TY - JOUR T1 - Institutionalisation of social innovation in health research: the Philippine Gelia Castillo Award JF - BMJ Innovations JO - BMJ Innov SP - 149 LP - 154 DO - 10.1136/bmjinnov-2021-000888 VL - 8 IS - 3 AU - Jose Rene Bagani Cruz AU - Jana Deborah Mier-Alpaño AU - Abigail Ruth Mier AU - Jean Francis Barcena AU - Arturo Ongkeko, Jr AU - Gloria Nenita Velasco AU - Jaime Montoya AU - Meredith Labarda AU - Noel Juban Y1 - 2022/07/01 UR - http://innovations.bmj.com/content/8/3/149.abstract N2 - What are the new findings?The Department of Science and Technology—Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, Department of Health, and Social Innovation in Health Initiative Philippines codeveloped the Gelia Castillo Award for Research on Social Innovations in Health (GCARSIH). GCARSIH is a national award that aims to recognise social innovations that address persistent and systemic health challenges in the Philippines and support these innovations for further development through research.In its inaugural run in 2020, GCARSIH received 53 eligible entries from across the country. The top three innovations presented unique solutions to the specific health needs and challenges they aimed to address. As part of the incentives for GCARSIH, winners were given a training package for research proposal writing and eligibility for an implementation research and development grant.This presents an example of how the identification of and research on social innovations in health can be institutionalised into national systems and sustained through strategic engagement.How might it impact on healthcare in the future?The GCARSIH mobilises national, regional, and local actors to identify social innovations in health. Its capacity building components promote the concept and practice of social innovation among national and regional health system actors and researchers,and democratise social innovation research among innovators and implementers.This national award supports discussion and learning about diverse forms of innovations that address complex health systems challenges. It also presents an avenue for providing multisectoral support for social innovations in health to increase capacity and resilience.As low to middle-income countries (LMICs) continue to face persistent health problems, lack of resources and barriers to accessing health services, social innovations in health have emerged as a means to address complex problems in novel, responsive and transformative ways. These innovative solutions—products, services, models, markets or processes—created by multisectoral actors have potential for wider impact if social innovation is institutionalised and integrated into national policies or frameworks.1 … ER -