cost of page charges for the paper publication.

Entries should be submitted to Cardenas not later than May 9, 2008. For more details, please visit the PCARRD Website at http://www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph.