Vietnam has earned an additional three awards in the latest round of the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER), an international program funding scientists and engineers in developing countries, in collaboration with with US government-funded researchers to address global development challenges. 

Vietnamese researchers have received 20 awards under the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research program. Photo: USAID

Of the three researchers in Vietnam receiving awards in this latest round, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh (Asian Institute of Technology Center in Vietnam and Thailand) will use microbes to remove toxic pollutants from contaminated soils in Vietnam to protect the health of the community and the environment. 

Meanwhile, Ms. Dang Thuong Huyen (Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology) will help convert agricultural waste into a tool for removing pollutants from soil in Vietnam. 

The other scholar, Mr. Nguyen Khoi Nghia (Can Tho University) will research cost-effective methods for removing pollutants by analyzing soil and testing techniques for stimulating the growth of microorganisms to degrade pollutants. 

Vietnamese researchers have received 20 awards under this program since 2011, including these three new grants.

Recently, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced more than US$5.8 million for 26 new worldwide research projects to discover, test, and scale breakthrough solutions for critical challenges in international development through the PEER program, funded by the USAID and implemented by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The awards range in value from $54,000 to $300,000. 

Since its establishment in 2011, the PEER program has helped to build the scientific and research capacity of researchers and research institutions worldwide. Currently in its ninth cycle, the PEER program has enabled more than 300 local researchers in over 50 countries to find evidence-based solutions to development challenges across regions and sectors. 

USAID is dedicated to helping governments, academia, civil society, and the private sector build resilient and sustainable societies. Research increases the commitment and capacity in our partner nations to plan, finance, and implement solutions through informed decision-making. 

By strengthening the ability of governmental, private-sector, and academic institutions in our partner countries to conduct research and apply science to help solve their own challenges, USAID is supporting their journey to self-reliance.

This segment’s training needs are consequently essential, so training professionals in life insurance are also recruited.