3 research managers from PH to join fellowship program in agriculture research
To help develop their leadership and management skills on agricultural research for development, three research managers from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) will take part in the 2021 John Dillon Fellowship (JDF).

DOST on Thursday, June 10, announced that three research managers from DOST-PCAARRD namely Mia Barbara Aranas, Senior Science Research Specialist (SrSRS) of the Socio-Economics Research Division (SERD); Maria Teresa de Guzman SrSRS of the Agricultural Resources Management Research Division (ARMRD), and Dr. Ronilo de Castro, Science Research Specialist II of the Livestock Research Division (LRD) will be joining the JDF 2021 to start on June 14.
The JDF is under the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). It is one of the flagship fellowship programs of ACIAR on leadership capacity building in agriculture research for development.
DOST noted that the JDF aims to develop the leadership and management skills of mid-career professionals - particularly scientists, researchers, and economists from ACIAR-partner countries who are working in agricultural research for development.
While the country has established research organizations with capable researchers who are recognized as leaders and change agents in their field, DOST-PCAARRD and ACIAR both recognize the need to “upskill the practice of leadership” - especially in the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
DOST said that the identified research managers from DOST-PCAARRD will be joined by other Fellows from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), UP Mindanao (UPMin), and the Visayas State University (VSU). “Members of the cohort are emerging leaders who have previous or ongoing association with ACIAR projects,” it added.
The leadership and management strategies that the Fellows will design in this program should be beneficial to their respective agencies, DOST said.
Most importantly, DOST noted that the JDF Program is an “opportunity” for a PCAARRD-ACIAR partnership model that is not research- or project-based.
The ACIAR, it added, has allocated AU$500,000 to support the Filipino fellows’ collaborative projects.
The John Dillon Fellows, DOST said, will be trained in leadership and management, including leadership in the time of crisis, partnership brokering, leadership communication, gender equity, diversity, and social inclusion.
DOST noted that this year’s JDF program will focus on core skills and learning modules such as values-based leadership; collaboration and communication; project management; and gender equity and social inclusion.