Priority Areas | University of San Carlos

Research Priority Areas

The University of San Carlos seeks to contribute to the science, technology, and management of human, food/health, water, energy and waste resources in Region 7 while keeping ethical, humanist, transformative, and Catholic perspectives. Our research priority areas are also aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Current or recently completed projects in these various areas are summarized below:

Area on Human

Examining educational disruption: An in-depth analysis of the learning experiences
and challenges of students, teachers and other stakeholders in Cebu. Funding: RAFI. Principal investigator: Rolando V. Obiedo, School of Education
Enhancing teachers’ capacity to teach science and mathematics with data analytics: Towards addressing learning loss and improving junior high school students’ achievement and motivation towards STEM fields. Funding: NCR Foundation through CAF America. Principal investigator: Rolando V. Obiedo, School of Education

Area on Food/Health

DOST-MECO-TECO Joint Research Program: Development of algal phytogenic feed ingredient for poultry nutrition. Funding: DOST-MECO-TECO. Principal investigator: Paul John L. Geraldino, Department of Biology
Exploring and extensive utilization of microorganism from mangrove and coral reef in Cebu, Philippines, for sustainable bioactive natural product discovery. Funding: DOST JSPS. Principal investigator: Jonie C. Yee, Department of Biology
Acute, subchronic, and chronic toxicity evaluation and antihyperglycemic activity of formulated extracts in animal model. Funding: DOST-PCHRD Tuklas Lunas Program. Principal investigator: Gerard Lee L. See, Tuklas Lunas Development Center (TLDC)
Nano VCEx: Development of virgin coconut oil-based nanostructured lipid carrier spray formulation to improve skin tissue delivery of model compounds. Funding: DOST-PCHRD. Principal investigator: Gerard Lee L. See, Department of Pharmacy
Primary health care services in Cebu: History and current status. Funding: RAFI. Principal investigator: Zona Hildegarde S. Amper, Center for Social Research and Education (CSRE)

Area on Water

Freshwater lens monitoring in Bantayan Island, Cebu. Funding: DOST RO7. Principal investigator: Roland Emerito S. Otadoy, Center for Geoinformatics and Environmental Solutions (CenGES)

Area on Waste

Conversion of quarry waste (silt) into high temperature refractory bricks. Funding: DOST PCIEERD. Principal investigator: Virgilio Y. Abellana, Department of Mechanical Engineering
South East Asia Marine Plastics (SEAMaP): Reduction, control, and mitigation of marine plastic pollution in the Philippines. Funding: UK Natural Environment Research Council through Bangor University. Co-principal investigators: Ma. Kristina O. Paler, Department of Biology, Francis Dave C. Siacor, Department of Chemical Engineering

Area on Energy

Powering prosperity: Community-led business models for sustainable electrification in rural Philippine islands. Funding: FHNW Switzerland. Principal investigator: Lorafe Lozano, Center for Research in Energy Systems and Technologies (CREST)
SWARMGRIDS: Empowering off-grid island communities through interconnected microgrid clusters. Funding: DOST-PCIEERD. Principal investigator: Lorafe Lozano, Center for Research in Energy Systems and Technologies (CREST)
Development and design of multidisciplinary specialized courses in the built environment incorporating advanced energy and green building technologies for undergraduate and graduate programs in the engineering and architecture disciplines. Funding: CHED. Principal investigator: Rosana J. Ferolin, School of Engineering

Other research areas

3D-BTM: Bio-fabrication of bone, muscle, and pancreatic biomimetic tissue models for printable and injectable scaffolds. Funding: DOST-PCIEERD. Principal investigator: Rommel G. Bacabac, MBG-Center for Tissue Engineering and Biological Soft Materials
Robotic development project through academic-industrial collaboration, Fukushima Prefecture. Funding: Fukushima University, Japan. Principal investigator: Luis Gerardo S. Cañete Jr., Department of Computer Engineering