By Karren Jay G. Asgar
Participants pose for a photo opportunity with Dr. Irving Domingo L. Rio (6th from right), resource speaker and facilitator, and Dr. Evelyn Grace D. Ayson (4th from right), Director of the University Research Center, after the training.
The Central Philippine University (CPU) University Research Center (URC), under the Office of the Vice President for Research, Development, and Extension (OVPRDE), conducted a Research Proposal Writing Training and Writeshop on October 7, 2026, at the Knowledge for Development Center (KDC), Henry Luce III Library.
Dr. Irving Domingo L. Rio served as the resource speaker and facilitator of the training, which focused on strengthening participants’ skills in developing research proposals from identifying a research problem to connecting it with appropriate research methods.
The training was attended by faculty members from the Junior High School (JHS), Social Work Department, Social Sciences Department, and College of Theology.
The morning session covered three parts. Part 1 discussed the research problem and research question, including defining the research problem, distinguishing real-world problems from research problems, developing research questions, and identifying the qualities of a good research question.
Part 2 focused on research questions, philosophy, and methodology, covering ontology, epistemology, research paradigms, the connection between research questions and methodology, quantitative and qualitative approaches, and examples from artificial intelligence studies.
Part 3 tackled research gaps, review of related literature (RRL), and integrating the different components of a research proposal. Topics included identifying research gaps, distinguishing research gaps from research locations, the purpose of the RRL, clustering and synthesizing literature, and connecting the RRL to the research question. Dr. Rio also used a Clan War Survivors/Narrative Inquiry example to demonstrate the approach before synthesizing the relationship among the research problem, question, gap, RRL, and methodology.
An open forum followed the morning session, allowing participants to raise questions and discuss the topics presented.
Dr. Irving Domingo L. Rio discusses key concepts on research proposal development during the morning session of the training.
In the afternoon, participants took part in a group writeshop facilitated by Dr. Rio, where they worked on developing their research concepts and proposals. The groups then presented their concept proposals for discussion and feedback.
The activity concluded with closing remarks from Dr. Evelyn Grace D. Ayson, URC Director.
Notably, the URC also conducted a separate Research Proposal Writing Training and Writeshop on September 16, 2026, at the CPUGAD TBI Co-Working Space. The activity was attended by faculty members from the Senior High School (SHS) and Elementary School, as well as Chinese students of Dr. Rio from the School of Graduate Studies.