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de Manila, BU, and Ateneo de Naga. To support their research dynamism and promote quality research outputs as well, the University established research laboratories such as the Microbiology Laboratory (funded by DOST-PCIEERD), the Natural Product Research Laboratory, the Marine Experimental Station and Finfish Hatchery, the Wet Laboratory, the Aquaculture and Freshwater Hatchery facilities, and Fish Processing Technology facility. Funds from the General Appropriations Act (GAA) were invested for exploratory and research activities over the years ranging from PhP 8 to PhP 12 million annually. This resource allocation for research is further enhanced by internally generated fund from income, and from externally sourced research grants facilitated by our strong research partnership backed by track records of quality research performance with institutions such as CHED, DOST, NCAA, DENR, DOST and other partners such as WWF, Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA), etc. Policies were forged establishing centers for research focusing on specialized research directions such as Water Center, Center for Sustainable Communities, Costal and Wetland Center for Research and Management to support research productivity in specific areas of research, develop in-house experts and scientists in the future, while growing them into institutes that address specific development need of the service area that require science-based solutions and interventions.

PSU instituted robust mechanisms for disseminating significant results to various clienteles. Consistently, research outputs for presentation by researchers to regional research conferences hosted by various research consortiums in the region as well as in national conferences are supported and incentivized with these mechanisms. Mechanisms were also in place to support international scientific presentations covered by the University’s internationalization thrust. PSU was the first SUC in Bicol to have a CHED-recognized scientific journal, the Bicol Science Journal. Such innovative mechanism for dissemination of scientific outputs has now shifted to a more robust modality where researchers are supported to publish their research outputs in Scopus Indexed and Refereed International Journals. Also, a University Press was established and had acquired state-of- the- art printing equipment to support knowledge production using these research outputs. In-House Reviews are conducted not only to disseminate results, but also to solicit insights from expert and stakeholders to enhance quality of research but also enrich the relevance of research outputs. The current social media phenomenon is positively leveraged by the University in disseminating research information through podcasts and online seminars and fora. These, apart from scientific conferences hosted by the University to provide venue for sharing of significant information generated from research to our clienteles. Mechanisms were instituted to recognize and reward research productivity such as the Kilyab Award (plaque of recognition plus award) citation Award (plaque of recognition plus monetary incentive) and teaching assignment deloading privileges apart from publication monetary incentive which ranges from PhP15,000 to PhP 65,000 per published research paper depending on category of scientific journal the work was published. 

The University takes pride in highlighting its three examples of research programs representing project implementation strategies that coherently respond to the development challenges confronting the 3 pillars of sustainable development in the service area such as (1) the environment, the (2) resources or economy and (3) the society consistent with regional, national and international development challenges:

The first is the Kochi University – PSU Research Collaboration on Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation where our faculty researchers engage researchers from Japan in knowledge generation to contribute towards understanding the oceanographic dynamics, fisheries, weather dynamics, ecology and society of coastal communities bordering the northern equatorial current system that flows from the Philippines towards Taiwan then to Japan shores. This collaboration in knowledge generation to promote sustainable resource utilization (sustainable economy, SusDev Pillar 1) of marine environment called Kuroshio Science achieved higher level research capacity development of PSU faculty members through Japan PhD Scholarship, joint research implementation and joint publication with Japanese researchers and social scientists. The research collaboration also provided students the opportunity to be exposed to rigorous culture of research through participation in Japan Youth Science Camp (Sakura Science Camp) where Kuroshio Science research themes and outputs are discussed as components of the training design. Counterpart funding scheme under the joint co-creation and academic collaboration agreement forged through MOA enhanced the University’s financial resources for research and for higher level research capacity development of its faculty via formal graduate education by leveraging scholarship grant of Kochi University. The research partnership addressed issues on poverty, food security, declining marine and coastal resources from degraded environment and unsustainable resource utilization by generating knowledge that promote coastal habitat conservation, fisheries resource management, resilient coastal socio-ecological communities and sustainable coastal and fisheries resource governance.

The second is the Kansas University – PSU Research Collaboration Program on Biodiversity (Biodiversity Mega-Transect) where our faculty researchers engage with scientists from Kansas University in collaborative knowledge co-creation on forests and riparian ecosystems of selected key biodiversity areas in Camarines Sur (sustainable environment, SusDev Pillar 2). This research collaboration aimed to promote sustainable environment by building a body of knowledge on endemic reptiles and bird’s biology, biodiversity, ecology, and identifying threats to their population and habitats. The implementation of this research program contributed in achieving the development of our faculty researchers’ capacity for biodiversity research of endemic fauna and their ecology through joint field activities, mentored laboratory works, and co-publication of newly discovered species, their diversity and their habitats in high impact scientific journals, and enhanced the curriculum in conservation biology and restoration ecology. Students were provided opportunities to be exposed to field research methodologies and analytical tools in the discipline during interactions with scientists in the field as mentees and field research assistants. The research partnership highlighted the conservation status of endemic species under study (endangered/threatens), and addressed the issues of ecological fragmentation and loss of biodiversity in their published novel information that contribute to the deeper understanding and appreciation of promoting sustainable environment through conservation of endemic reptile and bird species, and the protection of  their diversity  and habitats as strategies to reduce global warming and mitigate emergence of virulent zoonotic pathogens induced by disturbed ecosystems. This research program has successfully enhanced research resources of PSU through funding support from Fulbright Foundation for the participating foreign scientist as counterpart of the collaborating research institution.

