Governance
Research, Development, Extension, and Publications Office
The Research, Development, Extension, and Publications Office (RDEPO) implements the research policy of the University of San Carlos with the help of the University Research Council. Currently attached to this office are the Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) and the Laboratory Animal Facility. The RDEPO also manages the University Research Trust Fund, that provides start-up funding for release time and logistics to faculty researchers. The RDEPO also supports the development of linkages with other higher education institutions and industry through collaborative researches initiated by academic units. Capability building activities are also initiated by the RDEPO, including the organization of the University Research Conference (URCon), lectures, seminars, and training workshops.
University Research Council
The University Research Council is a multi-disciplinary body that implements the University’s research policy in support of the Research, Development, Extension, and Publications Office. Currently, it is composed of the RDEPO Director as Chair, the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of the Human Resource Management Office as permanent members, as well as representatives from planning, Science and Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, and Health Care Professions.
Innovation and Technology Support Office
The Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) assists researchers in the protection of their inventions and creative works through intellectual property rights including copyright, patent or utility model, trademark, industrial design, and other forms of intellectual property as stipulated in the University’s Intellectual Property Policy. Under its purview are activities including basic intellectual property seminars, patent information searching, claims drafting, intellectual property management, and commercialization.
Knowledge and Technology Transfer Office
The Knowledge and Technology Transfer Office (KTTO) serves as a conduit between the University’s researchers and the beneficiaries of the new knowledge and technology developed in USC. This office was recently established as part of the University’s participation in the KTTO Development Project involving ten Philippine universities supported by USAID STRIDE. USC is also one of the invited participants of the IP Spoke program initiated by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Laboratory Animal Facility
The Laboratory Animal Facility houses and maintains experimental and test animals for research purposes. Student and faculty researchers may conduct their experiments in this facility for a fee upon approval by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The facility was accredited last May 29, 2017 by the Philippine Association of Laboratory Animal Science (PALAS), in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act and the Department of Agriculture Administrative Order No. 40.
Research Ethics Committee
The Research Ethics Committee (REC) is composed of seven members with diverse backgrounds covering legal, behavioral, philosophical, environmental, biological, medical, and health. The committee reviews research proposals that involve human participants or subjects regardless of discipline. The review process follows standard operating procedures approved by the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB) as mandated by the Philippine National Health Research System Act of 2013 (Republic Act No. 10532).
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
The Animal Welfare Act of 1998 (Republic Act No. 8485, as amended by R.A. 10631) requires that animal subjects used in research have to be treated humanely following protocols prescribed by the Bureau of Animal Industry under Department Administrative Order No. 40. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) reviews proposals with animal test subjects to ensure that proper procedures are followed. The IACUC also monitors the conduct of research ensuring that it is in accordance with approved protocols.