Vietnamese researchers have earned 20 awards under this programme 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 programme, funded by USAID and implemented by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The awards range in value from US$54,000 to US$300,000. Three researchers in Vietnam received awards under this latest round

Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh of the Asian Institute of Technology Center, Vietnam (AITVN) and AIT, Thailand, will use microbes to remove toxic pollutants from contaminated soils in Vietnam to protect the health of the community and the environment. 

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

Nguyen Khoi Nghia of the Can Tho University will research cost-effective methods for removing pollutants by analysing soil and testing techniques for stimulating the growth of microorganisms to degrade pollutants. 

Since its establishment in 2011, the PEER programme has helped to build the scientific and research capacity of researchers and research institutions worldwide.

Currently in its ninth cycle, the PEER programme has enabled more than 300 local researchers in more than 50 countries to find evidence-based solutions to development challenges across regions and sectors.