NSF awards University of Arkansas $500,000 to develop research collaborations in Southeast Asia
by November 8, 2016 12:03 pm 263 views
The National Science Foundation has provided $500,000 to help University of Arkansas scientists build a network with fellow researchers in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.
U.S. scientists and research groups from universities in the Lower Mekong Basin region have been working together to address environmental issues tied to the Mekong River. Establishing the Food, Energy, Water and Ecosystems Resources Research Coordination Network will help support the logistics of the partnership and also help establish new collaborations involving junior faculty from minority groups, according to a UA press release.
Research topics include aquatic biology and ecosystems science, in addition to the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in the lower Mekong basin.
Similarities between the Mekong River delta and the Mississippi River delta mean there are significant opportunities for cooperation between scientists in the two regions to address issues, said Ruben Michael Ceballos, UA faculty member, biologist and principal investigator on the project.
In Southeast Asia, 80 million people rely on the Mekong, Ceballos said in a press release. “Dams that were built over the last 30 years on the upper and lower Mekong River have altered sediment flow, fisheries and tributaries of the river, resulting in a host of issues.”
The grant does not fund research projects but will pay for travel money, logistical support, student training and the integration of multiple research efforts, Ceballos said.
In 2015, Ceballos was invited to attend the ninth U.S.-Vietnam Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology as part of a U.S. State Department-led delegation to Ho Chi Minh City. The idea for the Lower Mekong Basin research coordination network came out of the meeting, Ceballos said.
Ceballos serves on the steering committee of the Minority Institution Research Collaborative, a professional association of faculty and students from minority and minority-serving institutions as well as minority faculty and students from major institutions.