Vietnam earned three awards in a U.S. Government program to fund scientific research in developing countries. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), under the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) awards, has announced its second round of research collaboration grants. PEER is a USAID-funded competitive grants program that is being administered by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in coordination with NSF.

The winning research programs in Vietnam include:

• Conservation genetics for improved biodiversity and resource management in a changing Mekong Delta: This program will examine genetic adaptation of populations to the changing conditions of the Mekong Delta caused by increasing effects of damming, development, agriculture and climate change. The research associates are Dang Thuy Binh from Nha Trang University and Kent E. Carpenter from Old Dominion University.

• Technical development and field-testing of a self-contained, inexpensive wave energy converter device: This project will work to develop a field-deployable wave energy converter device to provide basic electrical needs for people living in underdeveloped and remote coastal communities in Vietnam. The project will focus on further developing the wave energy converter device to improve mechanical and electrical efficiency, reduce production costs and explore potential uses such as an ocean sensor platform. The research associates are Tho H. Nguyen of Tan Tao University and Brian Bingham of the University of Hawaii.

• Evaluating the sustainability of groundwater resources: academic and scientific gaps: The project will sample groundwater around Hanoi to assess the risks of arsenic contamination. Young scientists will be trained and carry out the sampling and gather information needed to ensure the safety and sustainability of aquifers. The research associates are Pham T.K. Trang of Hanoi University of Science and Benjamin Carlos Bostick of Columbia University.

In 2013, USAID and the NSF have awarded 54 new research projects in 32 countries totaling nearly $7.5 million to collaborate on areas such as agroforestry, groundwater purification, biodiversity, volcano risk reduction, and drought and climate change. PEER Science awardees were selected from nearly 300 high-quality proposals and represent over $76 million of leveraged NSF funding through collaborations with their U.S. research partners. The third call for PEER Science proposals is expected to be announced in early September 2013.

For more information, please visit: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/dsc/peer/index.htm