HANOI, October 21, 2013 -- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF), has launched the third round of the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) awards to support and build scientific and technical capacity.

“The PEER program provides an extraordinary opportunity to promote scientific cooperation between developing countries like Vietnam and the United States to address shared global challenges,” said USAID Mission Director Joakim Parker. “We recognize that through these partnerships, we can solve such problems more quickly and build long-term collaborations that will extend beyond the length of the grant.”

PEER Science is a competitive grants program that invites scientists in select countries, including Vietnam, to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building activities in partnership with their NSF-funded collaborators to address a wide range of critical development challenges, including, but not limited to, food security, climate change, water, biodiversity, disaster mitigation, and renewable energy.

Earlier this year, Vietnam earned three PEER awards in the second round of the program, which awarded 54 new research projects in 32 countries totaling nearly $7.5 million and representing over $76 million of leveraged NSF funding through collaborations with their U.S. research partners. Vietnamese researchers also earned two awards in the first round of the grants, which was announced in 2012.

Vietnamese researchers interested in getting funds for their research projects are encouraged to refer to

http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/dsc/peerscience/index.htm for detailed information about PEER Science. This program is being implemented by the National Academies, which will manage the proposal review process and disburse and monitor grants awarded.

The deadline for proposal submission is January 13, 2014 (11:59 PM U.S. EASTERN STANDARD TIME). Questions regarding the program should be sent to peer@nas.edu. Vietnamese researchers who want to find a U.S. partner can see NSF's award search database at http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/.