UST Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (UST-RCSSEd)

What UST Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (UST-RCSSEd) does

The Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (RCSSED), also known as UST-RCSSEd, is the social science research arm of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), a private Catholic university in Manila, Philippines. The center's mission is to balance scholarly and policy dimensions of social science research addressing Philippine socio-economic issues and education concerns, and to produce research that can be integrated as input into policy and decision-making. RCSSED organizes its work through 11 thematic Research Interest Groups spanning Business Studies, Church and Social Issues, Communication and Media, Community-Engaged Studies, Education and Leadership Studies, Language and Literacy Studies, Life Course and Intergenerational Studies, Politics and Public Policy, Psychology Studies, Social Health Studies, Sustainability Studies, and Tourism Studies, supported by a core team of approximately 12 staff and 58 research associates plus 18 affiliates as of AY 2024-2025. Its leadership comprises a Director (currently Dr. Jeremaiah M. Opiniano), Assistant Director (Dr. Pia Patricia P. Tenedero), and an Officer in Charge (Asst. Prof. Katrina Ninfa M. Topacio), with oversight from the UST Vice Rector for Research Innovation.

The center's service portfolio is built on three pillars: (1) Mixed Methods Resources, a methodology catalog of over 90 research techniques covering quantitative, qualitative, and integrated designs; (2) a Research Utilization Unit (RUU) that bridges research outputs with policymakers through policy expos and dialogue events; and (3) Statistics Services providing consultation on tool selection, data processing, and result interpretation. RCSSED operates as a non-profit academic research unit — not a software company — and earns no fee-based product revenue. Its funding comes from UST core operating support and externally funded research grants from agencies such as the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), foundations, and partners including the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Philippines and the UST Research and Endowment Foundation. Customers are primarily UST internal faculty and graduate students, with secondary engagements for Philippine government bodies, the Catholic Church, and local government units such as the Siquijor provincial government.

RCSSED's reach is domestic Philippines-centric, with regional academic and policy partnerships rather than a global footprint. It has earned the 2023 NRCP Outstanding Research Institution Award, the 2024 PSSC Virginia A. Miralao Excellence in Research Award (to Dr. Tenedero), the 2024 MMIRA Dissertation Award (to Director Opiniano), a 2024 DOST-NAST Talent Search special citation, and CBCP recognition for catechetical ministry research. The center distributes research and engages community through its website (rcssed.ust.edu.ph), Facebook (@ustrcssed), academic conferences, brown bag sessions, the Journal of Social Health (JOSH), and policy exposition events.

Name

UST Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (UST-RCSSEd)

Legal name

Research Center for Social Sciences and Education

Website

https://rcssed.ust.edu.ph

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UST-RCSSEd is the social science and education research arm of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, providing mixed methods research services, statistics consultation, and policy translation to UST faculty, graduate students, Philippine government agencies, and the Catholic Church.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Equity, Access & Inclusion Policy Research (EDADADAF)

Keywords

• Social science research
• Education research
• Mixed methods research
• Policy research
• Academic research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Manila

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funded Projects: Externally funded research projects from government agencies (NRCP, DOST) and foundations. The center receives grants for specific research initiatives including policy research, conservation studies, and educational programs.
2. University Core Funding: Operational funding from University of Santo Tomas as the social science research arm of the institution. Services provided to UST students and faculty.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RCSSED is the social science research arm of the University of Santo Tomas, providing research services across 11 thematic Research Interest Groups spanning social sciences and education. Its core offerings include mixed methods research methodology resources, policy translation services via the Research Utilization Unit, and statistics consultation for academic researchers and policymakers. The center primarily serves UST students and faculty while engaging external government, church, and academic partners through commissioned research projects.

