Vietnam Scholars Win Four U.S. Scientific Research Awards

On 13th Sep, 2016, according to the US Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam earned another four awards in the latest round of the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER), a U.S. Government (USG) program to fund scientific research in developing countries, bringing the total number of PEER awards won by Vietnamese scientists to 12.

This round’s winning research programs in Vietnam include:• Integrating remote sensing, field data, and social surveys for biodiversity conservation in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.Research associates – Huong Nguyen, Tay Nguyen University, and Radeloff Volker, University of Wisconsin–Madison. 

GIS and remote sensing application for assessment of land degradation in the Lower Mekong River Basin. Research associates – Quyet Vu, Soils and Fertilizers Research Institute (SFRI), and John Bolten, NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center. 

Study on coral reef resilience in comparative areas in South Vietnam for marine biodiversity conservation in a changing world. Research associates – Tuan Si Vo, Institute of Oceanography, and Mark Eakin, NOAA Coral Reef Watch. 

An assessment of smoking and access to care as risk factors for gender-differences in TB rates: a substudy of the Vietnam National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) TB prevalence survey 2016-2018. Research associates – Nguyen Van Hung, Vietnam NTP, and Payam Nahid, University of California, San Francisco.

The PEER program is supported by USAID in conjunction with several USG science agencies. Administered by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, PEER is a competitive grants program that invites scientists in developing countries, partnered with USG-supported collaborators, to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building activities on topics with strong potential development impacts. 

Female scientists part of the USAID Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research Science project work on biodiversity and conservation at Kasetsart University’s lab in Thailand. USAID
Female scientists part of the USAID Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research Science project work on biodiversity and conservation at Kasetsart University’s lab in Thailand. USAID

Since its launch in 2011, PEER has supported more than 200 researchers in more than 45 countries, with a total investment of over $50 million.

By Song Thuong

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