QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has encouraged more students, scholars and academic professionals to undertake meaningful research that can inform policies, improve public services, and contribute to a better quality of life for everyone.
Belmonte said they can materialize these undertakings by applying for the first batch of fellows under the Betty Go-Belmonte Research Grants Program, which supports work that can contribute to the city’s holistic and sustainable development.
She cited the importance of research in developing responsive and evidence-informed solutions to the challenges communities face.
“In Quezon City, we value research because it helps us better understand the challenges confronting our communities and identify solutions that are grounded in evidence,” she pointed out.
Opening the applications for the program, which was named in honor of the late journalist and newspaper publisher Billie Mary "Betty" Go-Belmonte — the mayor’s mother — the city chief executive said it seeks to empower students, scholars and academic professionals to produce evidence-based studies, practical recommendations, and research outputs that can help address community needs and guide public policy.
Open to Filipino undergraduate and postgraduate students who are residents or enrolled in a higher education institution in the city, the research grant program will also accept academic professionals who are teaching or serving as faculty members of a higher education institution in the city, regardless of their place of residence, she said.
According to the city government, applications may be submitted individually or as a team, provided that the principal proponent or designated project leader meets the eligibility requirements.
It said that research proposals must directly and clearly contribute to the city’s development or align with its 14-point agenda.
Proposals should also produce actionable insights, recommendations, or research outputs that may be applied in the city.
Selected fellows may receive a research grant of up to P100,000. They may also qualify for additional assistance of up to P20,000 each for eligible support categories, covering books and research materials, transportation expenses, and the printing and reproduction of research papers, subject to program guidelines.
Interested applicants may submit their requirements through the program module on the QC e-Service Portal.
The deadline for applications is Aug. 31, 2026, while the evaluation of proposals will begin on Sept. 1, 2026, the local government said.
The mayor said the opening of the first call for applications for the program, which was established through an ordinance in 2023, also marks the 40th anniversary of The Philippine Star, a broadsheet co-founded by Betty Go-Belmonte, Max Soliven and Art Borjal.