About
The Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines established the President Edgardo J. Angara (UPPEJA) Fellowship Award in its 1236th meeting on 29 September 2008. The Award aims to promote high-level policy discussions and research on a wide range of topics that address national development goals and initiatives, including fiscal budget and financial studies, politics, public administration, good governance, employment policy, and job creation. Funding for the research shall be sourced from income and earnings from an endowment fund, the principal of which shall be kept intact.
The fellowship program will also cover lectures, workshops, and seminars equally useful to the public as research papers, with the fellows encouraged to engage other scholars, politicians, public and private sector leaders, professionals, and civil society groups in discussions of national policy issues.
The first UP PEJA Fellowship Awards were granted in 2010 to Prof. Raul Fabella of the UP Diliman (UPD) School of Economics (UPSE), Prof. Raul Pangalangan of the UPD College of Law, Prof. Ramon Pedro Paterno of the UP Manila Institute of Health Policy and Development Studies, and Prof. Emeritus Gerardo Sicat of the UPD UPSE. UP PEJA Fellowship awards were also granted in 2015, with five UP faculty members from different disciplines across the University System.
In 2023, UP partnered with EDCOM 2 for education-centered research. Sixteen (16) UPPEJA awards were given out. Among the 23 fellows include Dr. Elizabeth King, adjunct professor at Georgetown University and Former Director of Education at the World Bank; Dr. Rosario “Chat” Manasan, Senior Education Policy Economist at the Asian Development Bank; Dr. Dina Ocampo, former undersecretary of the Department of Education; and Dr. Luis Rey Velasco, former chancellor of the University of the Philippines – Los Baños and executive member of the National Innovation Council. The UPPEJA fellows produced fourteen (14) monographs, one (1) discussion paper, and one (1) journal article published in the Philippine Journal of Public Policy, which are all featured in the UP CIDS website. The UP CIDS served as the fellowship Secretariat, and co-organized along with EDCOM 2 four (4) brownbags and one (1) conference.
In the 1236th BOR meeting (29 September 2008), it was stipulated that 2008 UPPEJA run shall create Fellowship Selection Committee that is co-chaired by the UP President, consisting of no more than five (5) members, three (3) of whom are senior UP faculty members who are recipients of similar awards and have experience in this line; the Director General of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA); and one (1) leader from business, industry, or the professions.
The fellowship shall be open to faculty members, researchers, and scholars residing in the Philippines or abroad who have distinguished themselves in policy research, who have leadership potential, and who have demonstrated commitment to service in both public and private sectors. Former UP PEJA Fellows are also eligible to apply, subject to the same evaluation process.
The award shall be given on a competitive basis or by invitation. The fellowship may be awarded to an individual or to a team, subject to the evaluation and approval of the Committee.
The fellowship shall provide a monetary award of up to P500,000.00 (exclusive of tax). In the case of an award granted to a team, the amount shall apply to the entire team. The award may be used for research, local or foreign travel, and such other expenses as may be necessary for the fellow or team to undertake high-level policy research or to participate in high-level policy discussions in their area of expertise. Fellows are expected to deliver a policy paper, present research findings at a brown bag session, and the final paper at the conference. The fellowship period begins upon conferment of the award until December 31, 2026.