The third is the University of California (Los Angeles) – PSU Bicol Anthropology Project implementation which paved for the engagement of our researchers in collaborative research with anthropologists and paleo-scientists from UCLA to generate new information in Bicol in order to promote deeper understanding of its history and culture from the vantage point of anthropology, paleoclimate science, history and indigenous knowledge system (sustainable society, SusDEv pillar 3). This research collaboration that aimed to contribute in promoting socio-ecological resiliency and sustainable resource governance in the service area achieved higher level of capacity development for PSU faculty researchers and students through joint field anthropological research work with experts, research museum curation and exhibits of artifacts, conduct of history podcast and online seminars, participation in international conferences hosted by the partnership, and joint publication in journals and book production. The research partnership addressed issues on climate change by historicizing forest and coastal resources and ecologies, mainstreaming indigenous knowledge in socio-ecological governance and climate change adaptation framework in scientific discourses, and understanding historical and anthropological roots of local culture to support integrative strategies promoting the formation of sustainable behavior towards resource governance and resiliency of resource dependent communities against impacts of climate change. This research direction also initializes the University’s deep dive in conducting researches supporting the futures thinking direction. This research program successfully enhanced research resources of PSU through funding support from CHED and from UCLA for the participating foreign scientist as counterpart of the collaborating research institution.

Experiences gained from novel methodologies and analytical tools acquired from these multi-disciplinary research engagements were used for graduate students’ mentoring program to produce quality and relevant research outputs of our graduate students while exposing them to novel methods for tackling research questions and problems in research. Crafting an issue-focused mentored graduate thesis strategy, graduate students in college of education utilized and applied multidisciplinary research methodologies in generating new information towards deeper understanding of the poor reading performance in basic education such as the use of econometrics in behavioral economics (linking pupils’ reading performance and mathematical proficiency), field experiment method (assessing pupils’ visual acuity in reading) project impact evaluation tools (evaluating impacts reading interventions of DepEd) history and culture research tools (nativization of reading materials  and effect on pupil’s reading performance) to name some to support graduate students research.

Organizational structure and work spaces supported with financial resources were put in place to address needs for patent application of faculty researchers. An IPO office was dedicated by the University and assigned an administrator to promote inventions and innovations. Invention conceptualization and patent application workshops were regularly conducted for faculty researchers inviting national and regional IPO personnel to support productivity of patented technologies and copyright. A special project on promotion of intellectual property and capacity development in producing patentable technologies was pursued under a regional program umbrella of SUCs and DOST. These resulted to the University faculty researchers’ garnering awards in Bicol Regional Invention Competition and in identification of patentable technologies and similar outputs with potential for commercialization. Bridging the nexus towards supporting technology-based start-ups and spin-offs, the University established a business incubation facility composed of office equipment and fixtures for business ideation discussion, market promotion and linkaging coupled with shared service facility for quality food product processing and packaging for local entrepreneurs. These facilities contributed to the growth of a number of people-based rural enterprises in the service area such as cooperatives (Lagonoy Calamansi Growers Federation) and local businesses that were provided technical support through technology transfer facilitation and technical advising by faculty researchers from business and entrepreneurship, technology, fisheries and relevant colleges of the University. 

These research inputs, processes and outputs generated the desired outcomes reflective of our vision for catalyzing sustainable development in our service area: Firstly, these researches contributed to the development of communities through the indirect  economic benefits that the scientific information provided which include: the ecosystem-based approach for sustainable management of marine protected areas for local government units where adoption of science-based coastal and fisheries management resulted to enhanced coral cover and higher fish biomass enhancing the catch of sustenance fishers translated into more and sustained income (e.g. Atulayan MPA by Sagnay LGU which won 1 place in regional, 3rd place in national BFAR Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan award); resulted to integration of insights and science into comprehensive approach to local tourism enterprise governance and riverine conservation (e.g. LGU Goa winning Gawad Pook award); resulted to sound policies supporting sustainable management of tuna fisheries in Lagonoy Gulf which contributed in achieving he coveted marine Stewardship Certication and sustaining them in the future from foreign tuna buyers under the auspices of WWF-Philippines Sustainable Tuna Partnership 2 increasing income from tuna catch by tuna hand line fishers.

Secondly, the researches in PSU contributed to the growing body of knowledge in the disciplines that enhanced instructional capacity, improved curriculum and expanded knowledge in science for the consumption of our students and the larger society. These researches produced several publications in reputable international scientific journals such as economic valuation of coastal environment, economic behavior and social capital of coastal communities in conservation of marine and coastal environment, coastal tourism and economic valuation of recreational value of beaches, fisheries, ecology of marine and coastal habitats, social marketing in community-based coastal resource management, etc. Several publications were produced on reptile systematics, morphology, zoogeography, ecology and biodiversity and their sustainable management. Also several scientific papers were co-published in applied environmental anthropology, Bicol history and indigenous knowledge, etc. These research outputs contributed in increasing understanding and deepening awareness on reptile and avian diversity and ecology of decision makers and stakeholders to support development and implementation of rigorous policy for conservation and management of wildlife environment and resources.

Thirdly, the increasing cultural pride and enhancement of identity through acquisition and dissemination of new knowledge on history, culture and indigenous knowledge led to deeper  understanding of historical and anthropological contexts of resource utilization, environmental degradation, the impact of colonial institutions, the evolution of cultural practices that influence economic behavior of resource users and governing units in resource governance; and understanding people-environment interactions that exacerbated climate change impacts. . The outputs from anthropological, historical and ethnographic studies contributed insights into the relationships between culture, economy, and history which helped in tracing historical changes and understanding the long-term effects of historical events on current economic development and climate change as well on livelihood and survival of rural communities. They contributed in evolving and promoting sustainable behavior and society culled from the traditions of trust and reciprocity of indigenous communities and their integration in current and future resource management strategies that enhances local buy-in of these sustainable strategies, promote sustainable behavior and practices that reduce impacts on environment, resources and livelihood in the service area.