Product overview

UST-RCSSEd is a research center that offers research services, methodologies, and policy support rather than a traditional software product. Its service portfolio includes Mixed Methods Resources (encompassing over 90 research methods and tools such as A/B Testing, Design Ethnography, Usability Testing, and Qualitative/Quantitative analysis techniques), a Research Utilization Unit (RUU) focused on evidence-based policy development, and Statistics Services for research data processing and interpretation. The center organizes its research through thematic Research Interest Groups (RIGs) covering Business Studies, Church and Social Issues, Communication and Media, Community-Engaged Studies, Education and Leadership Studies, Language and Literacy Studies, Life Course and Intergenerational Studies, Politics and Public Policy, Psychology Studies, Social Health Studies, Sustainability Studies, and Tourism Studies. No distinct branded software products, modules, or platforms were identified.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mixed Methods Research Resources
• Research Utilization Unit (RUU)
• Statistics Services
• Research Interest Groups (RIGs)
• Advanced Research Training Programs Capacity-building programs providing advanced research training for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods designs. Includes brown bag sessions on research tools and skills, mixed methods fairs, and training workshops for UST students, faculty, and external researchers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 58 research associates and 18 affiliates recruited for AY 2024-2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Friedrich Naumann Foundation PhilippinescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 August 2025Co-hosted 'The Ukraine War, its Solution and their Implications for the Philippines' panel discussion featuring Ukrainian Ambassador, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson, and UST Political Science chair.
• National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRCP awarded RCSSED as the 2023 Outstanding Research Institution, recognizing excellence in social sciences and education research in the Philippines.
• Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSSC awarded the 2024 Virginia A. Miralao Excellence in Research Award to RCSSED researcher Dr. Pia Patricia P. Tenedero.
• Siquijor Provincial Government and Municipal MayorsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable, Regenerative Siquijor (SURE) Project signed MOUs with provincial governor and city mayors of Siquijor (February 2024) for conservation and restoration research toward regenerative ecotourism destination development.
• UST Research and Endowment FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for the SURE (Sustainable, Regenerative Siquijor) Project implementing conservation and restoration initiatives.
• Department of Science and Technology - National Academy of Science and Technology (DOST NAST)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism RIG Lead Monren Mercado received special citation in the 2024 NAST Talent Search for Young Scientist.
• CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommission recognized RCSSED and Dr. Clarence M. Batan for research helping understand and appreciate the catechetical ministry in the Philippines.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ateneo School of Government (ASoG): A graduate public policy school at Ateneo de Manila University doing evidence-based policy research and training Filipino policymakers. Comparable in mission and Philippine context; differs by being degree-granting and by focusing on public management rather than social-science research per se.
• Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS): A government-funded Philippine think tank that conducts policy-relevant socioeconomic research for national agencies. Direct comparable to RCSSED's mix of academic research and policy translation work, though PIDS focuses more on macroeconomic development studies while RCSSED's scope is social sciences and education.
• De La Salle University - Research and Social Development Office: DLSU's central research infrastructure driving social science and education research output in the Philippines. Comparable peer Catholic university center that conducts externally funded studies and policy-relevant socio-economic research, though typically more applied and less education-policy focused than RCSSED.
• Institute of Philippine Culture (IPC, Ateneo de Manila): A university-hosted social science research unit within Ateneo de Manila that conducts interdisciplinary social research on Philippine communities. Direct comparable to RCSSED in being a Catholic-university-based social sciences research unit engaging government and community partners.
• UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS): A multidisciplinary research center within the University of the Philippines that conducts social science research for Philippine development. Closest university-based peer to RCSSED: similar organizational form (university-hosted research center), multi-RIG structure, and policy-relevant Philippine focus.
• Ateneo Policy Center (Ateneo de Manila University): Catholic university policy research unit producing evidence-based research on Philippine political economy and social issues. Comparable in policy translation focus, UST-Catholic system affiliation, and reliance on faculty-led research engagement with Philippine agencies.

Regional players

• Social Weather Stations (SWS): A Philippine social research institution conducting regular public opinion and social attitudes surveys. Comparable in producing Philippine socio-economic research used by government and media, though SWS specializes in quantitative polling rather than RCSSED's mixed methods design and education focus.

Others

• Philippine Social Science Center (PSSC): The national coordinating body for Philippine social science research, which has awarded RCSSED affiliates (Miralao Excellence in Research Award to Dr. Tenedero). Comparable professional ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor; accreditation/recognition body for the very category RCSSED operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ustrcssed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ustrcssed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UST Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (UST-RCSSEd)