Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
Definition
Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is the Philippine government’s cabinet-level agency in charge of directing, coordinating, and funding the country’s science and technology efforts. It sets national R&D priorities, runs scholarship and grant programs, and pushes Filipino research out of the lab and into industry.
DOST sits at the centre of a wide network of councils, research institutes, and regional offices. Its work shapes everything from disaster forecasting to semiconductor talent pipelines, which is why outsourcing firms in Manila, Cebu, and Clark watch its programs closely.
The agency reports directly to the President of the Philippines. It currently operates under Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. — a geologist and former PHIVOLCS chief appointed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in 2022.
How it works
DOST runs on a hub-and-spoke model. The central office in Bicutan, Taguig sets policy, while three sectoral councils and seven research and development institutes handle specialised work. Sixteen regional offices push programs into the provinces.
The agency’s authority comes from Executive Order 128, signed by President Corazon Aquino on 30 January 1987, which elevated the old National Science and Technology Authority to cabinet rank. Funding flows through the General Appropriations Act each year, with additional grants from foreign partners like JICA, USAID, and the World Bank’s Philippines country programme.
Below is the operating structure most outsourcing operators bump into when sourcing talent or research support:
| Arm | Role | Example output |
|---|---|---|
| Sectoral councils (PCAARRD, PCHRD, PCIEERD) | Set research priorities by sector | Industry roadmaps for agriculture, health, and engineering |
| R&D institutes (ITDI, FNRI, ASTI, PNRI, PTRI, MIRDC, FPRDI) | Run the labs | Food safety testing, advanced computing, nuclear research |
| DOST-SEI | Scholarships and human capital | ~12,000 active S&T undergraduate scholars as of 2024 |
| DOST-TAPI | Technology transfer and commercialisation | Patent filings and startup spin-offs |
| Regional offices (16 RDOs) | Local delivery | Provincial science centres and SETUP loans |
The flagship programs sit on top of this structure. The Grants-in-Aid (GIA) program funds proposals from any Filipino public or private entity with demonstrated competence. The Balik Scientist Program, restored under Republic Act 11035 in 2018, pays Filipino scientists abroad to return for short, medium, or long engagements. The Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) lends interest-free capital to micro and small enterprises so they can buy equipment.
DOST also co-runs the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) system, a network of 16 specialist campuses producing the country’s top STEM graduates. PSHS scholars sign a return-service contract — they must work in the Philippines for the same number of years they studied free.
Examples
Project NOAH and disaster early-warning. DOST funded the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards program from 2012, building flood and landslide hazard maps that local governments still use during typhoon season. After PAGASA absorbed the live operations in 2017, DOST-ASTI took the high-performance computing layer in-house.
Semiconductor talent for the BPO and electronics belt. In March 2024, DOST and the Department of Trade and Industry signed a joint roadmap to triple Filipino semiconductor design engineers by 2028, aimed squarely at multinationals like Analog Devices, STMicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments that already run design centres in Metro Manila and Cebu.
COVID-19 response. Between 2020 and 2022, DOST’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) funded local development of FASSSTER, the epidemiology modelling platform used by the Inter-Agency Task Force, and bankrolled the country’s first locally-assembled RT-PCR kit, GenAmplify, through UP Manila’s National Institutes of Health.
Balik Scientist returnees. From the program’s revival in 2018 through 2023, more than 600 Filipino scientists based in the United States, Australia, Japan, and Germany returned on short tours to teach, mentor, and co-author research at host institutions including UP Diliman, Ateneo, and De La Salle.
Related terms
- Business process outsourcing: the broader sector DOST indirectly supports through STEM talent and ICT R&D.
- Knowledge process outsourcing: higher-value research, analytics, and engineering work where DOST scholars often land.
- PEZA: the economic zone authority that operates alongside DOST programs to attract tech investors.
- IT-BPM: the umbrella industry that benefits from DOST scholarship pipelines and digital infrastructure work.
- Offshoring: the corporate motion DOST tries to tilt away from raw cost arbitrage and toward higher-skill R&D.
- Research and development: the core function DOST funds, regulates, and coordinates.
FAQ
Who is the current DOST Secretary?
Renato U. Solidum Jr. has led DOST since 2022, appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He is a geologist and the former director of PHIVOLCS, the agency’s volcanology arm.
When was DOST established?
The agency traces back to the National Science Development Board, created on June 13, 1958. It was reorganised in 1981 and elevated to cabinet rank as DOST under Executive Order 128 on January 30, 1987.
What scholarships does DOST offer?
DOST-SEI runs undergraduate S&T scholarships under Republic Act 7687 and Republic Act 10612, the Junior Level Science Scholarship, and graduate awards including the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) program. The Philippine Science High School system is a separate K–12 scholarship track.
How do I apply for DOST grants?
Filipino individuals, universities, and companies submit proposals through the DOST Grants-in-Aid (GIA) program via the relevant sectoral council — PCAARRD for agriculture, PCHRD for health, or PCIEERD for industry and ICT. Applications open on a rolling basis through the DOST Project Management Information System.
How does DOST help outsourcing firms?
DOST funds STEM scholarships that supply BPO and KPO firms with engineers, data scientists, and analysts. It also runs SETUP loans for small tech vendors and co-signs national roadmaps for ICT, semiconductors, and AI talent that shape the country’s outsourcing pitch.
Where is DOST located?
Headquarters sit in the DOST Complex on General Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Taguig City. Sixteen regional offices cover the rest of the country, from Region I in Ilocos to BARMM in Mindanao.
Want to plug into the talent and R&D pipeline DOST is building? Outsource Accelerator can match you with a vetted Philippine partner that already taps these programs — browse our BPO directory to get started.
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