Mekong River section across Vietnam - Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam earned another four awards in the latest round of the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER), a US-funded programme to fund scientific research in developing countries, the US Embassy in Vietnam announced on September 13.
The winning research programmes include integrating remote sensing, field data, and social surveys for biodiversity conservation in the Central Highlands of Vietnam; GIS and remote sensing application for assessment of land degradation in the Lower Mekong River Basin; study on coral reef resilience in comparative areas in South Vietnam for marine biodiversity conservation in a changing world; and an assessment of smoking and access to care as risk factors for gender-differences in TB rates: a sub-study of the Vietnam National Tuberculosis Program and TB prevalence survey 2016-2018.
“Local scholars’ proactive response to the PEER programme’s call for proposals has been extremely successful,” said Mike Greene, US Agency for International Development (USAID) Vietnam Mission Director. “The research partnerships nurtured through this program are crucial to building capacity among local scientists and research institutions, strengthening linkages with international research institutions, and finding solutions to global development challenges.”
The PEER programme is supported by USAID in conjunction with several science agencies of the US Government.
Administered by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, PEER is a competitive grants program that invites scientists in developing countries, partnered with US Government-supported collaborators, to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building activities on topics with strong potential development impacts.
This innovative programme is designed to leverage the investments other USG-supported agencies have made in scientific research and training while supporting the initiatives of developing country scientists.
Earlier, Vietnamese scientists won eight PEER awards.-VNA
